Re: backing up image databases

From: Jennifer Brasher (j.brasher@MAILBOX.GU.EDU.AU)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2000 - 16:20:57 CST

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    Message-Id: <200002280430.VAA123258@dns.ccit.arizona.edu>
    Date:         Mon, 28 Feb 2000 14:20:57 -0800
    From: Jennifer Brasher <mailto:j.brasher@MAILBOX.GU.EDU.AU>
    Subject:      Re: backing up image databases
    To: mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
    

    <pre> Ah, ha. Just got to the crux of my matter. The new IMACs are being built with USB connections ( Universal Serial Bus). Mac made a deliberate decision to phase out old SCSI connections from IMACs ( which attach old jaz and zIp drives), as SCSI is too sensitive to orders of connections in daisy chain arrangements ( some devices only like to be last), and USB does not have this problem. (ATA (or IDE) built in provide two connections in a G4 for an internal CD drive, zip drive, the HD and one more item.) I can still link old zip to my G4 and it works but my Iomega zip tools will not find and fix zips in that drive as it refuses to see the zip. Any answers?> Jennifer

    >Maybe check your drive... I've had no problems with my discs until now when
    >I got a new zip drive in my G4, and 2 zips have gone at once..... am having
    >drive checked....... my old separate zip drive seems to go like billio...
    >
    >Second that opinion though, back up your zips and jazs regularly.
    >
    >If they are sick, try to open in Apple Discdoctor or Nortons Utilities and
    >copy all info off discs onto your HD, or another drive or disc, and then
    >tyr repairing the disc. I saved my info this way.
    >
    >Jennifer
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >>I wouldn't depend on Zip and Jaz disks as your only back-up.
    >>
    >>With heavy use, my experience is that the Jaz disks become corrupted and
    >>files
    >>can't be copied from them. They seem to need reformatting regularly.
    >>
    >>Also, the 1 gig Jaz disks don't seem to work as well in the 2 gig Jaz drives
    >>being sold these days. They copy and read slower.
    >>
    >>A separate (large) hard drive for backing up would be my first choice.
    >>
    >>--
    >>Bill Hill
    >>Perry Slide Library
    >>Department of Classics
    >>University of Illinois
    >>mailto:perrylib@yahoo.com
    >>
    >>mailto:phardi1@LSU.EDU wrote:
    >>
    >>> Depending on your quantity of files and the sizes, and your file system
    >>> structure, Zip disks are probably not going to hold enough to make them
    >>> economical. CDs hold about 650 MB so they are ok, but you should be aware
    >>> that if you have any cross-platform issues, there can be problems. For
    >>> example, when I burn a CD under ISO9660 so it works on Mac, pc, and UNIX,
    >>> it forces everything to uppercase. This can then become a problem with
    >>> programs that are case sensitive, even if the programs are cross-platform.
    >>> So I use Graphic Converter to drop them all to lowercase en masse if I need
    >>> to reactivate/recover from the CDs. Also, the ISO9660 only works for
    >>> "8-dot-3" filenames, so if you have long filenames, that would require
    >>> extensive renaming or else they become completely unintelligible. Be aware
    >>> also that Mac and Windows long filenames use different character sets, so
    >>> that can be a problem even if you do, say, Joliet format and allow Windows
    >>> long filenames. Plus I found when I backed up to CD that by trying to
    >>> squeeze a few more directories onto one, I ended up confused about which
    >>> had the most current/complete data for all the directories at or about the
    >>> same time (since it often took me weeks to do the multi-gigabytes worth of
    >>> stuff we have online). I would suggest that a hard copy, preplanned,
    >>> scheduled, documented and sensibly structured system be used if you are
    >>> going to use CDs because otherwise you can be looking for a set of files
    >>> and be sticking in Cd after CD to no avail. Similarly, do not make
    >>> capricious directory names or disk names up, plan and stick to a system,
    >>> e.g. date-idcode that is documented, or you will have to use "find" or
    >>> something with a known filename to locate stuff.
    >>>
    >>> An alternative might be Jaz drives which are like Zips only can hold up to
    >>> 2 GB. I know that one CD will not hold some of all of our "images by
    >>> category" sections. Along the same lines, if you are on a network, it might
    >>> be economical to buy a cheap computer with a huge hard drive and just
    >>> periodically copy them to it. Then they are at hand and the same structure.
    >>> If you have a computer person that could write some scripts you could even
    >>> probably have the process automated more or less. But now we are starting
    >>> to get into RAID systems and so forth, which would be optimal of course.
    >>> Hope this helps you identify some of the issues and options. PH
    >>>
    >>> Paula Hardin
    >>> Manager
    >>> Visual Resources Library
    >>> Louisiana State University
    >>> Baton Rouge, LA 70803
    >>> 225-388-5404
    >>> mailto:phardi1@lsu.edu
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>__________________________________________________
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    >
    >
    >"Nobody can become perfect by merely ceasing to act"
    >BHAGAVAD - GITA
    >
    >Jennifer Brasher
    >Liaison Librarian &
    >QCA Image Library Supervisor
    >
    >Information Services
    >Griffith University Library
    >Queensland College of Art Library
    >Griffith University
    >PO Box 84 Morningside Q 4170
    >AUSTRALIA
    >
    >Phone (61) 7 3875 3130
    >Fax (61) 7 3875 3133
    >Email mailto:j.brasher@mailbox.gu.edu.au

    "Nobody can become perfect by merely ceasing to act" BHAGAVAD - GITA

    Jennifer Brasher Liaison Librarian & QCA Image Library Supervisor

    Information Services Griffith University Library Queensland College of Art Library Griffith University PO Box 84 Morningside Q 4170 AUSTRALIA

    Phone (61) 7 3875 3130 Fax (61) 7 3875 3133 Email mailto:j.brasher@mailbox.gu.edu.au

    </pre>



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