The Short-Media Stability Plan

[Shorty]

So.. we are up and running well :)

"But what if something went wrong?" :eek:

We have that covered ;)

"But how?"

The forums code & SQL database is housed in a secure datacenter. We have a "cron job" (pre-scheduled task) which nightly backs up the whole server to a remote backup server at Sarcnet HQ, via SecureFTP. This backup server is also backed up into the local network at Sarcnet HQ for additional redundancy.

These backups are kept religiously ordered and dated in the event of a need for recovery of either/both db's and code :)

In the event of a total crash and system failure, we could restore the forums and site back to fully working condition in a matter of hours. The loss of posts and threads would be minimal (how ever many hours have passed since the last nightly backup).

All coding work for Short-Media is undertaken in-house by Shorty, Park & TD_Isles only. All admins and coders know what db's do what and connect to where. Nothing gets changed or moved without full communication to all.

TK (our UNIX moderator and Sarcnet network administrator) checks our logs, monitors the server performance and deals with any serverside bugs we may encounter. He is also responsible for our security as well as stability. TK could find a vulnerability in a toaster oven program. No errata report is missed, no patch left undone following extensive testing. Nothing get's missed any step of the way.

We are working to keep Short-Media working fast and interactive but also safe and secure :) so that everyone from staff to guests can enjoy what we have to offer without fear of us suddenly being lost into digital oblivion.

[Omega65]

Thanks for the info Shorty - Considering recent events thats something I was worrying about.

[edcentric]

I know that the guys at SARC sell this info for a living. But the 'lite' version of how a system like this is set up would be of a lot of interest. Most of us are at the mercy of our IT guys, and knowing a thing or two about the inner workings of such a system would help us sort the facts from the fluff. Not that they would ever misslead us or fail to tell us something important......

[primesuspect]

Ed:

Send your check or money order for $6,000 to:

"The Server Security Setup Document"
sarcnet industries, inc.
16135 Harper Avenue, Suite 100
Detroit, MI 48224

:) just kidding. I plan on doing some guides and articles about this very sort of thing...

[Slick]

I know html is aloud in the forum but did you disable some of the dangerous code. I don't wanna be redirected to some crazy site or have 100000 warnings pop up and have to reboot cause my computer froze.

[Shorty]

§lick said
I know html is aloud in the forum but did you disable some of the dangerous code. I don't wanna be redirected to some crazy site or have 100000 warnings pop up and have to reboot cause my computer froze.

Yes :)

[Shorty]

Thanks JD..

We are tremendously fortunate to have tk who is a highly skilled BSD and *NIX guy. Short-Media runs on OpenBSD 3.1 with all patches and security fixes. He is extremely careful on everything he does and our position. Nothing gets past him :)

We are very lucky indeed :)

[danball1976]

I think thats great, having the host do daily backups as well as any backup you've done by yourself as well. Keeps lost information to a minimum

[maxanon]

Do you occasionally test the back-ups?

[Shorty]

maxanon said
Do you occasionally test the back-ups?

We have been using them constantly on our /dev server. The backups are helping us test builds of the frontpage and its integration into the forums (and vice versa) ;)

Everytime the dev server borks on us, its the backups that we are restoring.

[Leonardo]

I am comforted by the backup regimen applied. Thank you VERY much.:)

[primesuspect]

Yeah, so does anyone want to donate a DVD burner so we can complete the backup regimen :) We've got 20gb of backups sitting on my main server and I'm starting to get worried about space :)

[Leonardo]

So, I gather we're looking for a removable mass storage device? What about a USB external hard drive? I'm thinking that maybe we could take up a PayPal collection from the staff. If you think this is tenable, let me know. I'd be happy to make the first donation. I'd also be happy to post a thread in Deal Depot and Trading Post, either soliciting money or parts donations. Heck, it worked for our 20 donated Folding rigs; why not server security hardware?

[TBonZ]

Leonardo said
So, I gather we're looking for a removable mass storage device? What about a USB external hard drive? I'm thinking that maybe we could take up a PayPal collection from the staff. If you think this is tenable, let me know. I'd be happy to make the first donation. I'd also be happy to post a thread in Deal Depot and Trading Post, either soliciting money or parts donations. Heck, it worked for our 20 donated Folding rigs; why not server security hardware?

