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Backup Failures


  • Loss of one incremental file is disastrous/fatal,
    • Subsequent incremental backups might not contain some of those contents


  • Drive vs Tape
    • tape backups require somebody to put new tapes into the drive/changers
    • disk backups can be and should be 100% automated

    • for simplicity, let's assume the disk and tape backup process/strategy/scripts is the same

  • Backup failed due to system and methodology failures
    • failures apply to tape or disk backups

    • partition goes bad after reset/power failures...
    • somebody didnt check the backup system regularly/randomly
    • somebody didnt change the tape yesterday
    • its just backup... it doesnt matter that a backup file is missing
    • incremental backups was NOT properly implemented
    • network connectivity went down
    • dns died
    • nfs timeout due to some other pc went offline
    • ethernet cable got pulled
    • fan died
    • flaky memory
    • power supply surge
    • 110vac power failure
    • cpu failure
    • incompatible tar/compressed formats
    • etc..

  • Disk Failures
    • 100% disk full ( on the backup system )
    • disk crashes...
    • disk cable insulation was slowly being eaten away...

  • Tape Failures
    • Tape failures are subject to more fatal ADDITIONAL tape failures
    • Tape can ge 100% full too
    • Tape can corrupted/bad
    • Tape drives can bad
    • Tape heads need to be cleaned
    • Tapes take too long to backup and/or restore ( cannot do rdiff )
    • Tape cable insulation was slowly being eaten away...
    • "tape folks" go on vacation, call in sick ...
    • "tape folks" forget to change the tape ...

  • Raid5 merely protects you against ONE disk failure..
    • it is NOT a backup
    • it will NOT help you if you lose 2 or most disks out of 5 disks in the raid5 array


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Updated: Fri Feb 4 18:50:55 2005 PDT