Keeping personal copies of online resources

[+MrBlackCat]

88TB! What kind of equipment do you run? I don't think I'd even want to pay that electronic bill, to say nothing of the disc and tape resources (because of its worth storing, it's worth backing up).

The storage I use/build is constantly updated and therefor mixed/varied. I consistently use RocketRaid (2340's mostly) controllers due to compatibility with such a wide range of drives. MSI Micro and Mini Boards. Nothing fancy really... just reliable stuff. The drives vary from 2TB to 6TB in several brands and classes, but all 3.5. Note that I don't use any Enterprise class drives, all desktop drives. They just don't justify the cost vs failure rate in my application. I have no SSD based storage, but clients are using it now... amazing speeds for sure. All chassis are 3U, 16 bay. OS's are various Windows, client proprietary Linux branches, Novell, and some FreeNAS.

I don't use tapes because of the Data Volume. I just mirror to HDD and move storage set off site. I really seldom encounter tape systems in use in the field anymore. Portability and price are tape advantages, but with the speed of modern networks and internet, off-site backup is usually done at other branches, or commercial on-line backup sources.

Most of what I do doesn't have to be backed up... most is just massively redundant testing of data migration/conversion. While I do keep copies of my work, client data isn't lost if my place burns. I rotate my stuff off-site often anyway.

As far as paying an "electronic bill", it is just part of doing business. I am careful to use the most reliable components I can get, within reason.

 

MrBlackCat

Edited August 20, 2016 by MrBlackCat

[Flojomojo]

Sounds like it's a mix of business and personal stuff ... I suppose massive duplication is like backup, but would you be able to find anything you needed in that mashup of different technology?

 

("electronic bill," heh sorry about my stupid phone typos)

[Ramses]

If I see an image or something that I really like, I'll download it for safe keeping. I have a downloaded portfolio of inspirational artwork that I could have put together on pinterest, but I don't trust the original links to last forever.

[+thegoldenband]

I try to keep a copy of anything that I'd miss if it were gone, or that I find interesting and think might eventually get pulled from the Internet. It's been incredibly helpful on more than one occasion.

As for the problems and virtues of keeping a large archive, it's true that I dip into it seldom. But, like my gaming collection, it's there when I want it, and unlike my gaming collection it takes up no physical space to speak of. I also think of Harlan Ellison's great line about a guy with a big library whose guests would always ask him if he'd read all those books:

When they'd ask if I'd read all those books, I'd say, 'Hell, no. Who wants a library full of books you've already read?'

[+MrBlackCat]

Sounds like it's a mix of business and personal stuff ... I suppose massive duplication is like backup, but would you be able to find anything you needed in that mashup of different technology?

 

("electronic bill," heh sorry about my stupid phone typos)

I used to work mostly from home, so yes, it is mixed somewhat, but the mix is not random. There is little overlap between the type of data stored and server OS. The only exception is a few desktop NAS's (LinkSys units). The various systems are determined/required by the accessing system or hardware. Examples: Novell is kept to maintain connectivity between and back to various DOS, Windows 3.11, Windows CE/Mobile, Win95/98 as well as some other simplistic file system equipment. Window based servers for XP and newer Windows systems mostly, of course. The Linux based stuff is for software/data relative to hardware firewall and managed switch data and network emulation software... and some other proprietary stuff. FreeNAS is used for mass copy/storage testing more than anything.

 

As far as electricity, this is what I added to my house for the computer/game room...

This gives me real time view of amps and voltage on each UPS circuit as well as an electrical history through the meter via a digital reader. The industrial look is a small bit exaggerated and intentional as the panel is exposed in the room.

 

MrBlackCat

[high voltage]

I d/l lots of gaming and computer magazines from Undergroundgamer before it got taken down. Pleased that I did it, some can't be found anywhere online

[Keatah]

Yup. So much for that much vaunted "cloud" thing..

[Flojomojo]

The cloud (aka "other people's computers") is still very powerful ...many file sharing sites have learned from the takedown lessons of UG and sites like it. PirateBay keeps popping back up after many, many takedown attempts.

 

BlackCat -- so what would you do in the event of file corruption or ransomware attack that encrypted your files? Seems to me that your RAIDs and mirroring would simply give you many copies of trashed files. Could you recover from that or would you just move on without it?

 

Saying "I'm okay without it" is a perfectly valid response, but seems less reasonable if you already have a big financial investment in the setup. I'm too cheap to buy a single Drobo so I'm curious what you would do.

[+MrBlackCat]

The cloud (aka "other people's computers") is still very powerful ...many file sharing sites have learned from the takedown lessons of UG and sites like it. PirateBay keeps popping back up after many, many takedown attempts.

 

BlackCat -- so what would you do in the event of file corruption or ransomware attack that encrypted your files? Seems to me that your RAIDs and mirroring would simply give you many copies of trashed files. Could you recover from that or would you just move on without it?

 

Saying "I'm okay without it" is a perfectly valid response, but seems less reasonable if you already have a big financial investment in the setup. I'm too cheap to buy a single Drobo so I'm curious what you would do.

File corruption is limited by redundancy, but theoretically possible. The secure data is stored on duplex drive pairs or in one clients case, triple redundancy... then it is set on delayed (example, 24 hour) mirror. This is constantly adjusted based on degree of security per project. Again, most of what I am doing is working with test data that exists elsewhere. I might run twenty variant tests of the same data to verify the migration in different ways... but all I am doing is testing the method in most cases, not the actual work, which will be run on the clients system.

A fair part of my job has been hardware firewall OS's and scripting... because the various layers of my network here run through up to four layers of firewalls and managed switches, it is unlikely that something like ransom-ware could even work, at least on the internal PC's. Due to packet inspection techniques that myself and some of the companies I work for developed. But again, it could in theory occur. I have a large collection of viruses, trojans, worms etc to learn from. In my 25+ years in IT/IS, Network Engineer, etc, I have yet to have a virus, trojan, or malware, but good lord have I seen them in practice. I do a LOT (too much?) of cleaning and damage control for clients Windows PC's.

Drobo's are fine... lots of good products like that out there today... backup and unplug it.

Because of the issue of software modification of firmware I do my own network with physically separated layers, as seen in the image below. Network layers are various types and levels of security. Want more/different security, swap the cable to another layer. Instant, visual, verification of security.

 

I have a lot of personal data I would very much like NOT to lose... like my emails and games from the 80's and 90's, and they are stored multiple ways enough for me to be comfortable that I have done all I could within reason.

 

MrBlackCat

Edited August 21, 2016 by MrBlackCat

[bretthorror]

I don't really do virtual hoarding or even legit physical copy owning as any sort of "preservation". Someone else out there is gonna have already preserved it, or it's gonna be kicking around for a long time... at least my lifetime, and it doesn't matter after that.

 

What I have noticed as I just use streaming services for music or Youtube to listen to albums is you do need a central collection hub if you are even moderately interested in the tunes. You need stuff at hand to consume and not have to just come up with something out of thin air searching for songs. It helps to have a bunch of songs or albums before you to choose from.