Re: Seeking suggestions for a HD backup technique

[bpvh@msn.fullfeed.com (Bradley VonHaden)]

jeffr@bmerha2a.bnr.ca (Jeffrey Robertson) wrote

>So far this thread has generated some helpful email (Thanks
>guys!) but not many posts.  No one has commented on the
>"mirror HD" approach.  I'm assuming that's what Frank was
>alluding to in this offer.  Is this a risky approach?  Assume
>the drive is turned on only during backup/restores, and is
>left parked and at a different physical location at other
>times.

I do not like the mirror HD approach as its a single generation
backup.  When backing data up, you really want multiple generations -
day old, week old, month old or whatever.  I know people who do
partial backups everyday, full backups once a week, and keep the full
backups for a month plus a few others out further in time just to be
safe.  I keep three generations (full backup every 10 days or so) on
separate SyQuest 105 cartridges.

>Frank also mentioned Flopticals (which he wasn't selling :-)
>) Are these easily obtained?  New or used?

I have both a floptical and a SyQuest 105 and I can say I like the
SyQuest a whole lot more.  Faster and cheaper.  SyQuests are almost
as fast as HDs while flopticals are about as fast as a 3.5 drive.  An
external SyQuest 105 costs about $330 with a cartridge and extra
cartridges, in cost about $60, or $56 in quantities of five.  I do a
lot of offline archiving so the SyQuest is quite handy.

For just backing up hd data, get a tape drive.  Tape cartridges are
inexpensive so keeping multiple generation backups is not very
expensive.

bpvh     Internet: bpvh@fullfeed.com      GEnie: B.VONHADEN
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