Snips and replies
On Nov 11, 2006, at 12:01 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system wrote:
> From: "Ronald W. Frazier" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: backup vs archiving - was Climate Controlled Mini Vault
> (Very weak humor)
>
> Hugh,
>
> Thanks for the detailed reply. And, thanks for the local contacts.
>
> Suppose I accumulated hundreds of Mini-DV tapes of source
> footage that I want to save for a decade or so. I would access them
> only
> rarely when I wanted to retrieve old footage and edit it. I would use
> the
> master, copy master, work copy method. Should these be stored in a
> different facility other than the backup tapes? Should they be stored
> under different conditions?
>
> These are the mysteries of life, er technology, that keep me up at
> night!
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ron
Well its 1:00 AM and I am still up but in this case I am in mourning
over the loss of my beloved Texas Longhorns to the wicked Kansas State
Team (who played great.)
There are specific standards that deal with archival storage. While I
am a member of SAA and ARMA I believe that a true archivist or an
expert in archival storage should answer your question here. There is
so much to storing things properly.
If you truly store them for a long period of time with no access at
all, then a colder temperature is great.!? Who agrees?
I think storing your backups in different facilities increases your
odds of survival if both locations store to the same degree of
environmental protection. (Example: You store them properly onsite for
ten years and then have a disaster! You turn to your storage company
who stored them improperly for ten years! Guess what they won't play
or you need to have a reconstruction specialist come into fix the
problem and the cost is far more than storing them properly.)
Certain entities store their media with two storage specialists both
providing the same high level of protection. This is then a three
pronged protection strategy.
This is best against a disaster as you still have redundancy after a
loss of an archive. But the problem through the years is a
misconception about storage. Often Eggheads or Technologists describe
a method of protection that few will spend the money to achieve. A
certain large software company has their escrow software recorded on
gold CD's so there is no corrosion and they are stored in a very
precise environment. It is amazing. It is a long term strategy. I
know of no one else doing it. I don't need to tell you why.
When IT 9.11 was written I told people to meet this standard but then
they came back to me and called my bluff and said "Hugh, how do I
achieve this level of precise temperature and humidity control in a
vault?" When I called the head of the IT9.11 Committee and asked him
how he was able to create those long term environmental conditions his
standard called for, he replied "We cut the film into strips, we put
the short strips into Bell Jars, dropped the humidity to 30% and then
sealed the jars. Then they put the 30% RH Bell Jars in coolers to
maintain the precise temperature only.
I said "Well how am I supposed to do that in a vault, no one wants
their media cut up into short strips?" He replied "When you figure
that out, let me know?" I hung up in disgust. His solution was a
fantasy. I deal in the real world.
So I looked for people who solve this problem in the real world. How
do you put gel capsules together if the capsules are sticky due to
humidity? Answer you don't. The pharmaceutical industry had the
solution to storing capsules and manufacturing in the low humidity
environment real world. So we introduced Cargocaire dessicant
dehumidifiers to the vault industry. They can reduce the humidity to
10%, 20% or 30% as they are marvelous for controlling humidity. Now
air conditioning or refrigerating is a much easier task. But the
solution is a $14,000 to $22,000 system. Offsite companies will spend
this money as their precision is directly translatable to new business.
Few CIO's at corporations will do it and they usually offer the
excuse, hey we're not storing this stuff but for a few months so who
cares?
But archival is a whole different ball game. This list has four or
five people who are more expert than me on this issue of archival
storage. Two of which are Standards specialists. Take it away Ginny
and Larry. Plus we are blessed with several State Records Management
experts. This is where I come to learn new things.
This List has taught me everything............ except how to afford
three kids in college. My strategy of running up a lot of student loan
debt and then claiming insanity defense apparently does not work.
Shoot I even used three of my posts to this esteemed List to prove my
case. They agreed I was insane; but I still owe the money.
Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610) 756-4440 Fax (610) 756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM
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