How to Manage the Increasing Backup Requirements of a Growing Library??

[BobSmith]

One of the best resources for all of these types of discussions is The DAM Book web site. The book is a must read for every digital photographer. It's a bit dated now... written for CS2 and IView 2.xx but the advice is still very relevant. The forum on that site is loaded with on going discussions about software, hardware and workflows for best archiving practices.

Bob Smith

[Martin_Doudoroff]

It seems there's a lot happening in this area right now but the options remain ambivalent. One concept I'm interested in is the idea of scalable storage systems that largely manage themselves. One current example is Drobo. That they currently only support the USB interface and an empty unit (no drives) costs $500 are both strikes against it, but the underlying concept is attractive both for backup and for maintaining an on-line archive (as opposed to long term backups). I hope we see much progress in this general direction in the coming years.

Off-line and off-site archiving continues to be a highly unsatisfactory situation to my eyes. Most people I know and respect make redundant copies on multiple hard drives, disconnect them, and spread 'em around. I don't trust DVDs at all; perhaps it's prejudice, but I got burned so badly in the past by magneto optical and various Iomega contraptions that I'm uncomfortable using CD-ROM or DVD-ROM or anything like them for much other than ephemeral purposes.

Despite being appallingly slow, backing up across the Internet has its appeal. Too bad the options are damned expensive. In the past, I've used various reciprocal arrangements friends and I would sync our data between our workstations and our servers, and then between our servers (in different data centers), so that we each had off-site backup in two different locations. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is just not that simple or reliable to set up. Maybe that will change?

[Marc_Schoenholz]

I agree that this is not a very clear cut issue.

I anticipate on-line services to be coming down in price and speed increasing…however I have no idea when this might happen.

I have read about issues occurring with all of the archival approaches. NatureScapes has a number of technical experts who have weighed in on my question as well as a discussion on Drobo etc. The links are:

http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=120064 - previously posted


http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=120002 - Need Help choosing Digital Storage Device

Marc Schoenholz

[ChrisPerry]

You 'need' several options all at the same time.
You need to protect against hardware failure - so your daily data can be on a RAID of some sort.
Backup need not be, but it's an extra layer of protection. This can be done daily, weekly, monthly - not all files need backup up each time or that often.
The cost of the backup should not exceed the cost of replacing the data. Spending even $100 to protect one photo session in the studio that took an hour is not economically smart if you charge $50/hour to shoot. Relatively speaking backup is cheap so this is usually not an issue, but just a consideration.

You need off-site backup. Fire, flood, theft, lighting strike - these can kill all the hardware onsite. Off site can be over the net (you can get higher speed upload from most 'net providers for a modest cost. I upped from 286k to 3Mb upload for $10/month!)
If you have a studio and a home then you can bring backup home. If you work from home then it's a bit trickier. Your kids, neighbors, the local back safedeposit box, etc. are options. An unconditioned space (shed, storage facility, your car) are not good choices.

Try a removeable hard drive backup system. The cost is affodable, you can get say 3 harddrives and rotate them, take them offsite - a good solution IMO - and that's what a lot of medium sized companies have opted for as it works well. Used to be tape backup, but the HDs are faster, bigger and easily expandable.
Imation Odyssey Removable Hard Disk Storage System with EMC Software - Dock and 120GB Removeable Cartridge 26441 at TigerDirect.com

I currently have a weekly backup to an external WD mybook of all non-RAW files. RAWs are backup up to DVD. I currently have no off-site backup...i haven't liked any of the solutions.

The removeable HD is best - but you still have to get it offsite to be 100% safe and I don't go anywhere every day, so weekly trips into the bank are gonna be have to be added to my To Do List I suppose.

[Martin_Doudoroff]

MacWorld has published a brief review of DroboShare, the NAS accessory for the Drobo. While hardly a rigorous review, they do make the practical characteristics of this feature clear.

[DougAxford]

Just an update (partly from another thread). I'm building a box with a good RAID mobo, 2 -750 drives and 2-500 drives & giga lan x2. I've got most of the box already, so the cost is lower in my case and after reading a number of reviews of on-board RAID vs. RAID cards, on-board is actually faster and better when used in my purposes . I needed another box for my RIP and the RAID backup is done when not using the RIP so it works out just fine. There were posts that on-board RAID was inferior from other forums. Just not so these days unless you are running a server pushing data, then it is true.

I'm sure this is not for everyone, but after months of research, it's the better solution for me.

[Richard_Coyle]

One of the primary risks related to post processing and image retention that's often overlooked is the need for safe and reliable post processing equipment backup, particularly computer software. This not only includes operating system and program backup, but also critical licensed software backup. It's now relatively easy to make a "clone" of the operating drive in your computer, whether with Norton Ghost or similar software, or maintaining a mirrored hard drive system. (Just make sure your operating system disk is maintained at a minimum size with no data storage included for ease of cloning!)

But the real problem occurs when the computer equipment is damaged/lost by flood, fire, theft, etc. Even if your "cloned" copy is stored off premises, as should be the case, it won't work with different hardware. It will be necessary to reinstall the original licensed software from original/copy disks. Secure risk management of these is critical to your continued operation, whether business or personal. My suggestion is to have two layers of protection. First, make a backup copy of all important licensed software that would require replacement if lost, and store this copy off premises if at all possible. As mentioned previously, a bank lock box is a secure and affordable option. Second, for onsite storage of the original software, and ease of access, consider a quality fireproof filing cabinet, stored on a secure floor structure so it won't fall to lower levels in an extensive fire and compromise it's capabilities. If you can afford the large ones, you'll be able to include other critical documents. Also, consider ones with waterproof capabilities if flooding, even from roof and other leaks, is a potential factor.

Along this line, Chris's reply above is much more "overall risk management" focused than previous ones, and in my view, this approach is critical to your photography, whether it's a business or an avocation. To expand on his post, there are physical risks, and there are financial risks, with photography. Image backup and storage are only one aspect of the post processing risks, which is only one aspect of the physical risks. Here's my brief outline of the risks to consider:

Photographic Equipment including transport, maintenance, storage, warranty, and loss insurance.

Image storage including working, transport, download, processing, and archival with protection, accessibility and cost as primary factors.

Post Processing equipment and software including maintenance, warranty, loss insurance, and most critically, backup of the software!

Business/personal financial risk management include capital funding, cash flow management, budgeting, expansion and growth planning, retirement and succession planning.

Overlaying all of these is the need for a comprehensive business/personal insurance plan to not only cover physical plant and equipment, including those mentioned above but also such issues as business continuation coverage. And from a personnel/personal perspective, of course there are insurance needs for health, disability, life, and personal property/liability. If you take a global view of risk management, you'll find yourself much better prepared for all the various forms of risk, and hopefully be able to sleep better as well!