Re: Storage of a Save 21 Tape

[Al Mac <macwheel99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

* The nature of the business, and contents of the backups, can impose some 
constraints not for everyone ... let's suppose someone stole the backup 
tape ... is there stuff on there that requires the company to tell the 
whole world you were data breached?
* We do not use encryption.  Plus I have heard tales that if you use 
encryption, and develop bad data associated with when the backup tape drive 
begins to go flakey, forget about being able to recover your data, so when 
we do go to encryption, we will also need to have unencrypted locked up 
on-site, so as to protect both against insider crime and outsider.
* We also are on the economy model of backup safety ... thanks to this 
thread I think I might write up a document "In case of my death, tell my 
landlord that co-workers may enter my home to retrieve off-site backup and 
some other work-related stuff."
* I now live 60 miles from our AS/400 and protect backup tapes from hot 
weather by wrapping them in change of clothing.
* How close is your home & work in terms of risk of same 
disaster?  Remember both natural disasters and man made.
* Perhaps a rotation scheme such that the bank safety deposit box has one 
save-21, with another at home (protecting against different risks)
* Perhaps the backup tape needs to go in a sealed plastic container, that 
will protect it from moisture if the bank vault gets flooded.
* I remember years ago when we used diskette magazines on S/36, carried in 
plastic cases 5 magazines per case 10 diskettes per magazine.  My boss was 
carrying them to the car in winter, slipped fell and discovered that mud 
could be injected into the magazines under high pressure of crash into snow 
bank.  I"m glad it was him & not me, because I often hear about how 
expensive backup media is, but human medical is a bit higher.

-
Al Macintyre  http://www.ryze.com/go/Al9Mac
BPCS/400 Computer Janitor ... see
http://radio.weblogs.com/0107846/stories/2002/11/08/bpcsDocSources.html