SOHO Backups?

[Jason Stephenson]

Jim Kuzdrall wrote:
>>However, I hear CD-ROM is unreliable even over 12 months, so that's
>>out.
> 
> 
>     I have heard this too.  Does anyone know the physical mechanism 
> responsible for the deterioration?  I seem to associate the tale with a 
> study at a library, and the CDROMs being scratched by handling.  If 
> that is the mechanism, it is irrelevant for SOHO.

Exposure to light and excessive heat can deteriorate the dye layer on 
CD-R and CD-RW media.

I've been using CD-RW and CD-R media for backups of my data for the past 
five years and have had no real issues. I have had some cheap CD-R discs 
that either don't burn (cdrecord reports media errors) or that have had 
read errors after sitting about for 2 to 3 years.

I have not had any problems with CD-RW media of any sort, but I also 
don't buy cheap CD-RWs. I've actually rewritten the same disc 
consistently for 4 years. This disc actually outlived my first burner!

I find that there is a huge difference in longevity between different 
manufacturers and at different price points. The cheap stacks of no-name 
CD-Rs that you get for 10 cents a piece don't last nearly as long, nor 
are generally as reliable as the discs that cost close to $1.00 each. I 
also tend to only buy Fuji Film or Taiyo Yuden discs for my serious 
tasks. Though I have to admit I've had some pretty good luck with a 
cheap stack of Ritek-made discs with the AT&T brand on them.

I have used these backups, so they have had real world testing. I've 
used them to copy my important data onto a new hard drive when I last 
upgraded my system, and when switching from GNU/Linux to FreeBSD.

I generally backup everything overwriting what's on my disc each time. I 
often make two copies, just in case, though I keep them both generally 
near the computer, so if there's a fire, I've lost everything.--I mainly 
do them in the more likely event of hardware failure.

If you're just backing up a few hundred megs of data then CD-RW/CD-R 
media is fine. A couple gigs and I'd look into backing up on DVD+-R/W.