Kathy Forer on mon 18 apr 11
http://www.dpbestflow.org/backup/backup-overview#321
The 3-2-1 Rule
The simplest way to remember how to back up your images safely is to use =
=3D
the 3-2-1 rule.
=3D95 We recommend keeping 3 copies of any important file (a =3D
primary and two backups)
=3D95 We recommend having the files on 2 different media types =3D
(such as hard drive and optical media), to protect against different =3D
types of hazards.*
=3D95 1 copy should be stored offsite (or at least offline).
*While 3-2-1 storage is the ideal arrangement, it's not always possible, =
=3D
particularly for images in the early stages of the lifecycle. A second =3D
media type, for instance, is impractical for many people in the =3D
ingestion or working file stage. In these cases, many people make do =3D
with hard-drive-only copies of their data. Best practices, however, =3D
still require 3 copies and some physical separation between the copies.
On Apr 18, 2011, at 9:50 PM, Amanda wrote:
> that is a completely reasonable response.=3D20
>=3D20
> also: be sure to wrap the tin foil around your head REALLY tight =3D
because=3D20
> otherwise "they" can get to you.=3D20
>=3D20
> but you've probably already thought of that.
Amanda on mon 18 apr 11
Hey. Friendly Geek Potter coming in to make some sweeping suggestions aga=
=3D
in.=3D20
As with all my advice, take it/leave it... whatev. Its a public service I=
=3D
'm making.=3D20
PC vs Mac really no longer matters. There is little that can't go between=
=3D
the=3D20
two, and in terms of reliability, Macs go down all the time and Mac users=
=3D
have,=3D20
I'm sure, bled out waiting in the Apple stores for service. PC users have=
=3D
more=3D20
control over their PC, and thus have more issues. Its a mixed bag. I run =
=3D
both.=3D20
But the best part is this: there is no longer any reason to tote around e=
=3D
xternal=3D20
hard drives, raid 1 arrays, thumb drives or burning of CDs, DVDs or BlueR=
=3D
ays for=3D20
backup.=3D20
WHAT IS "THE CLOUD"
We're used to buying software or hardware, bringing it home, unwrapping i=
=3D
t,=3D20
and using it tied to one computer. Windows, or a zip drive, for instance.=
=3D
=3D20
Instead of bringing something home and having it physically, you're renti=
=3D
ng a=3D20
service that exists somewhere online. But because its online, it will fol=
=3D
low you=3D20
everywhere and always be accessible. Think of it as a cloud, always overh=
=3D
ead,=3D20
wherever you go.=3D20
Reasons you should be backing up your computer in the cloud:=3D20
-its cheap (services are monthly, or you pay for the amount you're upload=
=3D
ing)
-its easy (set up is generally quick and then it's hands off, just does i=
=3D
t for you)
-its safe (more below).=3D20
Reasons not to back up to the cloud:=3D20
-you're an idiot
-no consistent wireless
SECURITY
The problem most people will experience is a hard drive going down, becau=
=3D
se=3D20
ALL hard drives do, regardless of macs or pcs. In that case, its not like=
=3D
you can=3D20
use your computer anyways, so its not neccesary to have an external HD ri=
=3D
ght=3D20
there. Having info in the cloud means you could go to ANOTHER computer an=
=3D
d=3D20
use it from there.=3D20
When not a HD issue, its next likely to be a "stolen computer" issue. In =
=3D
which=3D20
case, online backup is secure because you don't want the thief to have yo=
=3D
ur=3D20
information or files, but you would like them when you get a new computer=
=3D
.=3D20
Fire/water damage/heat/frost/armageddon: if something happens to your hom=
=3D
e,=3D20
it will happen to the hard drive sitting next to your computer as well as=
=3D
your=3D20
computer. For instance: two guys were on the flight that landed in the Hu=
=3D
dson.=3D20
One backed everything up to a thumb drive... which also drowned. One back=
=3D
ed=3D20
everything up to the cloud. He was able to recover everything.=3D20
HOW TO BACK UP TO THE CLOUD
The first step to consider is, should I back things up to the cloud, or j=
=3D
ust=3D20
create them IN the cloud to begin with? For instance, stop using Microsof=
=3D
t=3D20
Word and storing documents on your hard drive, and write them in Google=3D2=
0=3D
Documents instead (accessible from Gmail) and then they're ALWAYS availab=
=3D
le.=3D20
Same for Quicken. Why buy the software when there's an online version you=
=3D
=3D20
can use? And excel, and almost anything except a proprietary program. And=
=3D
if=3D20
