External Hard Drives

[photo4fun]

I just got two nice fan cooled 3.5" enclosures with USB or FW and two 500GB drives cheap that hang off an older desktop. I also create 8GB dvd's and store at other sites. I like separate enclosures so I can just get new drives or swap in new ones easily.

 

[usayit]

I also forgot...

The other option is a docking station like this:
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1346&ID=1642

I find it ideal for hard drive based archiving/backup scenarios when you see yourself continuously buying more physical hard drives but want to save the expense of having to keep buying external enclosures. There is also an e-SATA version which gives you better performance and the ability to boot from it.

 

[notelliot]

if you're hoping to keep your images/data safe, I'd recommend getting two (or more) external drives in a RAID configuration, AND back up images online.
it's a bit of a pain, but not very likely to lose data this way.
my 'archive/backup' system is like this:
apple time machine auto backup every 24 hours to WD 500GB RAID, once-per-week back up to photoshelter, once-per-month dvd backup, and once-per-month everything goes to a 1TB drive that is only connected during backup periods. Honestly, the hardest part about that is remembering to do it lol.

as for brands, I like Western Digital for mass storage or desktop purposes, but I don't like moving them around or taking them on location. I've heard great things about LaCie drives for being ultra rugged and less stressful to lug around.

that's about 4cents worth, sorry. lol.

 

[TwoRails]

If you are 'geeky' then you can use a dongle, such as:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020&cat=HDD

That lets you use any standard hard drive (notebook, PATA, and SATA), so if you have any laying around, you're good to go. It also lets you buy OEM drives (drive only, not a complete install kit) when you find them on sale.

If you're not comfortable with hard drives laying around and want them in enclosures, you can build your own. Apricon is a highly recommended enclosure:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090092 50007199&name=Apricorn

For pre-builts, Seagate Free Agent Pro is also highly recommended. Durable and reliant. I'd caution about using WD externals as they took it upon themselves to add DRM to their backup software (you don't have to use the backup software if you don't want). That means they determine if you have anything they feel you shouldn't copy! They may have changed this due to lots of consumer flak.

I do Not recommend a RAID setup. Without going into too much detail, the basic RAID 0 setup is to give you more storage space, but at the double cost of risk. That is to say a RAID 0 setup will take two drives, say 500GB each, to give you a total storage of 1TB. But, if one drive fails, then you lose ALL data, not just what's on the one drive. That is just too much risk. Just use two separate drives and lower your risk. There are other configurations, but you pay dearly for them versus the cost of just having multiple, separate drives.

 

[JerryPH]

Having your data on 2 separate hard drives is an acceptable step #1. It would be wiser, however to copy your files to DVD.... and more specifically, Taiyo Yuden 16x DVD-R. The -R ones are better because they use a CRC error correction that the +Rs do not use. Also that this particular brand has a 100 year guarantee for data integrity.

I'd use nothing but.

 

[deanimator]

I´m a member of a forum which specialises in storage media.
We usually recommend in cases like those being discussed here, to use the 2 HD solution, and rather than DVDs, the CD is far more stable. Taiyo Yuden (as the previous poster mentioned) is one of the more reliable manufacturers, but you may have trouble finding these...Verbatim made in Japan is considered by many to be as good.

Online storage is also becoming more of an option, so if you are really worried, cover all bases...it´s a lot of work but maybe worth it in the long term. Remember that the 100 year stability stories may be worthless in a few years even (do you think you´ll be able to sue them?)...most discs start to degrade after 3 to 5 years...and I wouldn´t bet on being able to read any of my CDs in 20 years anyway. Back-up, and back-up often.

Another thing: BIG drives...like 1 or more TBs? Never put everything on one of these. If they fail, and you have no other back-up? You will cry!

 

[usayit]

I´m a member of a forum which specialises in storage media.
We usually recommend in cases like those being discussed here, to use the 2 HD solution, and rather than DVDs, the CD is far more stable. Taiyo Yuden (as the previous poster mentioned) is one of the more reliable manufacturers, but you may have trouble finding these...Verbatim made in Japan is considered by many to be as good.

Any expressed opinions regarding any particular brand of hard drive from the other forum? How about the Archival Gold CD-Rs from Delkin/Efilm?

 

[JerryPH]

We usually recommend in cases like those being discussed here, to use the 2 HD solution, and rather than DVDs

Where hard drives, which are mechanical devices have a MTBF measured in hours, DVDs are rated in decades. It's more "trouble" but DVDs are a safer solution. Having both is ok (more is always better).

Taiyo Yuden (as the previous poster mentioned) is one of the more reliable manufacturers, but you may have trouble finding these...Verbatim made in Japan is considered by many to be as good.

Physically that may be so, but Verbatim has no written guarantee that they will last more than 10 minutes and something in writing is better than nothing. Of special importance, keep the CDs/DVDs out of the sun in a cool dark place. DO NOT write on them nor stick any labels to them. I picked up a lockable case that stores 800 DVDs vertically and each have a pouch that holds a paper that describes content. I have a fireproof safe that this case goes in off-site in another location.

Taiyo Yundens are not all that hard to find, in fact, I found a dealer right here in my town of Montreal Canada... and he also ships to the US.

http://www.blankdvdmedia.com/Taiyo_Yuden_DVD.php

Online storage is also becoming more of an option

Problem with online storage is:
- YOU don't know if THEY are doing their job and making backups
- If you shoot as much as I do, you are forced to pay for higher speed internet connections (I shoot an easy 4-10 gig per night when I get into it!)
- Most places won't store my original RAWs
- Time to upload is LONG
- Time to access is faster (to download), but still longer than local storage
- The better places will charge you, so there is that to consider.

