[PLUG] Disk backups (was: DLT tape drives)

[Keith Lofstrom]

Galen Seitz writes:
> I'm looking to replace my DDS2 tape drive with a DLT unit.  I need more
> capacity, and I would like to get the increased reliability that I believe
> the DLT format offers. ...

I may be sounding like a broken record here, but consider switching to
disk-to-disk backup.  Faster, cheaper, more reliable, more capacity,
less system load, easier swapping.  I can do full level-0 equivalents
on all the machines on my network (80GB worth) in 40 minutes, without
needing to bring anything down to single user.

I am working up a web page for drive-to-drive backups:

http://www.keithl.com/linuxbackup.html

I still need to write up the software I use for backups (dirvish) and
write up doing a bare-metal recovery with rsync.  I do have pointers
to the software, hotswap drive cages, and the like.  This approach will
get even cheaper and easier when Alan Cox finishes writing more IDE
hotswap drivers; for now I use a USB2 connected cage.  But it is 
already much cheaper and faster than tapes and a drive.

I have, on-line, two weeks worth of complete virtual backups, and
more on the swappable drive in the fireproof safe.  This setup is
REALLY COOL. 

I will have some Exabyte drives for sale (cheap) pretty soon now.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom           keithl at ieee.org         Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs