[wellylug] Tape Backup Units

[Klenner, Colin]

Hi Jamie,

>How much data are you looking at or any one backup cycle?
>
Up to 100GB of programs/settings/data

~100Gb is quite a lot of data on any media. And it will take some time to
backup up in one go.  
- have you thought of setting a machine up as a dedicated server for data
only and make your PC free to play with more? You could then have one
dedicated tape drive to capture changes - reducing the overall capacity
required. I am probably talking to the converted here.

~ An IDE drive is unlikely to meet your needs as they are targeted at up to
40Gb capacity and are pretty slow compared to SCSI units because of the
shared drive controllers with the disk they are drawing the data from. 

>Do you want a complex cycle of tapes so as to recycle them on a 
>structured manner? Or more one-off ad-hoc backup solution?
>  
>
Basically an ad-hoc setup where I backup when the fancy takes me - or if 
I'm about to try something potentially dangerous to either OS

~ Seems to be a helluva a risk with so much to be thinking of changing the
OS. Have you thought about buying a disk just for data and having a format
either OS can access? Put the OS's on a separate primary disk suitably
partitioned and play as much as you like without endangering the data.

>You can probably get some good units through Trademe as these seem to 
>come up quite often ~$200-500 plus tapes.
>  
>
I'm always a little worried by second-hand goods and would prefer to buy 
new as at least that way I know what I'm getting and get a warranty plus 
support (if needed).

~fair enough

>If you can get away with it will you use just one OS or will you switch 
>back and forth between them? This can change the selection of backup 
>software as well for compatibility sake (if you want it).
>
>  
>
I need to be able to use it from both Windows and Linux as I have tasks 
that I can only do in Windows and don't want to forsake backing it up.

~ that complicates it a bit, but not much. As long as you don't want a
common format on the tapes and make sure you don't use the wrong tapes.

Sorry - I do not have something I can definitely point to immediately but
I'll look out for you.

Colin