DLT Storage/Archiving

I recently heard about backing up projects/project files - long term archiving - via DLT - is this an option that can realitically be used for FCP projects?

Any other suggestions for archiving?

Any info/suggestions/pointers would be appreciated!

Ciao

A 100GB tape backup is not a bad thing for storing video content and projects. You would need a backup software that recognises the DLT drive for data, but relying on data tapes to hold your family jewels is a little too much faith unless the backup also does a verify.

Tape backups have always been the only medium that can hold LARGE volumes of data, but they are also costly to set up.

If you work this out, let us know how it functions.

ive recently had a pretty major issue with data loss, so ive been investigating this as an option.

my only problem with the DLT option is that 1. they are UBER EXPENSIVE! 2. its a pretty slow process and its not super easy to just restore various things on an on demand basis.

they way im considering going is just get a few cheap reliable brand usb2.0 drives and off load everything onto those.

Depending on the file size (and this works better for smaller projects than things that run longer) Look into the Data Spanning function of Roxio Toast) If all you want to do is save all your clips that you use in the timeline and the timeline and even render files to reload -- this is a good option.

You can make as large a virtual DVD-ROM as you'd like -- and Toast will span the files over many DVD's ..when you need to reload..stick in disk one -- and Toast will walk you through reloading everything.

Most of our corporate projects are 10 to 20 minutes long -- so you can span material over 3 to 10 DVD's -- and have everything pristine and ready to reload if they ever want to update or change something and clear your drives.

What we do for most clients is

1. Save the Timelines on multiple backup CD's
2. Save the original tapes
3. Make multiple backup CD's or DVD ROMs of after effects, Photoshop and other non-tape material and project files
4. include a hard drive in cost of project - most projects this size don't get much bigger than 100 to 200 gigs -- and a 250 300 gig drive is relatively inexpensive to media manage everything on to....then everything you put on the hard drive is instantly available - tomorrow - a year from now.

Benefits ---
you aren't spending hours backing things up --
you have a drive you can pull off the shelf to just start re-editing if client wants updates and changes
if the drive fails -- you have your other backups to recreate project with original tapes (this hasn't happened yet in 5 years of doing this)

When we tell clients cost benefit of this method (a few hundred dollars for drive - versus potentially thousands in time to reload and rebuild the wheel) they usually spring for the drive.

Having that other drive (we work of G-Raids for most projects and have automated our backups of file changes at night from that project folder to the client's back up drive) is also extra insurance in case your main drive fails in the middle of a project you've invested a great deal of time on.

Andy

Hi all:

We purchased a Quantum SLDT-600A DLT tape with the hopes of archiving our P2 media. While the drive functions nicely, we find that it is way too slow to be of any practical use. Wanna buy a DLT drive? This thing cost us around $8,000.00. It works well and can actually media by TC, but in our workflow and opinion, too damned slow.

Dan