[clug] Story: Fijian Resort complex loses a single disk: business process stops for 1-2 days

[Scott Ferguson]

On 28/07/14 13:55, Hal Ashburner wrote:
> On 28 July 2014 13:29, steve jenkin <sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au> wrote:
>> +1, FWIW.
>>
>> I use a Mac Mini as my ‘browsing/emailing’ desktop, hence use Time Machine for those files.
>>
>> There’s far, far too much ‘magic’ bound up in these Apple Black-Box Solutions.
>> I’ve snookered myself more than once with it :(
> 
> 
> Kids, just say no. Apple: not even once. Learn from our mistakes or
> what was the point of us making them? We did it all for you! ;-)

:)

All knowledge is derived from ignorance?

> 
> So does anyone actually follow something very like it? 2 disks in
> enclosures, rotate to the office etc?
> 

Hi Hal,
       I have used a similar system years ago when my needs were
smaller. It works, just as long as you don't make my mistake. I bought a
bunch of cheap WD drives and fitted them into those old beige plastic
removable drawers as mirrored backups. In hind-sight I shouldn't have
been surprised when they all failed within days of each other,
especially given that they got equal use. No doubt the same can happen
with USB enclosures.


Some balance, and context.
Despite my personal dislike for closed-source, Apple is the first thing
I generally recommend to new computer users who want to be their own
sysadmins - though I'm beginning to recommend Chrome more often.
While roll-your-own from FOSS is more likely to provide a working
solution it requires a degree of commitment and expertise that is often
an unrealistic expectation of the user (there are two main industries
that call their client users...).

Despite Apple's UNIX components it's about as relevant to Linux (and
FOSS) as Xenix or SCO Open Server (Linux is not UNIX - nor was it ever
meant to be).
I'm all for learning how to interoperate Linux and FOSS with closed
source though.

Kind regards