Laura,

In addition, if you have not been constantly migrating to newer media
they will probably be unreadable on the older media.  Your older media
was being stored well before the "Digits to Dust" awareness so the odds
they stored this media in proper conditions for longevity are
questionable.

As Ginny says, you need to see if they are readable but do you need
what is on them?  The retention schedule should have these records that
are 28 years old as past legal retention??

Your exposure for someone negative to the company to demand in a
lawsuit, information from obsolete materials that would cost a fortune
to create discovery on is a liability in itself.  If you cannot produce
the information you start the trial with a black mark as opposed to
merely being a good business practitioner with an enforceable retention
schedule.

The fact that they kept these records this long is a good rationale for
merging records management into their process.  You should also be
involved in picking where they store the media or helping design the
facility.

Recently we are seeing more projects where the servers are vaulted in
one office to provide a mirror site and with the reduced costs for
setting up this capability enhancing your multi-location network of
offices.  Plus in a disaster, you have immediate access to everything
on line with out a major transfer from somewhere offsite to a location
that doesn't exist anymore.  This forces you into a Hot Site whereas
the alternative is flipping a switch and running from another company
owned site.

In any event, NFPA would dictate that you as the records manager need
to be involved in picking the records storage vault and you should head
out with the NFPA 232 and NFPA 75  clutched in the palm of your hand as
Larry mentions and do a thorough site check on where you store your
back up tapes.

Is the facility where your tapes will be stored Class 125 media Rated?
Is the HVAC Control designed for ANSI Standards for Media Longevity.
There are a lot of specialists in media storage that provide unique
solutions to truly protect a client's media  but all too often the IT
Manager just wants a one stop solution.  As the IT moves towards
electronic archiving this is your opportunity to take charge of the
media cartridges and design a program that will insure their survival.
There are flaws in total electronic archiving that only reveal
themselves in a disaster.  That is why EMC was forced to add Tape
Storage to their grocery list of services.  They started to realize
that the total solution was the best solution.

In a real disaster, the tapes you safeguard will ensure a better and
probably lower cost recovery but no matter what in a legal proceedings
the Tape Library in your possession will serve the company well.
Things like chain of custody, best evidence and easier comprehension by
a jury will make a difference.  While IT is enamored with electronic
archiving you have the opportunity to step in and take charge of the
real records that are required to be protected by SOX and safeguard
your executives.

Hugh
On Feb 3, 2005, at 12:01 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> Date:    Wed, 2 Feb 2005 10:26:50 -0800
> From:    Laura Boldt <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Back up tapes
>
> I work for an engineering firm in the US with multiple offices.  Our IS
> department is looking at how long to keep back up tapes and what is the
> best way to keep them.  Currently they are still retaining all back up
> tapes from the beginning of the company 28 years ago.  I know this is a
> records management issue but at least it is being addressed and the
> network guy who is investigating this issue will listen to what I have
> to say.  Unfortunately, it sounds like he is under the gun and needs to
> come up with a solution in a couple of weeks.  At this point he is
> thinking of storing them at Iron Mountain with their electronic
> archives.
>
> We do have a retention schedule but it needs a lot of work.  At this
> time it only covers hard copy project files.  This will be addressed in
> the near future.
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Laura Boldt
> Records Management Supervisor
> David Evans and Associates
> [log in to unmask]
>

***********

From:    JESSE WILKINS <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Back up tapes

GET RID OF THEM!

No, seriously. Backup tapes are disaster recovery things, not archival
things. They are a royal pain to deal with when it comes time to
restore a
particular file - and if/when that discovery request comes in, that
exacerbates the problem in that all of the info has to be restored and
sorted through, or else the tapes get turned over to opposing counsel
who
will be happy to use the opportunity for a fishing expedition.
Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance