Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT

[Rob Poretti <r.poretti@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Tom... You put a "grimmer" face on it, but you are 100% correct.

Rob Poretti
Sascom - Toronto
vox.905.825.5373    fax.905.469.1129     cel.905.580.2467
www.sascom.com    www.cube-tec.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List 
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: March 26, 2007 5:49 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT
> 
> 
> I hope Richard and/or Parker and/or Spec Bros. jump in here. 
> The ONLY answer is managed and 
> constantly migrated storage. You simply cannot live by the 
> old "put it on a shelf in a clean, cool 
> room" idea anymore. Digital storage must be in constant 
> motion -- literally since hard drives have 
> been known to fail or never start up again if left idle on a 
> shelf (ask around Hollywood, everyone 
> has a horror story or two). You have to plan to have a 
> "living" hard drive array that is redundant, 
> preferably with a constantly mirrored clone at a different 
> location, and plan on swapping out drives 
> every XX hours of use or at worst when they inevitably fail. 
> There are firms that do this on an 
> out-source basis, I think. I believe the 90's dot-bomb term 
> was "storage farms." Some of them are 
> actually located in old bomb shelters and missle bunkers.
> 
> -- Tom Fine
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "andy kolovos" <akolovos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 5:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT
> 
> 
> > Lauren,
> >
> > As a short-to-medium-term storage solution--and as a part of a more 
> > comprehensive
> > approach--multiple HDD is the best most of us can do at 
> this point in time.
> >
> > I prefer Maxtor and Western Digital drives, and I favor those that 
> > come in enclosures that offer
> > FireWire and an on/off switch.  Very vexing to have no 
> on/off switch.
> >
> > In some cases it can be more cost effective to purchase Maxtor/WD 
> > internal drives, reliable
> > external enclosures and build them yourself. I've had good 
> luck with the "Neptune" line of 
> > enclosures from Other World Computing 
> > 
> (http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/add-ons-and-hubs/encl
osure-kits) and have heard good 
> things about their "Mercury Elite" enclosures as well.
>
> As others have mentioned, just like Coco Puffs are part of a complete 
> breakfast that includes
> toast, juice and etc., external HDD is part of comprehensive, lower-cost storage
approach that 
> includes optical disc and linear tape.
>
> Not all of us can swing a RAID array.  Do the best you can with what 
> you have.
>
> best,
>
> andy
> --
>
> Andy Kolovos
> Archivist/Folklorist
> Vermont Folklife Center
> 3 Court Street ; P.O. Box 442
> Middlebury, VT 05753
> (802) 388-4964
> akolovos @ vermontfolklifecenter.org 
> http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org
>