Re: [cobalt-users] RAID backups

[Colin Smith <colin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 18 Jul 2000, Paul Sherrard wrote:

> Anyone have any experience/advice with this?? I've got a bunch (50) RaQ3i's
> (second Ethernet port should make this easier, right?)  that we want to
> start backing up to a Terrabyte RAID..  suggestions on
> software/implementation GREATLY appreciated, either on the list or off..
> 
> I am a complete newbie when it comes to RAIDs.. all of a sudden we need one,
> and it's gotta be good.. *grin*..

Honestly. I wouldn't back the systems up that way. It's a very
expensive way of doing it.

Get a decent sized tape library and attach it to a dedicated backup
server. Perform network backups across a dedicated private backup network 
to the backup server which can spool the data to tape. Keep the primary
copy of the data on the tapes in the library and take a copy off site.

IBM, StorageTek, Exabyte, Spectra Logic, Qualstar and others do some nice
libraries at varying sizes and capacities and prices from 20 slot (approx
500Gb) up to N thousand slot libraries.

Examples:

IBM 3570 20 slot	400Gb
IBM 3575 60 slot	1.2Tb
IBM 3575 180 slot	3.6Tb

StorageTek 9738 30 slot		600Gb
StorageTek L180 180 slot	6Tb
StorageTek 4400 6000 slots	300Tb uncompressed

Exabyte 18D	7 slots		500Gb

Prices vary. The IBM 3570 is about $20k but a there are cheaper libraries
from other companies. IBM and StorageTek tend to be expensive.

Get some good backup software. The RAQs have Legato already and
the 3is can also run the ADSM client  (ADSM is a particularly powerful
backup system, now called TSM). You could also take a look at Amanda which
is free though not as powerful.

Plan the library according to the expected growth over the depreciation
period (3 years?). 

You'll find it cheaper than buying a RAID array of equivalent size. 

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