Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT

[John Spencer <js@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, Tom,

I'm not anyone of the folks you mention below, but we have several  
LTO drives scattered across the country to support our local storage  
networks. The supplemental migration cost of LTO tapes (skipping 2  
generations) is very low and affordable for most of our clients. At  
some point, I'm sure we'll have another high-density storage format  
to use as we piggyback on the LTO roadmap until then.

I'd like to hear your thoughts more on the management of storage. Are  
you referring to an OAIS compliant repository, or other methods?

Jim Lindner made a pretty good case for LTO over on the AMIA list  
within the last couple of days, and they are dealing with video/ film  
scan file sizes.

-John

John Spencer
BMS/ Chace LLC
1801 8th Ave. S.  Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37203
office (615) 385-1251
fax (615) 385-0153
cell (615) 714-1199
email: js@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.bridgemediasolutions.com


On Mar 26, 2007, at 4:48 PM, Tom Fine wrote:

> 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/enclosure-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