Re: [ARSCLIST] Digital AUdio File Backups

[Charles Lawson <clawson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Wasserman, Robert A - WHS" <Robert.Wasserman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>
>1: What good or bad experiences have people had with extracting digital
>audio files from server backup tapes? 

It depends on the age and type of tape.  It has been about a 50-50
proposition for me.  Any tape/frictional medium is going to suffer
degradation and result in potential data loss.
>
>2: Assuming a digital audio file made it onto more than one backup tape
>(stored in different locations) before being taken off a server, can we
>trust these multiple backup tapes as our ONLY copies?

Negative.  Make other (digital) copies on other media.  NEVER trust a
single medium for anything you *really* want to keep.

>3: What is the guideline these days on digital audio file backups? Is
>having 2 copies, one on a server, one that is backed up to tape enough?
>Should we keep a gold CDR/DVDR even with the other 2 copies existing? 

For critical material, I try to make three separate archive copies and
store them in three different locations.  With luck (and barring asteroid
impact, runaway greenhouse effect or man-made governmental disaster), one
of the copies should be recoverable at some future time.  As technology
improves, I make additional digital copies (clones) onto new media as they
appear.
>
>4:Now that people have been using gold CDR's for awhile now, has anyone
>lost a file on a gold CDR due to scratches or other damage, and having a
>backup CDR would have or did solve this file problem?

I have not lost any data from gold CD-Rs to date (13-year history).  For
audio, I make Red Book and pure data CDs/DVDs and store them as described.
>
With lesser media, I have lost material due to some age-related
decomposition or damage.  However, one of the main reasons I make Red Book
AND straight data discs is that often, when a data disc indicates an error
and cannot be read, the Red Book CD can still be played/ripped with
satisfactory results.

>Thanks for your responses.

You're welcome.  I am sure that you will get lots of very valuable
feedback from this list.

Chas.

--
Charles Lawson <clawson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Professional Audio for CD, DVD, Broadcast & Internet