you're using anything other than gmail or google apps for email, let us r=
=3D
eturn to=3D20
the "you're an idiot" bulletpoint. Even if you're a diehard Outlook fan, =
=3D
you can=3D20
still pull in from Gmail and you'll never lose your email again.=3D20
But lets say you still have files, there are a number of options. Mozy.=3D2=
0=3D
Carbonite. LiveDrive. Amazon S3 , IDrive. Its important to understand how=
=3D
they=3D20
work. Here's a recent review of a few services by PCMag:=3D20
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp
Most services only back up exactly what you ask them to. For instance, yo=
=3D
u=3D20
can ask them to back up a photo folder, or a music folder. To really, tru=
=3D
ly=3D20
attain the best backups, you need to understand where files on your compu=
=3D
ter=3D20
are stored. I'll segue into PCs here, because Macs have a proprietary bac=
=3D
kup=3D20
system that you should ABSOLUTELY use.=3D20
PCs store information in a few places, but they're always on C. Some back=
=3D
up=3D20
programs allow you to just backup C, but most don't, for this reason. Sin=
=3D
ce=3D20
your programs are also stored on C, they're in use and fluctuating too mu=
=3D
ch,=3D20
holding up the backup. You should, of course backup your documents, but=3D2=
0=3D
what else should you backup?=3D20
-your downloads folder
-your desktop=3D20
-your .pst file for outlook, if you insist on using it
-your favorites file from your web browser
-"my music" and "my pictures and "my videos"
Some of these files are really hidden, like your PST file. Google where t=
=3D
o find=3D20
them and be sure you're backing them up.=3D20
WHICH SERVICE SHOULD I USE?
Myself, I use online backup for 2 reasons, and only one is CYA. The other=
=3D
is=3D20
that I want accessibility to my data from other computers.... if I need a=
=3D
file on=3D20
my desktop, and I'm on my laptop, or I am away from home and need a file.=
=3D
...=3D20
so I chose LiveDrive after trying a few other services. I had used Memeo,=
=3D
and=3D20
found it was hanging up all too often. I tried Carbonite and was just WOW=
=3D
ED at=3D20
how slow it was. I did the 17 day trial and it STILL hadn't backed up my=3D=
20=3D
computer at the end of the trial, and consumed a ton of resources. LiveDr=
=3D
ive,=3D20
which i tried on a whim, works quietly in the background, is fast as ligh=
=3D
tning=3D20
and has an online interface that allows me to get to files from any inter=
=3D
net=3D20
connection. Infact, it even has an iphone app to get to docs.=3D20
Now... some services, like Amazon S3, are gaining a lot of traction becau=
=3D
se it=3D20
has an easy interface and will act as a music player too. Those features =
=3D
are=3D20
new, I haven't tried it yet because its so new, but Amazon S3 has been ar=
=3D
ound=3D20
a while and its what every major company uses for cloud based processing=3D=
20=3D
power. its solid and cheap.=3D20
Your determination will come down to a few factors: how MUCH do you have =
=3D
to=3D20
back up, and HOW do you need to access the backup? Many services base=3D20
pricing on how much you store, so if you have a lot, you want a service w=
=3D
ith=3D20
unlimited uploads (like livedrive, which is $25/mo) or Amazon S3 which is=
=3D
really=3D20
cheap.=3D20
Hopefully, this helps and will spur everyone to run, RIGHT now and get th=
=3D
eir=3D20
information backed up online and toss the external hard drive.
WJ Seidl on mon 18 apr 11
Sorry Amanda, but you blew it there big time.
I am not an idiot.
I've been dinking around with computers since before CP/M was a language.
Probably longer than you've been on the planet. (1972)
I do not trust the cloud.
I want my information on MY drives,
under MY control,
not out (somewhere) in the ether for (who-knows-who) to be able to access
with or without a court order. Ever heard of hackers?
I refuse to "rent"...not a car, not a house, not software. I buy it,
it's mine. No one can change the terms of the agreement
(always in their favor, you'll notice) at a moment's notice, as certain
credit card companies and others are fond of doing.
Call me paranoid, that's fine. But don't call me an idiot.
I know where my information is.
If and when my internet service fries (5 times in 5 years, a plethora of
"big" names like Verizon, HughesNet, and AT&T)
I still have my information resident. I can reach over and touch it.
And it's all backed up on different drives in another location.
