Jim.
I use DVD disks to store my magazines, pictures, documents, music, software
and hardware updates and rank them according to update frequency. Documents,
magazines rank first. Music, pictures and video rank next. Software updates
rank third while Hardware updates get updated less frequently rank fourth.
The DVDs that I store my documents and pictures separately on use
multi-session sense they change daily and or weekly and make daily and weekly
backups on each.
Some hardware and software updates update monthly so I make monthly backups.
Music and video I backup the newest material when released on a seperate DVD
and keep the older material in archives.
Color coded DVDs help me out a lot to keep track of my backups. Red or Orange
current to most recent, Yellow and Green moderately recent, blue least recent
and purple for archives.
The backup practices of which you've mentioned are good and sound
practices and they are good practices to always follow when backing up the data
that you most want to keep. ;)
The applications that you've mentioned PAR2, is that from karenware or
something in a freeware package.
Marc Sims
Data Technician I
Prince George's Community College
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 08/05/06 1:55 PM >>>
Marc,
Multi-session is better than packet mode, but it's much safer to use
multiple discs -
as it only takes 1 miswrite and that's the data on the CD/DVD unreadable.
Always have a cycle of at least 3 separate disc (sets) for your backups.
Better also -
have a daily set 1 per weekday
a weekly set - 1 for each week in the month
a quarterly set 1 for each quarter in the year
and move 1 of those quarterly ones to an annual archive
That deals with the problem where a file (workbook document etc) was
emptied, or had much of it's data deleted/corrupted,
and you replaced the good version in the backup sets with that bad version.
Note - I also try to prepare a set of files that will be backed-up,
then I do a PAR2 on them (up to 1GB per set, and 5% or 10%, but enough to
re-create the largest file)
Then I do a DIRPRT (karenware) of those files (with MD5 hash)
do the backup
Dirprt the resulting disc
check the dirprt's match (Excel)
and create a new masterlist of what's backed-up where (Excel)
Need a restore - excel list shows where it is,
A mis-read (deteriorated dye) and hopefully the PAR2 will recover it
(Yes I'll have to load down the entire set )
Mis-read on the directory, and I can try an older backup - the MD5 will at
least indicate if the backup is the same version, or if I will have to
re-enter some data
Yes - belt, braces, bit of rope, and a firm grip with one hand - but if you
cannot just go and re-acquire the data then it can be really annoying to
lose what took, and will now take many weeks to enter.
(Oh! and don't forget that DVD's are far more robust and usable than CD's-
DVD has the recording media in a plastic sandwich
CD has it under the easily scratched, but needed reflective coating on the
top of the plastic, and won't allow the same naming structure as Windows
uses on a hard drive)
JimB
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