Networker

Re: [Networker] Re-establishing systems - archiving

2006-06-15 05:24:50
Subject: Re: [Networker] Re-establishing systems - archiving
From: Howard Martin <howard.martin AT EDS DOT COM>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 05:21:38 -0400
On Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:26:12 -0400, Albert Eddie Contractor AFRPA CIO/IT 
<Eddie.Albert AT AFRPA.PENTAGON.AF DOT MIL> wrote:

>This is actually an excellent example for a lot of us to look at.
>
>My org is required to be able to restore files from at minimum 10 years
>but recently restored files from the 1988. You can imagine how
>technology has changed.
>
>I am thinking it would be prudent to perform data migrations to new
>technologies every 2 years or so. Just to ensure we are able to restore
>data from current technology as fast as possible.
>
>Any thoughts or experience on this subject? /ALE
>

I consider that backups can serve 2 purposes - using a recent backup to 
replace lost or corrupted files/disks and to archive data. The first 
generally only needs a few weeks worth of backups and it is relatively 
simple to ensure that these are readable, the second requires a different 
strategy. To recover data that has been kept for more than a few months 
you need to make sure that either the backups are kept compatible with you 
current backup software and hardware or the software and hardware used in 
making the archived backups should be kept available. A few years ago I 
was asked to keep some data for 2 years, to the surorise of the requestor 
instead of putting a recent backup in the back of a dusty cupboard I 
specified the format of the data on the tape and used our existing DLT7000 
to create 2 tapes, these were kept in different geographical locations adn 
were to be checked for readability every 6 months at which point if a tape 
was unreadable a copy of the other tape would be made to replace it and if 
the software or hardware was improved/updated then one or both tapes 
(depending on the timescale of complete removal of the old 
hardware/software) would be transfered using the new infrastructure. This 
resulted in rewriting the tapes when we started using LTO-1. I stated that 
this was a cheap solution and there was no way I know of to 100% guarantee 
that the data would be recoverable - more copies and testing them more 
often would raise the cost of the solution.
Oh and I almost forgot the tapes were stored in temperature and humidity 
controlled rooms within their plastic cases (to keep out dust) and kept on 
edge (to stop tape slippage ). 
If I had to keep data for legal reasons I would make damn sure that I 
would not be blamable for loss of archived data.

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