It cannot be hacked, and it's not "inaccessible" because it's in the cloud.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
On 4/18/2011 5:44 PM, Amanda wrote:
> Reasons not to back up to the cloud:
> -you're an idiot
> -no consistent wireless
>
Amanda on mon 18 apr 11
that is a completely reasonable response.=3D20
also: be sure to wrap the tin foil around your head REALLY tight because=3D=
20=3D
otherwise "they" can get to you.=3D20
but you've probably already thought of that.
Snail Scott on tue 19 apr 11
On Apr 18, 2011, at 4:44 PM, Amanda wrote:
> ...Reasons not to back up to the cloud:
> -you're an idiot
> -no consistent wireless...
I would dearly love to use online backup, but though
I do have consistent Internet access, it is consistently
slow - too slow for U-Tube, and definitely too slow for
online backup. And there are a lot of us out here.
Satellite internet services cost the moon, so to speak,
so I will keep my cell-phone-based connection until
something changes, but I'm not an idiot, just rural.
Even with online backup, though, I think I'll keep an
external drive anyway - suspenders and belt...
-Snail
Amanda on tue 19 apr 11
Definitely, if you cannot get consistent access to the cloud, then cloud
based work isn't realistic. I know plenty of people who like you, don't h=
=3D
ave
access without satellite. That'll change in time where you'll get more
reasonable options for wireless, and at the same time, the wireless from
your phone will become more expensive if the reports are true.=3D20
Either way, my recommendation is that you run a raid 1 array in your
computer (its a mirrored hard drive, meaning that your data is immediatel=
=3D
y
backed up internally, and if one hard drive goes down, your computer will=
=3D
still function with the second one). Additionally, I'd be backing up on a=
=3D
n
external at a remote location, like a safety deposit box or a friends hou=
=3D
se.
This way you're protected if your hard drive goes down and if your house =
=3D
is
somehow at risk.=3D20
It depends on how important your data is to you, really. Prior to cloud
based backup, I ran something called a NAS, which is a raid 5 backup (5
redundant processors/backup harddrives), which is loosely like running yo=
=3D
ur
own server. And its not a bad way to go, its just an expensive endeavor t=
=3D
o
build or maintain.=3D20
Kathy Forer on tue 19 apr 11
In this scenario you have one backup and one redundant drive.=3D20
Check out "Why raid is not a backup": http://serverfault.com/questions/2888=
/=3D
why-is-raid-not-a-backup
Industry standards still demand at least three data points. There's no subs=
t=3D
itute even given stable access to the cloud. Anyone with significant amount=
s=3D
of valuable data isn't going to trust it to a single backup point, no matt=
e=3D
r how redundant.=3D20
Kathy Forer
foreverink.com
On Apr 19, 2011, at 7:00 AM, Amanda wrote:
> Either way, my recommendation is that you run a raid 1 array in your
> computer (its a mirrored hard drive, meaning that your data is immediatel=
y=3D
> backed up internally, and if one hard drive goes down, your computer will
> still function with the second one). Additionally, I'd be backing up on a=
n=3D
> external at a remote location, like a safety deposit box or a friends hou=
s=3D
e.
> This way you're protected if your hard drive goes down and if your house =
i=3D
s
> somehow at risk.
Dannon Rhudy on tue 19 apr 11
Wayne said:
Sorry Amanda, but you blew it there big time.
I am not an idiot......
......I do not trust the cloud...............out (somewhere)
in the ether for (who-knows-who) to be able to access
with or without a court order..........
Wayne makes an interesting point. I note that a great
many people use carbonite and other off-site back-up for
computers. But - like Wayne, I don't like the idea that
information from my computer is neatly filed someplace,
by someone(s), to be mined at the will of someone without
my knowledge and/or consent. I back up to disks, and
works for me. Enough of privacy has disappeared into
the ether.
If I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot. But it ain't because
I don't like storing stuff with who-knows-who. Or
where.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
WJ Seidl on tue 19 apr 11
Dannon:
In Amanda, I see a typical younger generation response. I've seen it
before, in my son and his friends.
They all preach to me "New is good! Go with the new! Abandon the old
ways and adopt whatever comes down the 'pike!"
So it is with cloud.
Those of us that have made more than a few trips around the sun know
that this ain't necessarily so. A few examples of where
"new" isn't "better" that spring to mind immediately from my own
personal memory:
--DDT
--Thalidomide
--plastic rear axles on Chrysler "K" cars
--Windows ME (and Vista)
As far as "...wrapping the tinfoil around my head really tight..."
the sarcasm was unnecessary.
