Backup options

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swordfish1

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Hi guys,

another question. I am about to make a file server at home with RAID 5 and I want to put all my CDs/DVDs on that server and throw away the CDs/DVDs as they take too much space and are inconveninent to use.

The problem is that RAID 5 will save me from a hard drive crash, but will not survive fire or theft. Hence the need for regular off site backup.

So I am looking for cost effective backup solution, easily expandable, backups will need to be done once a week, can take up to several hours for the full backup as long as it is fully automatic. So far the solutions I have found cost a fortune, it is far cheaper to buy bunch of external drives and copy the stuff over and get the drives off site. The problem with this is that it doesn't fit into my description of convenient. At the moment I will need about 1TB backup space, but I must be able to expand it easily.

any suggestions?
 
1.44 Mb stiffies???

Just kidding. You are in for MAJOR $$$ - probably R30k-R50k for an LTO or SDLT tape drive, and then plenty for media.

What I suggest is not chucking all the CDs and DVDs but keeping THEM offsite. Divide your disc space in some way to signify whether you have the original offsite or not, then back up only the latter onto a cheaper system - a cycle of DVDs ( 8Gb ) or a DAT drive. You could even buy a box-of-discs and back up the "got-original" set, take it offsite, so that in the event of disaster you can restore that big chunk conveniently.

And then in 18 months you can buy a holographic disc drive and be happy. :)

see http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/24/maxell_holo_storage/
 
thanks for the advice Peter

I thought of that option, but as last resort.

I saw that the tape drives cost ridiculous numbers. I most definitely can't justify investing in such solution. DL DVDs can help a bit, but @ R40 per single DVD it is cheaper to buy hard drives.

I will need some serious reorganization in order for the partial backup to work. I wonder if there are some software solutions for linux that can use the date/time stamp of the files to determine what needs to be backed up and what not.

I am looking forward to the holografic discs, but I don't see this happening until 2008-2010, even though they say 2006.
 
Put a linux server in at either IS or UUNET. Then get something with a big cap like a Sentech 512k or whatever it's called now. Back it up to those servers....

My way :P
Wireless link to a mates house nearby, with a box sitting there :)
 
one of the best backup apps i have found is acronis enterprise, the gui sucks a little and doesnt always work.. but the dos command that comes with it works like a dream and never fails when used with windows scheduler. also does incremental backups of your drive to save on some space :)
 
Crash said:
Put a linux server in at either IS or UUNET. Then get something with a big cap like a Sentech 512k or whatever it's called now. Back it up to those servers....

My way :P
Wireless link to a mates house nearby, with a box sitting there :)
Click to expand...
are you insane! how long you think will take to transfer 1TB over a 512 kb connection?
 
lost said:
one of the best backup apps i have found is acronis enterprise, the gui sucks a little and doesnt always work.. but the dos command that comes with it works like a dream and never fails when used with windows scheduler. also does incremental backups of your drive to save on some space :)
Click to expand...
hmmm I am using linux ...
 
Another thought!

This depends where you live and if you get on with the neighbours! ;)

You could minimize ( NOT remove ) the risks of fire and burglary if you could locate a backup PC with a load of disc space nearby. If you live in a complex type place - at the other end of the complex. Or if you don't - in the neighbour's study. The assumptions are that the robbers would not take out both PCs at the same time, and that the Fire Dept will kill the fire before getting to the other location. Then run some ethernet - copper, or fibre if linking buildings - to the other location.

Another risk BTW is the RAID controller going screwy and taking out your RAID set - I have seen this on occasion.

Another more desperate idea! Investigate a magnetic-media grade fireproof safe. Casual robbers won't get into it and won't be able to lift it away, and these things do actually protect magnetic media ( or they used to decades back when I last had one ). Then backup to IDE/SATA removable drives and stick them ( with padding in case whole floor collapses in fire! ) in the safe.

/Peter_J is clutching at straws!
 
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would it not be cheaper to hire a security gaurd to sleep next to the pc's


or buy a dog those come in handy

buy a fire resistant box

problem solved
 
wow, whole lot of cool ideas here :)

lost - thanks, will have a look at that

killadoob - it is not just porn :) have a lot of data as well, quite big databases with info collected over the past few years, have some videos as well, from TV recordings and I am backing up friends home videos sometimes, as most of my friends are quite irresponsible when it comes to safeguarding data.

Peter_J - well I live in a house, don't know the neighbours :) the magnetic safe idea is not that bad, but only if build into the walls of the house and reasonable large in size, this little safes that they sell in the shops I guess could save me from fire or flood, but 2-3 burglars will pick them up and put it in their truck easily.

killadoob - do you really trust the security guards :D
 
Peter_J said:
1.44 Mb stiffies???

Just kidding. You are in for MAJOR $$$ - probably R30k-R50k for an LTO or SDLT tape drive, and then plenty for media.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/24/maxell_holo_storage/
Click to expand...

hhmmm......thats weird? I just did a quote which included an internal Sony Tape Drive which could take 208Gigs a tape (compressed) for R 7000 (incl) and the 208 Gig tapes cost R320 ea.

PM me swordfish1 if you want to know where I got those prices. It helps that you can buy this equipment through a business - you able to?
 
dvd's are still cheaper, right? just a lot more cumbersome...
about half the price of the tape
 
Seagate have just released their 500GB drives, so 4 of these in another chassis will give you 2TB. maybe this is enough?

second machine can be low spec as it'll only be used for backup. Using something like Veritas backup exec software will make automating easy. You can store the backup machine at a second location.
 
Like seriously - you're throwing away the backup that you can put off-site. Are you mad ?
Why don't you keep the cd's+dvd's+stuff as the offsite-backup at a friends place/bank vault?
Then - of the 1TB of stuff - how much actually changes ?
Surely you should only do incremental backups of the changes, which should save you a massive fortune.

/me - i send incrementals to google mail for storage, but i'm talking about 30MB per day, not terrabytes.

Also - to accomplish this amazing feat - I use an improved xcopy called robocopy [microsoft].
 
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For the price of a good tape drive and sufficient tapes, you can get yourself a couple of disk drives. Get a set to make full backups onto and smaller sets that you make incremental backups of. Refresh the full set once a month, and the incr. once a day/week ( depends on how much youre prepared to lose ).

If you have the Mula, get an LTO2 drive. Theyre really fast and can slow themselves down to match disk speed ( ie they dont start shoeshining the tape heads ). I do 2TB with 2 x LTO2 in parrallel in 4.5 hours every night. But then thats unix and expensive equipment.
 
I just did a quote which included an internal Sony Tape Drive which could take 208Gigs a tape (compressed) for R 7000 (incl) and the 208 Gig tapes cost R320 ea.
Click to expand...

nic777 I'd be very interested in those drives - would you be able to tell us a model number and supplier please?

The SDLT and LTO drives I looked at were Dells BTW.
 
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