From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jan 24 13:54:08 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9AA3910656DC for ; Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:54:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from hg@queue.to) Received: from pickle.queue.to (pickle.queue.to [71.180.69.18]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3DCFE8FC19 for ; Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:54:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from hg@queue.to) Received: (qmail 57717 invoked from network); 24 Jan 2009 08:27:26 -0500 Received: from cally.queue.to (172.16.0.6) by with ESMTP; 24 Jan 2009 08:27:26 -0500 Message-ID: <497B173D.9090103@queue.to> Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:27:25 -0500 From: Howard Goldstein User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.19 (X11/20090117) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org, bms@incunabulum.net References: <200901232244.n0NMiRmM098646@lurza.secnetix.de> In-Reply-To: <200901232244.n0NMiRmM098646@lurza.secnetix.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Oliver Fromme Subject: Re: A nasty ataraid experience. X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:54:08 -0000 Oliver Fromme wrote: > Bruce M Simpson wrote: > > [...] > > I also now understand that I can't rely on RAID alone to keep the > > integrity of my own data -- there is no substitute for backups, > > That's 100% true. RAID -- even true hardware RAID -- is > *never* a substitute for backup. Consider: > - Fire. > - Theft. > - Lightning strike or power surge. > - The cleaning woman knocks the tower over. > - ... > In all of those cases, chances are that both disks in the > RAID mirror die. Also, as you mentioned, it doesn't > protect agains human errors ("rm *" in the wrong directory > and similar things). > > Backups should always be made to media that can be taken > offline and stored in a safe place: Tape, optical disks, > hard disks in swappable drive trays, or external drives. > Messr. Fromme's point _can never_ be restated too often: Offline and offsite. Pick your religion: dump, rsync, bacula, amanda, whatever, just stick with it. (To the list I would add: - Fancy new well known manuf's ATX power supply received from a reputable reseller. Unwrapped from factory package, installed and the RAID array discovered the 12v and 5v rails were swapped internally at the factory and there went all of the magic smoke.)