/Reliable/ backup solution for home?

In article <1171535498.547091.285560.TakeThisOut@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Paul
W <1337usr.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:

> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?

I'm a bit of a backup nut; over the years I've used tape, removable
cartridge, CD, and DVD. My current recommended solution is an external
HD with appropriate backup software. For example, I recently picked up
a Seagate 300 GB external drive for $100. FireWire, if available on
your computer, is a bit faster and more stable than USB 2.0.

The backup software I use is Retrospect; it uses one backup set rather
than the more usual primary/incremental system. It also keeps all
chronological versions of a document. That is, if you edit a file
repeatedly you can retrieve the version from your choice of dates.

I leave my drive plugged in, but you don't have to. Attach/turn on the
drive, run the Retrospect script, tell Windows to detach the drive, and
turn it off. For a little more safety, move the external drive away
from your computer (in case it explodes) Seriously, since your backup
device is offline 99% of the time, it's pretty safe.
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

Scott Schuckert wrote:
> In article <1171535498.547091.285560.RemoveThis@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Paul
> W <1337usr.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
>> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>
> I'm a bit of a backup nut; over the years I've used tape, removable
> cartridge, CD, and DVD. My current recommended solution is an external
> HD with appropriate backup software. For example, I recently picked up
> a Seagate 300 GB external drive for $100. FireWire, if available on
> your computer, is a bit faster and more stable than USB 2.0.
>
> The backup software I use is Retrospect; it uses one backup set rather
> than the more usual primary/incremental system. It also keeps all
> chronological versions of a document. That is, if you edit a file
> repeatedly you can retrieve the version from your choice of dates.
>
> I leave my drive plugged in, but you don't have to. Attach/turn on the
> drive, run the Retrospect script, tell Windows to detach the drive, and
> turn it off. For a little more safety, move the external drive away
> from your computer (in case it explodes) Seriously, since your backup
> device is offline 99% of the time, it's pretty safe.

I recently bought a 160 GB external HD for $50 after rebate,
and set it up to be used as backup for the two computers in
our home network. For a start, I'm using the Smart Backup
software from jam-software.com. I haven't used it long
enough to rate it, but it does seem to work well.

I plug it in when it is to be used, and then disconnect it
using the Safely Remove Hardware utility in Win XP.
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

Maybe RAID level 1 would be right for you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redundant_array_of_independent_disks
/Lars

"Paul W" <1337usr DeleteThis @gmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
news:1171535498.547091.285560@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
>
> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>
> Thanks,
> Paul W.
>
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

Lars Forslin wrote:
> Maybe RAID level 1 would be right for you?
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redundant_array_of_independent_disks
> /Lars
>
> "Paul W" <1337usr.DeleteThis@gmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
> news:1171535498.547091.285560@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
>>(mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>>
>>Thanks,
>> Paul W.
>>
>
>
>

RAID1 only gives you some protection against failure of the physical HD,
a device with a typical MTBF of roughly a hundred centuries. RAID1 gives
no protection against failure of any other hardware component of a PC, or
protection against failure of the OS or other software, or protection
against malware, or protection against environmental problems (brownout,
heatwave, fire, earthquake, etc.), or protection against human aggression
(theft, sabotage, etc.), or protection against the most common cause of
file loss -- fumble fingers.

RAID1 is a great tool for professionals to deploy with servers. For SOHO
PCs, RAID1 is IMHO mostly used for bragging rights.
--
Cheers, Bob
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:11:54 +0100, "Lars Forslin"
<lars.privat_nospamdevice.RemoveThis@monarda_nospamdevice.se> wrote:

>Maybe RAID level 1 would be right for you?
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redundant_array_of_independent_disks

RAID isn't backup. Its primary utility is reliability of the primary
system--when a disk fails the system stays up. If Junior decides to
wipe the system or the cat pees in it or somebody breaks in and walks
off with the computer you're not covered.

Backup deals with those eventualities.

One way to work is to set up a machine in a separate location that is
synchronized regularly with the main machine. That doesn't cover you
for a flood or for the house burning down but it does cover you for
lesser disasters.

Another is to put a removable drive caddy in your machine and use
several hard disks as backup devices in a rotation system. Keep one
offsite and you're covered for fire, but not necessarily for
flood--keep it in a Pelican case and you're covered for that too if
you can find it after.

>/Lars
>
>"Paul W" <1337usr.RemoveThis@gmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
>news:1171535498.547091.285560@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> Hello,
>>
>> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
>> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Paul W.
>>
>
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

Paul W wrote:
> Hello,
>
> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>
> Thanks,
> Paul W.
>

I bought an external dvd burner when external hd's were still pricey, so
I don't follow my own advice.
Today, an external usb hd, a big one. Comodo have a freeware backup
utility, maybe not the best but will do the job with option of full
backup, differential and at scheduled intervals (they call it synchronized).
If you are really paranoid you could get a second usb hd, if you wait
for a sale they are ridiculously cheap.
DVD still has it's uses, but you invariably get a burner with a new pc
anyway.
Dave Cohen
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

On 15 Feb 2007 02:31:38 -0800
"Paul W" <1337usr DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>
> Thanks,
> Paul W.
>
Google for this group and look back through the archives.

