Food For Thought: Drobo, RAID, Storage

[sanyasi]

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For the last three years, I have been using a Drobo storage-backup system to maintain my files. As the system was filling up, I had to decide whether to get a larger Drobo or use something else. I don't have 50,000 unbelievable photos. I just choose not to delete anything given the cost of storage space.

 

I decided against a Drobo or other RAID system. Instead, I opted for 2, 4TB Lacie 7200RPM drives. I downloaded an app called synkit from the Apple app store. Each time I am done with editing photos, I just run the sync program and I have a backup. It is simple, efficient, and probably cheaper than a dedicated system. Also, I am not locked into a proprietary file system. After two years, I will probably have to buy two new hard drives.

 

For some people, having their photo files spread over multiple hard drives will not work. For me, I post everything of interest to me to a website with the date and file number. I tend not to work on files after I have processed and printed them, so this will work for me.

 

Anyway, thought this might be useful to anyone dealing with the backup storage dilemma.

[esquire53]

I decided against a Drobo or other RAID system. Instead, I opted for 2, 4TB Lacie 7200RPM drives.

I think you should always chose RAID for your external drives and have your disks on a separate UPS

 

For me, I post everything of interest to me to a website with the date and file number.

you are probably not uploading the raw files, or it would be effectively a dropbox

 

The only issue here is you have no backup outside of your home and a dropbox lets you recover your RAW and high res processed files after your house burnt down ...

[sanyasi]

I have no offsite backup right now for my 2014 files. I have a separate hard drive stored in my wife's office with everything else on it. I will do the same at the end of 2014. The photos I upload are jpg, but at high resolution. I'll take the risk until I find a cloud system that is both economical and fast.

[esquire53]

have no offsite backup right now for my 2014 files. I have a separate hard drive stored in my wife's office with everything else on it. I will do the same at the end of 2014. The photos I upload are jpg, but at high resolution. I'll take the risk until I find a cloud system that is both economical and fast.

 

The cloud is fast. the problem is usually that your internet service provider limits the uplink speed typically to only 1/10th of the downlink is. That's your bottleneck.

Western Digital offers a home cloud system, but that is not very useful.

[robert blu]

I was today in an Apple store to get more info about the new Mac Pro which I'm evaluating. About storage they proposed a simple idea similar to the one that Sanyasi has: two Thunderbolt HD and a simple sw to backup one to the other. Not sure it is the best option, but I'm thinking about. In any case I would add an additional third HD to exchange weekly and place outside home, just in case someone should steal the main HDs.

Now my other point is that I would like to duplicate the LR folder (files and catalogue) on a portable HD in order to have access to it when using the laptop (seminars, workshops, long travels...) but this should not happens very oft. Or just to move the most important files to a cloud system...

robert