Please rate my backup

[CultHero]

sorry to start another thread, but I don't want this to get lost in the mega thread going.

I bought a Ver 1 Drobo on the recommendation of this forum and so far couldn't be happier. I have it hung off my airport so USB was fine for me and it hasn't hiccupped yet.

On the drobo I have all my ripped movies, mini dv movies, handbraked movies, iTunes, and iPhoto. At this point it only adds up to about 600 gigs.

I have three 500 gig drives and just ordered 2 1tb drives to replace one drive and fill the drobo.

With the drive I pull out, I will be writing first my pictures (iPhoto) and iTunes to it, as I pull out subsequent drives for replacement I will do the same with them.

These are all going in a safe I have in my house.

I also have disk backups of my iPhoto and iTunes. Granted, these are a month or two old now.

Off my iMac, I have a drive that I mirror for a bootable version.

I know relocating the backup drives off site is good, but I hope the safe will suffice.

Any suggestions.

I don't know if I completely trust online backup yet.

 

[pprior]

Is your safe a media rated fire safe?

 

[hualon]

Disconnected hard drives should not be considered an archival medium. There is much anecdotal evidence of mechanical failure of hard drives after sitting idle for even short periods.

You backup strategy seems sound. The only thing you're lacking is some sort of off-site solution. Here's my strategy, for reference.

1. Drobo w/ 4 1TB WD Green drives - contains all files of consequence.
2. 500TB RAID 1 as Time Machine backing up critical Drobo files and complete system drive
3. Mozy backing up entire archive of data online - approximately 1.1TB
4. 500TB RAID1 attached to Airport Extreme outside in my studio (separate building) for semi-offsite backup. This drive is a clone of the local Time Machine volume.

 

[misterredman]

Disconnected hard drives should not be considered an archival medium. There is much anecdotal evidence of mechanical failure of hard drives after sitting idle for even short periods.

That is interesting. Can you explain a bit more please?

 

[hualon]

That is interesting. Can you explain a bit more please?

Mechanical failure, lubrication failure, magnetic degradation, etc. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_hard_disk_warning.html

 

[misterredman]

Thank you. Pretty scary!

 

[CultHero]

Mechanical failure, lubrication failure, magnetic degradation, etc. http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_hard_disk_warning.html

Thanks for this. From the article it seems that it happens when the drives are not used in about 6 months. I hope to write to them every month or so. Still, this is good to know, and yes the safe is fire and water rated.