I wouldn't trust CD media. The top layer where the data is stored is too easily damaged. By today's standards, CD capacity is also quite limited (as you've already pointed out).

I used to make DVD backups, but stopped when I was using excessive amounts of discs to complete such backups. Nowadays, I use my own system: an on-site USB HDD for regular incremental backups and an off-site USB HDD for annual backups. Regular backups with DVD media would start to get expensive quickly. My USB hard drives can be used over and over. I like this system alot, though it does have its drawbacks such as the possibility of data corruption or mechanical failure of a hard drive.

I have been considering buying two spindles of 100 blank DVD media just to make a backup that is not susceptible to EMP, magnetism, or mechanical failure. Considering the time, cost, and hassle of such a backup, I don't think it's reasonable to do it often. I'm thinking maybe once every 5-10 years or so.

Edit: In case you're interested, I use the freeware Cobian Backup. I've found it to work flawlessly for backing up to a USB HDD. I highly recommend it.

If you insist on using CD/DVD for backup make sure you are using PAR2 (or similar) http://digitalcave.ca/resources/computer/dvd-backup.jsp.

Currently I use the ZFS filesystem on a RAIDZ2 volume so files are as protected as possible while online on my home server.

Backups are less protected and not as verified since they are copied via robocopy to multiple Synology NAS. (Usually sync 1 NAS per week)

Both server and NAS monitor SMART data and email me if there are issues.

Currently upgrading my home server with more space from 24TB (18 usable) to 36TB (28 usable).

Hard drives for servers and NAS are switched out roughly every 3 years. (Although this latest one was 2 years I think heh).

A long time ago I used to use external USB/firewire but I got tired of faulty USB/firewire ports/cards both in the host computer and the external, crashes on the host operating system corrupting the external, the external not supporting the latest hard drives due to being cheap, etc etc. Very few of them have the ability to check the SMART data. eSATA is a PITA.

If you want to look into external HD backups my last ony was a 2 bay IcyDock which was the best one I ever owned. No complaints except for a limitaton where it wouldn't support more than 2TB hard drives.

Also in this day people seem to like online backups so you may want to look into that. I wouldn't make it your primary but it would be a good offsite (depending on the amount of data you have). I have too much data and a I don't think T-Mobile would like me very much if I uploaded all of my data. 😉 (Although I could probably slowly snail mail my data to Amazon and have them upload it.....still too costly to host tho)

I haven't checked what the prices are nowadays but Blu-Ray media might be cheap enough now.

While I appreciate the feedback, I am not sure what you mean about "insist on using." The way I see it, optical media is still the best and most permanent way to go. The information is physically burned onto a disk and cannot be erased. I am only beginning to use external hard drives, but they make me nervous. Unless you want to maintain a list of the number of files on the disk - you could delete something and not even know it until too late. Electronics can fail, rendering the entire drive unreadable. I would NEVER rely on an external drive as my only set.

ncmark wrote:

The way I see it, optical media is still the best and most permanent way to go.

Who told you that? I've had CD-Rs die on me after only a couple of years. I don't trust recordable optical media one bit.

Optical media is still not dead! And I think it will never be. At least not yet! CDs and DVDs can fail over time if you don't keep them in a climate controlled room and if you expose it to moisture. Hard drives can fail just as easily and flash drives too. However there are alternatives like the M-Disc which not that many people talk about, and probably that's why it's not as popular.

M-Disc Ready drives are as cheap as regular drives and you can pretty much burn the same stuff plus M-Discs. Currently only LG has partnered with Millenniata but I heard that ASUS has some drives in the works.

If you don't know what the M-Disc is I think you should check it and think again! Here's the website: http://www.mdisc.com/
What Is M-Disc? http://www.mdisc.com/what-is-mdisc/
How Do I Use It? http://www.mdisc.com/how-do-i-use-mdisc/
M-Disc Technology http://www.mdisc.com/mdisc-technology/
Scientific Data http://www.mdisc.com/proving-ground/
FAQ http://www.mdisc.com/faq/

So yeah... it works with your current burning software, and soon they will release a Blu-ray version of that. I'd recommend you to check the PDFs in the Scientific Data and what tests they did with various medias and how pretty much all of them failed because of that organic dyes. Well M-Disc has fewer layers and the data is really burned permanently! Pretty sure they know what they are talking about. 1000 years is a very good lifetime for every burn. And it looks cool too. Love that transparent disks. A ten pack of disks is $29.99 + shipping. Not that expensive for three bucks a pop!

What do you think? Please let me know... As soon as ASUS ships it's M-Disc ready drive I will buy one and start using it. Still have my ASUS QuieTrack 52x32x52 CD-RW burner. Love that thing! <3

The trouble with CDR and DVDR is that the die you are burning pits into isn't stable forever so disc will eventually be unreadable. You also have the problem with scratches destroying the reflective area.

For vintage systems I just archive the whole HD using a tape backup DDS 2 3 4/AIT 2/ DLT IV / LTO1 etc. For online storage I dump everything to a server with a couple TB of space. Nothing beats a HD for online storage and speed, but for archives tape still works well. I also use some 1.3GB MO media for my vintage macs (ease of burning like a CDR, rewritable, case is pretty much indestructible, and the media will outlive me).

It VERY much depends on the quality of the media. I had a bad batch once that scanned with VERY high error rates and became unreadable withing a couple of years. On the other hand I have good disks (translation = made n Japan) that have degraded very little in 5-6 years.

DosFreak wrote:

A long time ago I used to use external USB/firewire but I got tired of faulty USB/firewire ports/cards both in the host computer and the external, crashes on the host operating system corrupting the external, the external not supporting the latest hard drives due to being cheap, etc etc. Very few of them have the ability to check the SMART data. eSATA is a PITA.

I haven't messed around with eSATA yet, so I can't comment on that. However, I haven't had USB issues like you describe for a very long time. Back when I ran Win2K in around 2001-2004, I had similar problems. Ever since I moved over to XP in late 2004, things have been groovy with USB external HDDs. Certainly, there have been no problems at all since XP SP2. YMMV.

I currently use an el-cheapo KingWin F-35 USB 2.0 enclosure with a 1.5TB HDD for my regular incremental backups. I have a WD Elements USB 3.0 1TB drive for my off-site annual backups. Cobian Backup has a data verification feature for my regular backups and I also use TeraCopy for my annual backups, which also does data verification.

As somebody with a somewhat tight budget, I think I've covered my bases well considering my limited means. I invite criticism for my backup methods so that I can improve upon them.

Thanks for any and all advice you can offer! 😀

I'm still waiting for the day when age will claim the life of my first burnt CD... or earliest floppies. Like all those condescending slashdot posts claim

Dye degradation is very real and not something that was made up. I've seen it happen to discs that were burnt in the early 2000s and stored away from light for the longest time, after about 10 years. It also depends a lot on the quality of the media itself, dark blue Azo CD-Rs are much more resistant to it.

I wouldn't trust anything dual-layer. Just go read up on how the whole process works and you'll understand why it's a miracle they ever work at all. I've witnessed numerous negative K-Probe results with all brands of media, even Verbatim. In fact, I just threw out 90% of 150 Verbatim 4.7GB DVD-R discs. So all manufacturers can have bad runs on media. K-Probe your discs if you really want peace of mind.