I pledge my support for this. :)

[Necropolis]

I am sure I can scrape together a few £ to help :thumbsup:

[Leonardo]

PrimeSuspect,

Please let me know what the needs are for secure backup storage, and I'll get to work. I'm thinking the most elegant solution would be an USB external hard drive. I'm sure I can find us a deal, and will start a thread for donations. First though, I need to specific needs.

Let me know.

Please PM or email at lharder@charter.net


LYNN

[Keebler]

I'm in.

[shwaip]

me too...have money burning a hole in my e-pocket (It's a tough condition, I'm having it looked at)

[primesuspect]

The most elegant solution involves a DVD burner. The original idea, which I still want to implement, is to burn the backups to DVD and ship one copy to either Dan or Doug, once a month, so that no matter what, a backup exists in two seperate countries :) I mean, well, you get the idea, having offsite, VERY offsite backups can only be a good thing. So, we archive the backups to DVD monthly, make a copy, keep one copy in a firesafe in our Detroit office, and send one copy to the UK or to Canada for safekeeping.

External HDs don't address one branch of our backup strategy: offsite backup. I want to have backups out of the office. If there's a fire on site, all of our backups are gone. Plus, I have yet to have success with external HDs, either USB2 or FireWire, for reliable backup situations. I don't trust them. Optical is archival, and that's what we're going for.

I think a donation scheme for a DVD burner would be a great idea, I never even thought to compare it to the SMx project, but it's the same thing. I can supply the media, I have a good source, but the burner just needs to be purchased. What do you guys think?

[Thrax]

Or you could ship the backups to me, so in the case of needing them, I've got them sitting three miles away. :)

[Omega65]

primesuspect said
The most elegant solution involves a DVD burner. The original idea, which I still want to implement, is to burn the backups to DVD and ship one copy to either Dan or Doug, once a month, so that no matter what, a backup exists in two seperate countries :)

Officemax has a DVD +R/RW & (DVD -R/RW) on sale this week for $150 AR (2 Rebates $80)

Prime YGPM

[TheSmJ]

I could make a donation, DVD-R or external HDD.

I also think a DVD backup system would be better, as the data is not only much less fragile, but could be (comparatively) cheaply duplicated. Also, the backups (as prime said) could be easily mailed out to other locations at little expense.

[shwaip]

this what we need?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=5&manufactory=1009&Type=Refurbish&sortby=14&order=1

[Thrax]

Shwaip brings up an interesting, but indirect point.

DVD-RAM is better for file archival. I believe the discs are 8GB, and readily available.

[Straight_Man]

The cheapest is to get from PC-Club a hard drive and tray. Two would cost you as much as a DVD. Keep the HD in a HD shipper in an antistat bag,or in the carrier.

If your blade has a IDE connector you could use IDE.

DVDs scratch, HDs from WD in removable trays do not. Business safe woudl be a good idea. Once on tray, if you had two carriers, one in another computer, the other computer could burn to DVD or whatever, and you would be more likely to get more broad use out of a DVD if it were in your business office. I have been doing this kind of thing (the HD part) for over a year, and I burn the copy to CD-RW or CD-R and those go offsite in a fireproof safe with good thermal protection (bank vault medium sized safety deposit box actually). The vault ones rotate, I keep three sets for core stuff and oldest gets pulled when I stick new one in and used fro newest.

Bank vaults are cool that way, they are air cooled and reasonably secure. My Dad the lawyer kept legal stuff like wills in his for years, no deterioration for 20-25 years for things like his passport and his will.

Cheaper, no shipping loss or intercepts either. so look at what you have handy,maybe a burner in another box that could be used or maybe even a USB 2.0 port on the blade and use an external HDD and burn offsite to boot. USB 2.0 kits for IDE HDs are also available and would take less server load to burn than the DVD which makes a server busier and should be faster for a backup when you need a freeze and the server down for backup to get a really good image. Go to year-behind or 2-year behind tech when on a budget.

If the site server box is not Windows (AFAIK it is not) would use HD approach for better compatibility, and HDs in trays look like ordinary HDs to BSD or Linux. Do it that way all the time. SCSI UW kits are a tib more expensive but can be hot-swapped.

Monarch Computer has SCSI UW stuff including blade bays and carriers. Just antistat bag teh whole carrier and if really wanting to protect use foam in a 2-3 gallon cooler around drive-- make it neat bed out of either furniture foam or.

