Devices for backup

[wprauchholz]

I am backing up daily moire than 1GB and want to make this process faster and more reliable than burning the backup files on CD (I feel like a DJ). I was thinking of an external HD.

Which device can you recommend or are there better ways to backup??
I run on FC4

Thanks for your help

[LocutusOfBorg]

External hd are simple and fast to use, but you are certainly aware of the fact that cd/dvd media are safer places to keep a backup. You can use dvd+rw: they can be "multisession" and a fast burner needs only a few minutes for 1 Gb data, even with data verification.
Anyway, given the mtbf a given hard disk has today, the possibility that you lose the original disk and the backup one at the same time are almost zero.
For maximum compatibity, you can consider buying an external enclosure with firewire/usb interface and a normal eide hd the size you need. Also, use reiserfs or ext3 as filesystem.

[mattypoppins]

I would always use tape over ANY type of optical media... My job is server/backup administrator for a 4,000 user company, and I am constantly asked to restore things from tape by people that were silly enough to use optical media as an archive/backup medium.

You can pick up a cheap DDS3 drive for $20 off eBay, and get an cheap SCSI card to suit for about the same $$$

At my work we have tapes that are years and years old and still work fine, however you cant say the same for CDRs or DVDR's

If you wanted to get something a bt faster you could go for an old DLT7000/8000 drive which will give you 70/80GB compressed and up to 10MB/second transfer speed.


Something like :-
http://cgi.ebay.com/Seagate-STD22400...QQcmdZViewItem

or a:-

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-DLT-40-80-GB...QQcmdZViewItem

with a:-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ADAPTEC-AHA-2940...QQcmdZViewItem

Would work perfectly. DDS Tapes will cost under a dollar each and hold 12GB native and 24GB compressed. For well under $100 (for the DDS) or a couple of hundred for DLT you effectively have an enterprise class backup solution.

It all comes down to how much money your data is worth to you.

Hope this helps,
Matt

[wprauchholz]

Thanks in deed for the hints, Wolfgang