Backup
27/07/12 16:41
RAID is Not a Backup
So your internal or external storage system is some form of RAID device, that's great because it protects against a hard drive failure. RAID is an excellent part of any business continuity strategy. However, a RAID is not, in itself, a backup strategy it's purely provides redundancy in the event one of the hard drives in the RAID system fails. There are many situations where you might need to retrieve data which is not related to a hard drive failure. eg. data has been accidentally or incorrectly deleted, corruption has occurred or perhaps you're just not happy with changes you made to a file and you want to go back to a previous point in the document creation.
- Corruption can be caused by unexpected disconnection during data access (e.g. a cable is unplugged during a data transfer, or the computer crashes or loses power while writing to the drives)
- Corruption or destruction caused by viruses or other malware
- Sabotage by a disgruntled employee or acquaintance
- Theft or loss of your system
- Natural disasters such as fire, flooding, etc.
Considering these possibilities, any single copy of your important data must always be considered at risk. That’s why backing up is so important. Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. Your data should exist in three different places on two different storage media and at least one of those copies should be maintained offsite.
Hard drives are mechanical devices and have a typical service life of around 3 years. I use the warranty offered by the manufacturer as a guide to how long the drive is designed to last, the shorter the warranty the shorter the service life of the drive tends to be. The bottom line is never have your data stored on only one drive. When it comes to backup devices my current favourite solution is the Tandberg RDX Quikstor system, I use it myself and am very impressed with it.
If you do not have an effective backup strategy, you may not be able to recover your data, or the cost of recovery may be quite expensive.
It would be heartbreaking to lose your data, so please plan accordingly!
So your internal or external storage system is some form of RAID device, that's great because it protects against a hard drive failure. RAID is an excellent part of any business continuity strategy. However, a RAID is not, in itself, a backup strategy it's purely provides redundancy in the event one of the hard drives in the RAID system fails. There are many situations where you might need to retrieve data which is not related to a hard drive failure. eg. data has been accidentally or incorrectly deleted, corruption has occurred or perhaps you're just not happy with changes you made to a file and you want to go back to a previous point in the document creation.
- Corruption can be caused by unexpected disconnection during data access (e.g. a cable is unplugged during a data transfer, or the computer crashes or loses power while writing to the drives)
- Corruption or destruction caused by viruses or other malware
- Sabotage by a disgruntled employee or acquaintance
- Theft or loss of your system
- Natural disasters such as fire, flooding, etc.
Considering these possibilities, any single copy of your important data must always be considered at risk. That’s why backing up is so important. Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. Your data should exist in three different places on two different storage media and at least one of those copies should be maintained offsite.
Hard drives are mechanical devices and have a typical service life of around 3 years. I use the warranty offered by the manufacturer as a guide to how long the drive is designed to last, the shorter the warranty the shorter the service life of the drive tends to be. The bottom line is never have your data stored on only one drive. When it comes to backup devices my current favourite solution is the Tandberg RDX Quikstor system, I use it myself and am very impressed with it.
If you do not have an effective backup strategy, you may not be able to recover your data, or the cost of recovery may be quite expensive.
It would be heartbreaking to lose your data, so please plan accordingly!
PA - Concert Sound
06/07/12 13:44
I was at a road show back in February for PreSonus mixers and was really impressed with what I saw and heard. They seem really well suited to the live mix situation and I loved the logical operation of the units.
At the same show I had a look at the Lewitt microphones which I’d not seen or heard of before. They certainly looked like quality units, felt good to hold and from a quick test in the PA system sounded worth a closer look. I ordered a couple of the MTP 540 DMs and waited with anticipation for their arrival, unfortunately that didn’t happen until June! However it seems, so far, it was worth the wait as I’ve been quite impressed with the limited testing I’ve done so far. My other dynamic vocal mics are Sennhieser e845s which I’ve found to be a good all round performer and hold up better in the lower register of male vocals than some others commonly used. The Lewitts sound a little more open and seem to be able to pull the vocals in a little better when the mic is further away from the user. As I say I’ve only done limited testing so far but from what I’ve heard so far I’m keen to hear some more.
At the same show I had a look at the Lewitt microphones which I’d not seen or heard of before. They certainly looked like quality units, felt good to hold and from a quick test in the PA system sounded worth a closer look. I ordered a couple of the MTP 540 DMs and waited with anticipation for their arrival, unfortunately that didn’t happen until June! However it seems, so far, it was worth the wait as I’ve been quite impressed with the limited testing I’ve done so far. My other dynamic vocal mics are Sennhieser e845s which I’ve found to be a good all round performer and hold up better in the lower register of male vocals than some others commonly used. The Lewitts sound a little more open and seem to be able to pull the vocals in a little better when the mic is further away from the user. As I say I’ve only done limited testing so far but from what I’ve heard so far I’m keen to hear some more.
Music
06/07/12 13:28
I have a wide variety in my musical tastes but Jazz has long been one of my greatest musical loves. Recently I heard Rocio Guitard’s “Just Because” on SmoothJazz.com and was impressed. After hearing the song a few times I decided to check out the whole album, JazzDance, and loved it - so I bought it. She has an incredible voice and is a terrific entertainer, fantastic stuff. Check it out for yourself at www.rocioguitard.com or on iTunes.