Re: DVD Media Question Please

Dudley Henriques <dhenriques@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Thank you very much for the reply. I appreciate it.

The plan is a simple one just to protect data files so a one shot burn
using finder is fine if I can do that without installing additional burn
software.
I'll simply be backing the documents folder once a week or so to a pair
of flash drives as an interim step that protects the files. Then when I
have a gig or two on the flash drives, I'll do a double burn to a
matched pair of DVD's. I'll get 8x DVD+R's on your recommendation for
this purpose.
Sound ok to you??

David gave you some really good advice. I would like to add some
procedure suggestions too though.

For archive data, you would really feel the pain if the media failed
when you actually needed it. DVD-R is not the most reliable media in
the world, particularly after a few years. I have frequently picked up
a disk that was 3 or 4 years old, only to find I could no longer read
the data on it.

As such, I strongly recommend you make 3 copies of any critical data.
Assuming you used good media (I agree with David that Verbatim is one of
the better ones) and store them well (out of windows, out of heat or
cold), they will probably be good when you need them. The triplet gives
that extra protection, and the media is so cheap, it is the best
insurance you can buy.

Next, what happens if you have a fire, or a burglar sweeps everything in
your home around the computer? Those backups aren't really very safe if
they are next to the computer...

Personally I have a large safe deposit box at the bank. My archive
DVD-R are taken there every month or so (depending on what projects I am
working on, and how lazy I happen to be that month...). 2 of my copies
go into that box, keeping one at home.

That gives me one with easy access in the event of a data failure that I
need to recover from. The extra 2 are safe even if my home burns down
or a burglar cleans me out though.

If you can't get a safe deposit box, perhaps you can store the extra
copies at work? Or give them to a friend that lives more than a block
away (don't let a house fire burn down your neighbor, where they are
stored).

I have had to use my backups dozens of times over the past 40 years
(initially by backups were an extra copy of punched cards!), and with
procedures like this, I have never lost anything that was critical.

BTW, every few years I am reminded why I need to do this:

1) Computers fail. My mother, wife, brother, sister-in-law, or myself
have at least one die every couple years.

2) I lived in the shadow of Mt St Helens when it erupted. We could see
the eruption from the bedroom window. My personal computer at the time
was a Data General Eclipse ($30,000 computer running on 220v), and I did
need backups that time.

3) A major fire in the hills south of San Jose, CA in the mid-80's
burned 300 homes over several square miles, and was stopped across the
street from our home. No actual loss, since I had been able to evacuate
my computers and data. I forgot to take the photos, and almost got a
divorce over that little goof! :-)

4) The Loma Prieta earthquake (18 years ago today) split our home (on
Loma Prieta Ave in the Santa Cruz mountains) in half, with a large
crevice running right through it. Fortunately, that was 6 months after
we had sold the house, so we escaped. :-)

5) After selling the house, we moved to the Berkeley Hills. 2 years
later the Oakland Firestorm burned 3000 homes, and was stopped less than
a block from our home. Again, I was home and was able to evacuate all
the computer data (and photos this time!), so no actual data loss.

Given that history, I think it obvious that I need frequent and complete
backups...

Oh yeah, also check out www.mozy.com. Off-site online backup of
unlimited data for $50/year. I have 130GB backed up to them too. They
get all my music, photos, and financial records nightly.

--
- Burt Johnson
MindStorm, Inc.
http://www.mindstorm-inc.com/software.html
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: DVD Media Question Please
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