Re: DISASTER PLAN

[Gerry Snyder <geraldcsnyder@gmail.com>]

A good disaster plan needs to operate on multiple levels, because 
disasters can occur at many levels.

For loss of computer data, by far the most common cause is human error. 
We mess up some of the data in a file, or delete the file completely.

Next most common is hardware failure. Hard disks go out. Other PC 
problems make the data on the disk unavailable.

For both of these, something simple, so it can be done frequently, and 
informal is sufficient. I currently use two techniques. The first is 
emailing myself a copy of the data I am working on as an attachment. My 
files are under 2 MegaBytes in size, so the transfer times are 
acceptable, and like several others, my email service (gmail) archives a 
few GigaBytes, so there is room for many copies of the data. More than 
once I have made an error and not noticed for a while, and had to go 
back a few versions to get correct data.

The second method is from getdropbox ( 
https://www.getdropbox.com/install ). The free version of this service 
allows up to two GigaBytes of storage, gives automatic synching of data 
between your own PC's, and has multiple levels of sharing available.

Both of these methods give off-site data storage, protecting against 
home-wide catastrophes, and the latter (if the data are kept in a shared 
folder and others have been given the URL) begins to protect against 
loss of the person(s) in charge of the data.

When I am in a productive mode I use one or the other of these at least 
once a day.

Please note that I am not saying that these procedures (or other similar 
ones) can or should take the place of the more formal ones being 
discussed. They can't and shouldn't. Both levels are necessary.


Gerry

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