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Archiving data to DVD-R?

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by info

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Has anyone found or developed a good automated solution for archiving data to optical media?

Situation: Client has had VERY bad experiences with Tape solutions and wants to do monthly archives to DVD-R media. The drives and media a cheap enough and they are only archiving 40GB or so. Doing this to CD (which they are doing now with backuptocd.exe) is time consuming to the admin staff and uses ALOT of blank media. This is only for off-site storage and archiving and doesn't represent their only survival strategy. I am trying to eliminate as much media and user interaction as possible while keeping costs under control.

14 replies

by dr dij

reliability problem with CD-R. I come back to look at disk year or two later and many unreadable. While cd-roms are fairly reliable, given non-detrimental storage conditions, as they are pressed, I'm not sure about the cd-r stability, given the extra dye layer.

Also recently saw where fungus gets in dye layers in tropical and wet climates, making the disks unreadable very quickly in hot climates or poor storage.

I just switched to dvd-r to backup my massive productions. blanks are dirt cheap ($.17US). too early to tell you if it is stable. might try searching the web.

Sounds like you have an answer already. You can't use the same program? or updated copy?

by robmcinnes

I'm sure you could use any backup program to backup the data and then use a DVD burning software to burn the backup image to disk.
Just make sure you have a top quality DVD burner, Computer Shopper.co.uk have just reviewed 20 or so. Also don't buy cheap disks, otherwise you will encounter read/write problems.

by gralfus

I have seen automated DVD systems, but they are typically quite spendy, at least for robotics. If you only need a backup to happen and can have a human take care of the loading and unloading of disks, then cost drops dramatically. I did a google search and found basic unit with 7 drives / dual layer burners for about $2200.

by rdscrump

We've been backing up data to dvd-r for sometime now. Mixed results due to slow computor processor and poor performance of burner. I suggest having a current, powerful pc with a plextor dvd burner. Always use brand name disks.

by dr dij

so company might complain about dropping $2200 but then run buy a DLT auto-loader for $6500!?

by jhines

Not worth too much more thought if you're only talking about 40GB. If you are truly committed to saving both time and money, why not go "all the way" and invest in DVD-RW re-writable media, such as Mitsubishi DVD-RW 4.7GB Ver.1.2/2x - 4x (P/N DHW47Y1). This way, for a little bit more, the additional option of recovering the media for future use (or immediate "refresh" or "reuse") after the "archive life" has expired presents itself.

by dacar

I've stsrted using DVD-R and DVD-RW with Nero Burning 6.6 and have no problems. Besides, as you insert your disk Nero looks for new and deleted files in your archives, so you're one click away from updating your data easily..

by flash00

I've been using NTI's Drive Backup! 3 for a year or two now, to backup to DVD+/-RW. It will make a bootable DVD image of your system partition, which will restore your OS with a click. It also copies folders and files in the usual way, also to DVD. It also offers compression.

As for the longevity of DVD+/-R and +/-RW media, as always you get what you pay for. According to what I found on the internet, accelerated testing of name-brand CDs and DVDs suggests that the best of them should be readable for at least a hundred years with reasonable care. "Bargain" media? Well....?

by howardparr

Why not back up to a removable HD? Or a USB or Network connected HD? I use a combination of both. I use a external USB HD that I have replaced the fixed HD with a removable HD. Plug the USB into the PC, kick off the backup utility before going home and check it the morning. Swap HDs and connect to the next PC. Simple and easy, reusable media, time tested, no disk swapping, and cheaper.

by ross_diamond

Any thoughts on portable storage? We are thinking of adding external HDs for offsite backups (still using a tape for some critical data). My thinking was that we would get 2 external HDs that would be exchanged each day (we currently do this with tapes, rotating daily so that every night one tape is offsite with the previous day's backup). The other advantage of adding HDs to our backup system is more storage space. Is there any significant difference in durability between standard external HDs (with 3.5" disks inside), and 'portable' external HDs with 2.5" disks inside? My understanding is that the larger format external HDs are intended for primarily stationary use, so I'm not sure how they would hold up with being carried back and forth every day. On the other hand, the 2.5" 'portable' drives are often billed as ideal for additional storage to carry around with a laptop. My boss is the one who usually brings the tape back and forth to the office every day. He doesn't plan on using the external HDs for traveling or carrying around all the time, so he's not too concerned about the larger size and weight.
Any insights or suggestions would be appreciated.

by hal 9000

With Tape it's slower but more likely much more secure as if the media is lost/stolen they will need the exact same drive to read it with which isn't overly common. But with any form of HDD all they need is plug and read away to their hearts content even if it is encrypted you'll need to backup the encryption key just in case something goes wrong with the host server/computer where you are backing up from.

For Photo Images Kodak recommend 3 years as a max life expediency for photos before they start to loose resolution so I suppose the same would apply to data as all a Digital Picture is, is a series of 0's & 1's so they are the same as any other form of digital data. I've seen brand new TDK DVD have the backing layer lifting off the Disc's just as the packet was opened so you can always run into a bad batch at any time. I've also seen both CD & DVD turn different colors after even a short time of less than 1 year but that again is put down to poor storage.

Any good DR Plan relies on several forms of Data Protection and the more the better but with everything you need to be careful I've supplied 3.5 inch PATA drive in USB caddies only to see them die after a very short time as they get dropped and knocked around which a tape will take but not a HDD. I've also seen connected USB Drives wiped when a unit fails so anything on that drive which would generally be the latest backups are lost and cost a small fortune to recover but at least it is recoverable if required which is a lot more than can be said for CD/DVD or even Tape on most occasions.

If you do go for the USB HDD option try to get the metal USB Caddies as they help the drives run cooler unlike the plastic ones which lock up the heat and eventually kill off the drive.

I hope that is of some help.

Col ]:)

by dpskiman

If your storage requirements are less than 120GB, than absolutely. I use them myself, and have incorporated them in several customers that require rotational off-site storage. Make sure you have a USB 2.0 port, you won't want to wait on a 1.1 port for large transfers.

Read my writeup on the drives at www.competitivenetworksolutions.com/cnsusbdrive.pdf

by ross_diamond

Thanks for the feedback - I hadn't thought about the possibility of the the media getting lost/stolen. The metal case over plastic makes sense, yet maybe some plastic outside the metal would help protect the drive? I'm most concerned about which size of external drives are generally more durable - ones with 2.5" disks or 3.5" disks. From looking at ads and specs, the smaller ones emphasize portability; for that to be realistic, they would have to be able to withstand a certain amount of knocking around.
Any info on this specific issue would be appreciated.

by hal 9000

The main difference between 2.5 & 3.5 inch USB Caddies is that the 3.5 inch ones come with their own power supply so they are not draining power through the USB ports. The 2.5 inch once come with leads that will connect to 2 USB ports for their power or some will connect to a USB & PS2 port to get the necessary power. Not a great idea when you need to switch them between computers unplugging a PS2 keyboard and needing to reboot.

Really the main difference is price per GIG of storage with the 3.5 winning hands down in the price stakes as the drives are plain and simple cheaper for the same size the caddies themselves cost about the same price so that isn't an issue.

Most of the dead USB drives that I've seen fall into 2 categories those 3.5 inch ones that have been drooped once too often and the 2.5 inch ones that have just been unplugged without shutting down and safely removing the device. Most people forget to shut them down before unplugging them.

The 2.5" also fit nicely into Hand bags and get full of junk in the socket quite often with women particularly they'll find the lead easily and then upend their handbag onto the floor for the 2,5" caddy with the drive in it don't laugh I've seen this happen more times that I care to remember.

While I do use both I find that with Desktops the 3.5" generally works better as you can fit a much bigger HDD into the enclosure for a smaller price and if the people have NB's then the 2.5" drives are just packed into the NB bag along with the NB hardly a secure option but at least they are easy to find. :D

The last one I supplied I could sell them a 2.5 40 GIG drive and for about the same price I could sell them a 3.5" 200 GIG drive it really depends on how much data you need to store and how happy you are with extra pieces like power packs. Both tend to be as reliable as the other in the same hands.

Col

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