data backup

[rookie1010]

Hi
What is the most efficient and cheapest way of backing up data?

how can i do an incremental or differential back?

 

[mikesgroovin]

Well, how much do you value what you are backing up? How much are you thinking about backing up. I certainly don't want to recommend an optical backup when you might be better off with magnetic. Have you thought about a second drive located on another machine on the same network? Is this a Windows-driven backup? If so, I would also recommend stright-up MS Backup. But if you willing to throw out a little $ then you should think about Veritos.

-Mike

 

[rookie1010]

dont have too much money, i think the backup hard drive sounds good.

if i can stick a second hard drive on my machine, what are the chances of both hard drives failig at the same time?

 

[mikesgroovin]

Well, if the PC cathes fire......then the chances are pretty good.
But, in reality....they are pretty good. But, if you are not going to provide any sort of redundancy that a RAID level can provide then I would recommend placing the harddrive on the network or away from the PC that you are backing up.

 

[rookie1010]

a RAID configuration would be better than a backup hard disk?

why should a backup hard disk be placed physically away from the main hard disk?

 

[sithspawn]

well with a RAID 0 configuration, your data will automatically be backed up on the second hard drive. As you write to one hard drive, the same data will be written to the second. If the primary one falls, the other one will be there to back it up. Although with a RAID configuration you need to have a RAID controller, and the same hard drive as you currently have (i think).

And a backup disk should be placed physically away from the main hard disk depending on why you are backing data up. Generally this is the safest option becuase if something physically happens to your system, ie, short circuit (rendering everything in your system dead), power supply blowing up, or probably many other things that i wont list here, your back up is safely somewhere else.

It really depends on HOW much data you are backing up as to whether to go all out with another hard drive or just burn to CD or DVD.

 

[rookie1010]

i am backing up a huge amount of data.
i think i will either go for the backup drive in a physical location, or a backup drive in a caddie style configuration.

i am not comfortable with RAID, it sounds complicated.

what about the different types of drives available

IDE, SCSI and SATA. i think SCSI would be too expensive, so i can take that out of my list, which would shuold i go for IDE or SATA

also if i wan tto implement a RAID, can i do a RAID with one SATA and one IDE?