...it´s a lot of work but maybe worth it in the long term. Remember that the 100 year stability stories may be worthless in a few years even (do you think you´ll be able to sue them?)...most discs start to degrade after 3 to 5 years...and I wouldn´t bet on being able to read any of my CDs in 20 years anyway. Back-up, and back-up often.

All valid points... but I have Cds that are over 20 years old and 100% readable on any of the 14 DVD readers/computers in my basement. I have DVDs that are 8 or 9 years old that I can access without issues, and they are nothing special in terms of quality.

Another thing: BIG drives...like 1 or more TBs? Never put everything on one of these. If they fail, and you have no other back-up? You will cry!

I have an 18TB SAN in my basement as my 4th storage location. Though I would not expect the average user to have one of these in their basement, I *would* expect any professional photographer that deals in larger storage volumes or is concerned about retaining original digitals in a secure and high-speed manner that is available 24/7 to have some variant of this technology as part of their standard business practice... again, not as the only method, either.

The more methods you use, the better... however, some methods seem better suited than others. Knowing the limitations of each will help you make an educated decision to choose what is best for your needs.

 

[deanimator]

Here´s a quote from one of our more knowledgeable members

Absolutely not.

... Delkin is the same as Kodak is the same as MAM-A is the same as Mitsui (modern). It's pretty well inferior. It's not very good media at all.

If you want scratch-proof high-quality media, get some Verbatim VideoGard discs. There are some others too, from TDK and Maxell, but I'd suggest the Verbatims.

Words like "archival" and "gold" are sucker words, marketing ploys, nothing more. - lordsmurf

As for HDs...seems to be changing all the time. Lots of manufacturers built up good reputations (WD for example) then shifted their manufacturing to factories in countries with low labour costs...& lower QC requirements etc. A Google search is your best bet there right now...
I´ve had a Maxtor fail inside a year, but 4 Trekstors still running perfectly after 4 years.

 

[deanimator]

More on the gold issue from lordsmurf:

Gold supposedly ages better, but real-life doesn't necessarily agree. On the other hand, gold has a pretty crappy reflectivity as compared to silver. So combined forces all considered, gold media may be unreadable before silver media, and there is empirical evidence out there which confirms this, at least with CD-R.

As for Jerry´s comments...it´s a big issue, and generally very dependent on how you do your housework. I agree entirely with the issue of proper handling of discs (storage conditions and how you label them etc). For the average reader, one HD failure is not that uncommon...hence I don´t recommend falling into the trap of putting all your pictures on some lovely new shiny TB drive just cos your movie downloading friends will be impressed. The average user is currently limited to the options of HDs, DVDs & CDs, solid state, and online. Use as many as you can for peace of mind.

Link to the original thread: http://club.cdfreaks.com/f33/delkin-archival-gold-dvd-r-cd-r-212624/

 

[dadCameraGuy]

HDs fail. DVDs fail. CDs fail. the only choice is multiple backups - and one of them MUST be off site.

I've recently purchased a drobo and am loving it... right now i have 2 500gb drives in it (giving me 500gb usable space but the drobo does the management of the two drives so i can live swap one out if it fails).

my daughter's macbook drive failed over the weekend. - I'm backing up all the family stuff to a time capsule.

i also have a full mirror of my personal drive stored at a relatives house in case mine burns down or is stolen etc.

last but not least, I'm using Mozy.com for backing up some really important files from each mac in the house.

I personally think DVD/CDs are too risky and too difficult to manage. Online storage is good. Multiple HDs are good.

If your files are important to you at all, you've got to back them up! I had a friend lose 3 years of her precious children's photos due to storing them on one HD.

Someone at the office taught me a valuable lesson - they had backups stored on CDs right next to their computer - guess what? The cleaning staff cleaned out the PC as well as all of the backups in one fell swoop one evening - lotta good that backup did!

STORE BACKUPS OFF SITE

 

[jakedoza]

First.. you are doing things right by backing up on removable media.. you have my props since you are smarter than most people out there by doing that.. As for your drive question, I would suggest an internal drive.. not an external drive... Hard drives are not meant to be moved around or be mobile. FACT: internal drives last longer and are less prone to failure.
A few months ago our photographer lost her 1TB drive with our engagements on it, because it was accidentally knocked over while in use.. and we didnt have copies of them yet. On it was 3 other weddings that had not been processed yet.. Luckily I recovered her drive for her but it took a week. Also.. a lot of drive manufacturers will use encryption methods for writing on the external drives which makes recovery virtually impossible if it ever failed. Personally I wouldn't get a drive larger than 500GB. A drive larger than that is too much info in one place if you ask me..

 

[cereal83]

I have an 18TB SAN in my basement as my 4th storage location.

Geez, a 18 TB San? lol Even 18 TB in normal SATA drives would be in and around $1800 Canadian.

An IBM San with like 1 TB is in and around $50k and just 1 FB 300 GB drive is $5000 (can) I don't think you have a half-million dollar SAN sitting in your basement and if you do, wow I am impressed and you must be amazing at making money!

 

[JerryPH]

It's a lot cheaper than that. It is a commercial unit that goes for $28,000US. I got it from a client for... nothing. I won't go into technical specifics, but the overall performance of his network jumped 800% by using local drives and real computers instead of virtual machines over a SAN... and I proved it, so he dumped the SAN to me, and on top of that, I got the sale of 22 mid-range servers and the contract to install and maintain them.

 

[jlykins]

If I were going to buy one external hard drive to back my stuff up on, this is the one that I would buy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136281 Setup in either RAID 1 for full 2TB or RAID 0 for 1TB mirrored. I would do the second if I were you. Personally, Every night my laptop and desktop backup to my home server which is setup RAID 5 with 4 hot swapable 1TB drives. It's a little overkill, but I'm a gadget nut.