[ale] 26G to backup

[Jim Kinney]

Archives are not an easy thing. Unlike a physical library with books, an
electronic library will not last, in general, for 10 years unattended.

The big headache is the time required to maintain the integrity of the
data. As was pointed out earlier, encryption is a problem looking to
happen. Save yourself the headache and buy a data safe instead and park the
archives there. Unless the data is clearance level stuff now and already
stored encrypted, don't bother. If the media is stolen, the encryption WILL
be cracked so it only make the maintenance cycle worse.

You might want to look at the blueray drives due to their storage size and
your size needs. And buy an extra drive that stays in the box once tested
for working. The original will fail at the worst time.

Alternate storage is good, old-school tape. They last years in storage and
cost per GB is tolerable. Again get an extra drive unit. If you use tape
you will likely want a backup application and not just tarballs. Mondo was
suggested. It's very good but designed for single machine stuff. Bacula is
a beast to set up but outstanding in its ability to handle backup and most
importantly, restores, across a wide array of platforms, media and network
conditions. It also supports encryption on the media from the client side.
That will require a keysafe in an archival situation like yours but it's
doable.

On Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 8:34 AM, Mike Harrison <cluon at geeklabs.com> wrote:

> On Fri, 30 Dec 2011, Chris Fowler wrote:
>
> > Do you think that a hard disk that sits in a safe for 10 years will fail?
>
> Yes. You may loose the technology to use it (interfaces, drivers..)
> as well as pure mechanical or electronic failure.
>
> You should pull it out and clone it every so often.
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-- 
-- 
James P. Kinney III

As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to
consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they
please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.
- *2011 Noam Chomsky

http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/
*
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