[Discuss] Possible backup scenarios for a 500GB drive

[Alan W. Irwin]

On 2007-10-24 09:11-0700 Steven Kurylo wrote:

>>> Another option for off site storage is to install your backup
>>> drive in a removable tray but you do need to shut down and reboot when you
>>> remove the drive and possibly reset the BIOS options, unless you invest in a
>>> more expensive "hot pluggable" drive.
>>
>> That sounds like a good alternative suggestion as well.  Has anybody here
>> had practical experience with this option or the external USB drive option
>> discussed above?
>
> You can buy an external hotswap enclosure for reasonable prices these days:
>
> http://www.satagear.com/SATA_3.5_inch_Enclosures.html
>
> The enclosures can be usb esata or fireware.  If you have an extra
> internal sata port you can run that out to the esata connection.
>
> Then you can pull the drives out when ever you want - of course if
> they're not unmounted first you'll have file system issues.

Apparently the cost of the enclosure + the cost of the drive would be a
little more than the cost of the firewire/USB 2.0 external drives offered by
atic.ca.  Also, I assume you have to install the HD you buy into the
enclosure.  My current level of computer build expertise is I can swap a
simple PCI card, but that is about it.  For example, I have never replaced a
HD, but I am willing to learn that skill if necessary.

It looks like the enclosure possibility gives you the option of SATA speeds
(especially convenient if you have an external SATA connector as in the ASUS
PK5-V MB I am buying), and the flexibility of upgrading/changing the disk
whenever you like (assuming you have at least that hardware building
expertise).  Are there any other advantages/disadvantages relative to the
firewire/USB 2.0 external drives offered by atic.ca and others?

Alan
__________________________
Alan W. Irwin

Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Victoria (astrowww.phys.uvic.ca).

Programming affiliations with the FreeEOS equation-of-state implementation
for stellar interiors (freeeos.sf.net); PLplot scientific plotting software
package (plplot.org); the libLASi project (unifont.org/lasi); the Loads of
Linux Links project (loll.sf.net); and the Linux Brochure Project
(lbproject.sf.net).
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