Yet another sign of the folly of youth, which of course I forgive.
If the system goes to heck, or the grid goes kerplooey and we lost the
'Net, I'm secure in the knowledge that I still have my information.
Happened in Egypt, China, Libya, other countries...and it could easily
happen here.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
On 4/19/2011 2:10 PM, Dannon Rhudy wrote:
> Wayne said:
>
> Sorry Amanda, but you blew it there big time.
> I am not an idiot......
> ......I do not trust the cloud...............out (somewhere)
> in the ether for (who-knows-who) to be able to access
> with or without a court order..........
>
> Wayne makes an interesting point. I note that a great
> many people use carbonite and other off-site back-up for
> computers. But - like Wayne, I don't like the idea that
> information from my computer is neatly filed someplace,
> by someone(s), to be mined at the will of someone without
> my knowledge and/or consent. I back up to disks, and
> works for me. Enough of privacy has disappeared into
> the ether.
>
> If I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot. But it ain't because
> I don't like storing stuff with who-knows-who. Or
> where.
>
> regards
>
> Dannon Rhudy
>
>
>
Steve Mills on tue 19 apr 11
I have had enough problems with friends whose gmail accounts have been hack=
e=3D
d to make me wary, plus like Wayne I'd rather my material is in my hands, h=
o=3D
wever "old hat" that may be.=3D20
I use a "cloning" back-up which has seen me through a couple of crashes, so=
I=3D
trust the type.=3D20
Steve M
Whose gmail account is used ONLY for Clayart!
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my Ipod touch
On 19 Apr 2011, at 19:23, WJ Seidl wrote:
> Dannon:
> In Amanda, I see a typical younger generation response. I've seen it
> before, in my son and his friends.
> They all preach to me "New is good! Go with the new! Abandon the old
> ways and adopt whatever comes down the 'pike!"
> So it is with cloud.
> Those of us that have made more than a few trips around the sun know
> that this ain't necessarily so. A few examples of where
> "new" isn't "better" that spring to mind immediately from my own
> personal memory:
> --DDT
> --Thalidomide
> --plastic rear axles on Chrysler "K" cars
> --Windows ME (and Vista)
>=3D20
> As far as "...wrapping the tinfoil around my head really tight..."
> the sarcasm was unnecessary.
> Yet another sign of the folly of youth, which of course I forgive.
>=3D20
> If the system goes to heck, or the grid goes kerplooey and we lost the
> 'Net, I'm secure in the knowledge that I still have my information.
> Happened in Egypt, China, Libya, other countries...and it could easily
> happen here.
>=3D20
> Best,
> Wayne Seidl
>=3D20
> On 4/19/2011 2:10 PM, Dannon Rhudy wrote:
>> Wayne said:
>>=3D20
>> Sorry Amanda, but you blew it there big time.
>> I am not an idiot......
>> ......I do not trust the cloud...............out (somewhere)
>> in the ether for (who-knows-who) to be able to access
>> with or without a court order..........
>>=3D20
>> Wayne makes an interesting point. I note that a great
>> many people use carbonite and other off-site back-up for
>> computers. But - like Wayne, I don't like the idea that
>> information from my computer is neatly filed someplace,
>> by someone(s), to be mined at the will of someone without
>> my knowledge and/or consent. I back up to disks, and
>> works for me. Enough of privacy has disappeared into
>> the ether.
>>=3D20
>> If I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot. But it ain't because
>> I don't like storing stuff with who-knows-who. Or
>> where.
>>=3D20
>> regards
>>=3D20
>> Dannon Rhudy
>>=3D20
>>=3D20
>>=3D20
Lee Love on wed 20 apr 11
I've used gmail from it's beginig and have never had any problems. =3DC2=3D=
A0 I
don't see how it can be hacked. (Google's business depends upon its
security.) Just don't use lame passwords.
--
=3DC2=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DE2=3D80=3D8E"Beauty is a gentle but urgent call to awaken." --John O'Don=
ohue
Sent from my iPod
John Post on wed 20 apr 11
The cloud is going to need a killer app to make it seem appealing to
the average home user, most of who can easily get by with a back up
hard drive.
I would guess that the app is going to be one that has to do with
music. If someone came up with a reliable, tiny device that let you
tap into the cloud and listen to your music wherever you were, it
could replace the ipod.
