Re: [BackupPC-users] Copying BackupPC to tape for off-site storage - very slow

[Bowie B. <Bowie_Bailey@BUC.com>]

Sean Carolan wrote:
>> If you use a file-oriented approach, traversing the directories is very
>> slow, and the restore will be much worse as it tries to reconstruct the
>> hardlinks.  An image copy will be much faster, but keep in mind that you
>> have to load it all back from the tape before being able to access any
>> of it.  If your partition is 2TB or smaller it might be handier to image
>> to to an external or removable disk that you could access directly.
>>     
>
> We'll give this a shot.  Our "tape drive" is actually an HP d2d4112
> system, which creates a virtual tape changer and and tape drive.

What has worked for me (and some others on the list) is to use mirrored
drives.  I have a three-part raid 1 configuration with the third drive
being in a hot-swap enclosure.  Once a month, I take the removable
drive, send it offsite, and replace it with a new drive.  Having three
drives in the raid means that I am still protected from drive failures
while the third drive is syncing.

-- 
Bowie