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Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT
IMO this is where everyone can do far more together than all do apart. Be it
a government project or privately funded; enough institutions can pool
resources to create a gigantic data warehouse (or several such). It's
absolutely inefficient and totally cost-ineffective to be replicating the
effort, expense and labor of a TDR when an aggregate solution can serve the
needs better. Such repositories scale extremely well;the more stored, the
cheaper it gets on a per storage unit basis.
This would, of course, require everyone working together which is difficult.
Yet, the end result would be much more than the sum of it's parts. You'd
have a repository solid enough and large enough to archive collection upon
collection. The only limitations would be capacity and cost-sharing. Many
many ways to handle that one, but it'd also provide a mechanism whereby
worthy institutions who otherwise wouldn't have the budget could warehouse
their collections in a world-class TDR.
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Seubert
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 11:39 AM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT
I'm with Andy on this 100%. I was at a conference a few weeks ago and
the buzz now is Trusted Digital Repositories and furthermore, the
certification of TDRs. There is already a two-tiered system developing
where there are those with the expertise and money to store digital data
in properly and those that can't. For the latter, outsourcing the
storage to OCLC isn't really an option--it's just too expensive and
homebrewed solutions (Costco RAID) aren't going to impress funders. I'm
guessing that in a couple of years if you don't have a certified TDR you
aren't going to get grants. And that's a shame, because there is a lot
of content out there that is at risk held by institutions that won't
ever be able to afford to build (and maintain) a TDR.
I think the solution is regional, consortial, or discipline-based
networks where the little folks can park their data cheaply or for free,
but we aren't there yet and it will be years before we are there. Until
then, people need options. I'm not in love with CD-R (or LTO--it's tape
for heaven's sake) and storing hard drives on shelves can't be the whole
solution, but I think that some combination of these are a reasonable
option. If a combination of these can get an institution through the
next ten years until they've got someplace to park their data online in
a system that is monitoring data and verifying checksums, etc., then great.
David Seubert
UCSB
andy kolovos wrote:
> Hi--
>
> While I fully agree with what Tom and others are saying regarding
> managed storage, there's another level here that you guys seem simply
> to be dismissing--what do individuals and institutions who lack funds
> do to manage digital assets on a short-to-medium term basis? I still
> feel external HDD has a place in a lower cost, comprehensive digital
> asset management plan for people and organizations with limited
> funding and access to technology.
>
> Local historical societies here in VT are generating digital image
> files (for example) up the wazoo. As their oral history projects move
> into the born digital domain, they're accumulating digital audio files
> as well. Most of these organizations lack any budget outside of good
> will. What would you have them do with these materials? Not do
> interviews? Not scan old images? Better to recommend a combo of
> optical disc and multiple external HDD than have their files only
> sitting on the system drive of their 8 year old Compaq or on a pile of
> Staples CD-Rs alone.
>
> While managed, redundant, backed up, server-based storage is an ideal
> and a goal, we as a field need to come up with some acceptable second
> tier recommendations as well.
>
> Andy
>
> Rob Poretti wrote:
>> 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
>>>
>>
>
--
David Seubert, Curator
Performing Arts Collection
Davidson Library
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010
Tel: 805-893-5444 Fax: 805-893-5749
seubert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/pa/