Of course the streaming would have to be picture perfect with no lag
to get me to give up on my ipod. Once those bugs were worked out,
then more folks might see the cloud as a solution for other digital
storage.
One of the reasons I like a portable hard drive for my macs is that
when I go to school, no matter what classroom or building I am in, I
can boot up from my portable hard drive and have all of my files and
programs with me instantly.
On our school servers you can't even send a file larger than 20
megabytes and anything close to that takes interminably long to send
and receive.
Once my computer is booted from my portable hard drive, it's just like
being at home, minus my couch, soft drink, snacks and the fact that
there are 30 or so kids with each wanting me to get out supplies,
teach them something, tell me about their new puppy, with one telling
me that Yousif is bothering her, and that Anne put too many dots on
her ladybug and could I help Max find a kleenex for his boogery nose
while at the same time telling Daniel that it is not OK to poke 50
black pencil holes into the brand new eraser I just gave him and ad
infinitum.
Lee on wed 20 apr 11
On Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 11:13 PM, John Post wro=
=3D
te:
> The cloud is going to need a killer app to make it seem appealing to
> the average home user, most of who can easily get by with a back up
> hard drive.
Cloud storage is simply a service. There are things like
Eye-Fi that automatically upload for you.
> I would guess that the app is going to be one that has to do with
> music. =3DA0If someone came up with a reliable, tiny device that let you
> tap into the cloud and listen to your music wherever you were, it
> could replace the ipod.
There was a cloud service that you uploaded your music to , then you
could play it to any device. It was called Lala. Apple bought it
and closed it (a reason I don't trust Apple):
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/04/apple-kills-lala-music-service/
On the other hand, the ipod is much more than a music player. It is
a pocket computer. With my iPod Touch, I only listen to music on
it about 1% of the time. Because of it, I spend less time at the
computer desk. Most of my ceramic interaction has moved to
Facebook, accessed via the iPod.
I like external drives too. My 1TB drive is full. Need to
get another. Prices keep falling. I need to find my firewire cable
to hook the external drive to my "new to me" 7 year old PowerMac that
is at the computer table next to the Windows7 desktop.
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Amanda on wed 20 apr 11
Those apps exist. Infact, Amazon just launched one that does exactly that=
=3D
2
weeks ago.
Joseph Herbert on wed 20 apr 11
One might ask the on-line poker players how they feel about that cloud
thing. I read now that some of them can start to get the money they had
"stored" with their sites. I was personally a little surprised that the
money was forthcoming so quickly. They were engaged in an illegal activity
and willfully so.
One could easily "securely store" their stuff on a server somewhere only to
have the server (with their stuff) seized as evidence in a court proceeding
for something entirely unrelated to your stuff, just on the same machine.
It will remain secure in that evidence room for quite some time... Access
could be another question.
I think I will side with Dannon in this and wait until there is more
definition in the "cloud". It seems to me that the diffused access also
diffuses the responsibility or identity of those little gnomes laboring awa=
y
there on Cloud Nine.
Joe
Joseph Herbert
Training Developer
Kathy Forer on thu 21 apr 11
Well-timed outrage for this thread:
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2011/04/21/major-amazon-outage-=
r=3D
ipples-across-web/
I use JungleDisk with Amazon S3 for both desktop and server backup. It's fa=
s=3D
ter and more reliable than some of the more user-friendly applications like=
M=3D
ozy and Carbonite. But it's not infallible, as this outrage today proves.=
=3D20=3D
If you needed to do data-restore today from amazon's cloud you'd be out of =
l=3D
uck.=3D20
It's important to have three different methods of backup if you can. I use =
A=3D
pple's Time Machine for immediate local backup and backup nightly to Jungle=
D=3D
isk. I also have archives, backups and mirrored data on other drives elsewh=
e=3D
re. And use MobileMe and occasionally make local exports of iCal and Addres=
s=3D
Book.=3D20
Alas I have multitudinous files on 3.5" floppy disks that I never got aroun=
d=3D
to archiving. Best to keep moving! I'd like to dump them all onto a hard d=
i=3D
sk and the good ones into cloud storage but they're somewhat tedious to ext=
r=3D
act and catalog. The best ones have hard copy. The rest are probably left u=
n=3D
disturbed gathering dust until they disintegrate.=3D20
Archive.org has old web sites if you're ever looking for a history of yours=
o=3D
r others' sites.=3D20
Kathy Forer
Ephemeral Pixels=3D
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