On Telegraph, bout a mile above Tel-12 mall on the rigth as you go north, there was a data warehouse company that provides guards and security and a pure data environment for customers, including some of the banks up in Detroit.

They took over a Bank data repository and built a business just in that. Been a while since was there, one of my brother's weddings a year back, but IFAIK it still is there.

[Leonardo]

Sounds like a winner. Here's what I propose:

1. Someone with the cash available order that DVD burner - that price is too good to pass up. I just can't spend the money right now; $4000 in automobile repairs in the last month! (No kidding.:banghead: ) I'll be happy to make the first donation, though - but I can't afford to wait for rebates right now.

2. I used to run the ICX fund, so I'll start another fund for the DVD-burner, to compensate whomever orders the burner.

3. Within 24 hours I'll start a thread in - please suggest best sub-forum - for donations. I'll link the thread in Deal Depot & Trading Post.

4. Any excess funds will be returned to senders or will be given to the Short-Media Donated Computer fund (what are we calling it these days?). The choice would be the donors.

PLEASE - I NEED AN ADMINISTRATOR's authorization to start this because it will be official, on behalf of the staff as a whole.

Let me know.

Leo

[Thrax]

HDDs spontaneously fail. Their vaccuum seals can crack.

The HDDs suffer from use after repeated access for storage, that can eventually cause them to fail.

HDDs to back the images up are far more expensive than 1.25$ DVD-RAM discs.

Each DVD-RAM disc is 1.25$, holds 8GB. In the price it would take to get one MODERATELY priced SCSI HDD (200$ new), you could get 1.28 TERRABYTES of storage in a DVD-RAM.

I fail to see how the HDD is more secure. HDDs are more prone to failure than optical medias are, and you can store several dozen times more space with optical.

All the pieces of equipment would be handled with exquisite care. I don't see how the DVDs could get scratched with that exquisite care.

[primesuspect]

Leo: Consider this authorization to start :)

Thank you everybody. This site wouldn't exist if it wasn't for all of you. This is truly a team-driven site.

[Leonardo]

OK. Do we have a volunteer to purchase that DVD burner from Office Max? I estimate you'd need about a week and a half before the 'fund' could reimburse you.

Of course, we could wait for the donations to come in. If it were a hard drive we were purchasing, I wouldn't worry, as hard drive super deals come around about every two weeks. I'm not exactly up to speed on DVD drives (pardon the pun).

Leo

[Kwitko]

Leonardo said
Sounds like a winner. Here's what I propose:

1. Someone with the cash available order that DVD burner

Let me talk to the Purchasing Manager at my father's office. She lets me buy things for personal use, so she would order, front the cash, then I will reimburse her when the fund is fully funded with funds. :crazy:

[Necropolis]

TD_Isles said
Leonardo said
Sounds like a winner. Here's what I propose:

1. Someone with the cash available order that DVD burner

Let me talk to the Purchasing Manager at my father's office. She lets me buy things for personal use, so she would order, front the cash, then I will reimburse her when the fund is fully funded with funds. :crazy:

Top man :thumbsup:

[Thrax]

Fund is fully funded with funds - Courtesy of the department of redundancy department. ;D

[Leonardo]

Time to put money where the mouth is. Please contribute. (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2561)

Leo:wave:

[Leonardo]

Money is already moving into the fund! Happy, happy, joy, joy...:D

[Keebler]

/me pictures Leo's avatar singing "Happy happy joy joy"

;D


Glad to hear it. I'll aim to finalize my paypal account tonight (finally) and get in.

[Leonardo]

I've got your receipt waiting. Back to work for me. I'll check back in this evening.


Lynn

[Leonardo]

Rock and roll, friends, rock and roll. Lookin' good. We'll have that off-site backup faster than any of you thought. I'll say this much - we've got one heck of a loyal membership.

Deal Depot & Trading Post thread: (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2561) : "Your generosity is making me emotional. I am humbled. Please keep it coming; we are getting close to the goal. I don't know what exactly the expense will be. As I stated previously, overflow will be returned to the donors whose donations take us over the threshold; or those donations can be applied to the Donated Folding@Home computer project - at donors' discretion."

My respect to the membership - :respect: