ADSM-L

Re: Thoughts on Monthly Archives

2004-07-19 14:39:24
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Monthly Archives
From: Mike Bantz <mbantz AT RSINC DOT COM>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 12:42:13 -0600
In our case, this is going to be used to back up and archive file servers -
NOT operating systems.

As for how to read/use the data, here's the directory structure:

\\toaster\is\documentation <- contains docs, for instance
\\toaster\installs <- contains setup files for all apps used in our
environment

I don't know about you, but we're still swimming in 95 and NT CD's, and some
of our hardware would have no problems stepping down to run those operating
systems.

-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of
Andrew Raibeck
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 11:58 AM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Monthly Archives

> I haven't read the SBO requirements, but from our internal auditors,
> it
looks
> like we need to have a good business
> best efforts to keep readable for whatever retention period we
publicize.
>
> In working with older tape technology in storing archive tapes, we
> found that 20% of the tapes were not readable within 5 years. It seems
> that
the
> best idea for long term archives is they need to be re-read on a
> regular basis (annually?) just to make sure they can be read.

Or refreshed.

Actually when I raised the issue of the data being readable, I wasn't
referring to hardware or media problems (though these are also good points),
but the availability of software that can "understand" the data.
For example, if you open a .zip file with a plain text editor, the content
will appear as so much garbage. Without a zip program that can make sense of
the data, being able to restore a .zip file doesn't give you anything useful
(at least not without an awful lot of hacking). .zip is a common format and
likely to be available in the future, but what about more obscure formats,
where maybe you archive the files while you use the product? Suppose you
switch to a new product that uses a different format, then decide 10 years
from now you need to retrieve the data that was used by the old product.
Will you still have a copy of that old product around that will run on
current operating systems and hardware? Even if you archived the software
and could in theory restore and run it, do you know where, amongst all that
archive data, the software is? Will your successors be able to find the data
and the software? Will they even know which software they need to run?

Regards,

Andy

Andy Raibeck
IBM Software Group
Tivoli Storage Manager Client Development Internal Notes e-mail: Andrew
Raibeck/Tucson/IBM@IBMUS Internet e-mail: storman AT us.ibm DOT com

The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
The command line is your friend.
"Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.

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