--
Neil
Reverse 'r' and 'a', delete 'l' for email.
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

>If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
>(mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?

An external HD is your best bet.

Keep all of your photos in one directory (with subdirectories, of
course), and backup that directory to an external drive.

To do it right, you need at least three external drives. You rotate
through the drives as you backup, using a different one, say, each
week. This way, the most you can lose is a week's worth of data, even
if your computer crashes during a backup, destroying your ingternal HD
and the external one. You'll still have a week-old backup, and, just
in *case* somehow that doesn't work, you'll have a two-week backup,
too.

If one week is too much data to lose, you can backup everything every
day, or, better, run incremental backups daily.

-Joel

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 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

[A complimentary Cc of this posting was sent to
Paul W
<1337usr.DeleteThis@gmail.com>], who wrote in article <1171535498.547091.285560.DeleteThis@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>:
> Hello,
>
> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?

Given that PORTABLE external HD and writable DVDs has expected
lifetime of a couple of years at most, the only viable solution is a
combination of a STATIONARY external RAID array (in a no-delete mode,
if you know how to set it up), and of writing several copies of DVD IN
ADDITION to RAID.

Given that I have no RAID, I backup to 2 spindles of an in-computer
HDs, and to 2-3 DVDs. And I MUST keep my fingers crossed...

Hope this helps,
Ilya
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

In message <7I%Ah.8$rI2.5@newsfe12.lga>, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman
<joel DeleteThis @exc.com> writes
>>If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
>>(mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>
>An external HD is your best bet.

I'd recommend two or more external HDs. Keep one off-site, at work or
somewhere else geographically separate from where you have your
computer. Swap them around after updating. I've read too many stories of
people who were burgled and lost both their computer *and* their backup
drives which were sitting next to the computer.

Another option is on-line backups. Google mail can be used to do this
for free, for a few Gb of data at least. Create an spare account and
email your pictures to that account name. There are other free/paid-for
services like 4share. Alternatively pay a few bucks a month for Web
hosting and upload your images to the hosting company using FTP. Just
don't enable the Web stuff and the data should be secure enough.
--
To reply, my gmail address is nojay1 Robert Sneddon
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

On Feb 16, 1:09 am, Ilya Zakharevich <nospam-ab....TakeThisOut@ilyaz.org> wrote:
> [A complimentary Cc of this posting was sent to
> Paul W
> <1337....TakeThisOut@gmail.com>], who wrote in article <1171535498.547091.285....TakeThisOut@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>:
>
> > Hello,
>
> > If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> > (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?
>
> Given that PORTABLE external HD and writable DVDs has expected
> lifetime of a couple of years at most, the only viable solution is a
> combination of a STATIONARY external RAID array (in a no-delete mode,
> if you know how to set it up), and of writing several copies of DVD IN
> ADDITION to RAID.
Man if you are only getting a couple of years out of DVDs you must be
doing something very wrong. I have yet to have a DVD fail and I have
CDRs that I burned over 9 years ago and still no problems. I have a
number of external hard drives none of which has failed, the oldest is
coming up on 4 years old.

Scott
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

"Paul W" <1337usr.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1171535498.547091.285560@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> If I need to store 100s of GBs of photos and I need duplicate backup
> (mirrored), what would be the most reliable home backup solution?

I am very obsessive about keeping multiple backups of pics, videos and
mp3's, so I use this with multiple 750GB drives:
http://www.cooldrives.com/sibayesandus.html
.... this particular unit does both USB2.0 and eSATA - I added an eSATA
card to speed up backups, it is about 4x faster than USB2.0

In addition, to speed up some of the backups I use a sync program such
as Synchromagic Pro http://www.gelosoft.com/adescr.html ; but, if
using XP/Vista, Microsoft has the free SyncToy on their website.
Synchromagic Pro will keep 1 or more "mirror image" backups of
files/folders - I have it setup to auto-sync one pc with not only the
eSATA backup drive, but 2 other wireless notebook pc's as well all at
the same time.
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home? 

"Mark"
> I am very obsessive about keeping multiple backups of pics, videos and
> mp3's, so I use this with multiple 750GB drives:
> http://www.cooldrives.com/sibayesandus.html
> ... this particular unit does both USB2.0 and eSATA - I added an eSATA
> card to speed up backups, it is about 4x faster than USB2.0

Wow! What's the maximum linear speed for reading/writing? Real speed for
reading/writing on such a device? Just wondering to compare.

> In addition, to speed up some of the backups I use a sync program such as
> Synchromagic Pro http://www.gelosoft.com/adescr.html ; but, if

I guess Acronis is better, the last versions are much more flexible than the
previous ones. This system even doesn't care of the system installed on your
computer since it can boot from its own CD or from the hidden partition, it
can backup the whole hard drive, directory, make diff or incremental backup,
etc. You can use it from Win right on the fly as well as from its own boot.
I keep a hidden partition for Acronis to have a way to reboot my machine in
case of emergency, but it's my personal wish, I could use a CD for the same
purpose as well, but this solution is faster. It already helped me several
times to roll back to the previous more robust status when M$ published the
fix packs having even more bugs than the current system and the system
became unstable or unusable.

Just D.
 >> Stay informed about: /Reliable/ backup solution for home?