Really big storage

[Blue_MiSfit]

Hey folks,

I'm wondering about opinions on long term storage (archival). I need a lot of space - 200TB minimum. It doesn't need to be fast, and definitely doesn't need to be online.

I'm thinking LTO tape backup is the answer. What do you guys think?

[Dark Shikari]

Tapes are expensive, but they work.

You could also get 137 750GB hard disks; they're only like 120 dollars each now, or something like that.

[Blue_MiSfit]

More than that many hard drives already exist, but long term storage would be preferable. I think for archiving, hard drives are too unreliable, and difficult to manage - at this capacity level at least. I can't imagine with SAS :O

~MiSfit

[Dark Shikari]

Hard drives already exist, but long term storage would be preferable. Hard drives too unreliable.And tapes aren't unreliable?

Hard drives are only "unreliable" if used constantly for a long period of time; any further risk can be compensated for using parity drives, much like some tapes use parity bits.

[burfadel]

Over a long period of time, aren't tapes more susceptible to degredation?

[Shinigami-Sama]

Over a long period of time, aren't tapes more susceptible to degredation?

not if you store them properly

the main London drug's server room has some tapes that are quite old still in use and they're fine
you just have to keep them in their cases and away from light and they're good for until they stretch out to much...

for that level of storage though
I'd have to say contact a storage shop
they often have nice (s)ftp options as well to add to your storage
and at decent prices

[Blue_MiSfit]

I think we'll end up with at least archiving to tape. There are some pretty good solutions out there that aren't hugely expensive, and best of all they can run entirely disconnected from the network - for security reasons. Just a very very simple BSD box, with a heavy duty LTO drive and a very nice backup suite / cataloging app. It also supports a tape library, if and when that becomes a necessity.

~MiSfit