How do you back up multiple TB?

Is the cheapest way just to get more hard drives and use those?

Please only suggestions that I can buy TODAY, no 'wait for...' tech stuff

What is on it? Large files? Small files? Do they need to be grouped? How many TB are we talking about here?

thideras said:

What is on it? Large files? Small files? Do they need to be grouped? How many TB are we talking about here?

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So far just one TB drive, but I anticipate growing it to about 4. It's gonna be 100% DVD rips in my HTPC. I have all the discs but don't wanna have to reload them all if a drive dies.

I use a huge RAID-5 in my primary desktop PC, and then back that up to another huge RAID-6 NAS, and then also back up to single 1.5TB SATA HD's that I take to work. Haven't lost a lick of data in years and years...

Relying on 1 or 2 single drives is not 100% secure (but neither is my solution, but I'd say it would be highly unlikely that I would have all 3 storage systems fail on me).

Bottom line - What is your data worth to you? You likely have all of the original DVD's and Blu-Rays, but consider the TIME it took to rip them (likely hundreds of hours). If you do backup to single drives, I'd have 3 copies (1 internal, one on-site/near-line and one off-site / sneakernet).

Randyman... said:

I use a huge RAID-5 in my primary desktop PC, and then back that up to another huge RAID-6 NAS, and then also back up to single 1.5TB SATA HD's that I take to work. Haven't lost a lick of data in years and years...

Relying on 1 or 2 single drives is not 100% secure (but neither is my solution, but I'd say it would be highly unlikely that I would have all 3 storage systems fail on me).

Bottom line - What is your data worth to you? You likely have all of the original DVD's and Blu-Rays, but consider the TIME it took to rip them (likely hundreds of hours). If you do backup to single drives, I'd have 3 copies (1 internal, one on-site/near-line and one off-site / sneakernet).

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Sure, on what media though? Seems I'd have to use hard drives, unless there's something I'm overlooking. Even using Blurays it's what, 20 discs per TB?

This is an interesting topic given the cheapness of HD storage and the amount people are likely to store now with video and HD content.

One thought - is there a way to further compress files for backup, like Winrar or zip files? Or is the inherent or re-encoded compression already so much that additional compression has little effect?

And yeah, unless you can find a deal on a tape backup I believe that HDs are the cheapest per GB atm.

Honestly, the only way that is feasible to backup data in the amounts you are talking about is by using a RAID configuration. I am currently using a RAID 5 but am thinking that if prices keep going down I may consider a RAID 1 setup.

I settled on WHS for my needs. At the time I couldn't cover the costs of additional drives and a decent raid card or I would have went the RAID 6 approach. With the amound of data we are dealing with now RAID 5 just isn't comfortable enough for me. If am going to that much trouble its going to a 6. Another option is if you going have the space for and array in you PC you may want to add a NAS. They can be put together very cheaply(not counting the storage system as it is a constant cost no matter what route you take) and back up the whole enchalada externally. Sure it a lot of trouble and expense, but it boils down to how my is your data worth to you.

ratbuddy said:

Sure, on what media though? Seems I'd have to use hard drives, unless there's something I'm overlooking. Even using Blurays it's what, 20 discs per TB?

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Are you doing straight un-compressed BluRay rips? I mainly archive in MKV/MP4/h264 with Dolby or DTS, and end up with 1080P around 8-14GB or 720P around 5-8GB per movie. DVD's end up around 2GB w/Dolby or DTS. I don't notice any quality or artifacting issues (and I work in TV for a living), but I do notice the HD space savings!

But yes - Hard Drives are really the most practical way unless you really want to get into LTO or something more industrial. Just don't rely on single drives too much, and I'd say use RAID-5 or RAID-6 (or both as I do )... If you do go with single drives for backups, then I'd say make SURE you have at least 3 copies. My setup is 2 independent RAID arays, PLUS Single Drives off-site.

Reliable Data security is not cheap, but it can be easy