TWL: Backing up VNS
Keith Klemmons wrote
Someone asked if there was a way to automatically back up Nobeltec VNS
files at set intervals. Posted the question over on the Nobeltec support
group.
A suggestion:
Do you have a zip drive?
Iomega has a software utility that will mirror any specified data
directories in real-time when a zip drive is connected. - QuikSync
You can download QuikSync Limited Edition (LE) software from the Iomega
website. If you don't always keep the drive connected you can
optionally synch later.
On my old 486 computer I had a scuzzi card controller which enabled me to have two hard
drives, with one being the mirror of the other.
While it won't protect against viruses it will protect data against a hard drive crash or failure.
We used the same approach for real time SCADA systems where a system failure would be
catastrophic. Would the QuickSync software work with dual hard drives?
Arild
Someone asked if there was a way to automatically back up Nobeltec VNS
files at set intervals. Posted the question over on the Nobeltec support
group.
The official reply from Nobeltec:
There is no automatic way. Your best bet is to use File->Export
periodically and choose the Export All button to save your data to a
text file.
Another suggestion:
Do you have a zip drive?
Iomega has a software utility that will mirror any specified data
directories in real-time when a zip drive is connected. It only supports
Zip, Jaz, Peerless and PocketZip drives. QuikSync software protects
from
data loss caused by disasters such as viruses, power outages, computer
crashes and accidental deletion, by keeping the number of revisions you
specify. Files saved to specified folders on a local hard drive are
automatically copied to a Iomega drive designated as the "sync
location."
You can download QuikSync Limited Edition (LE) software from the Iomega
website. If you don't always keep the drive connected you can
optionally
synch later.
BTW - if you decide to use QuikSync - go to the advanced settings and
exclude program file types you don't want backed up, and set the
schedule to
something other than real-time...or you will probably suffer significant
computer performance loss.
--
Keith
Sex is like air; it's not important unless you aren't getting any --
W.J. Clinton
Last week Keith suggested this
Iomega has a software utility that will mirror any specified data
directories in real-time when a zip drive is connected. It only supports
Zip, Jaz, Peerless and PocketZip drives. QuikSync software protects
from data loss >>>>> snip<<<
You can download QuikSync Limited Edition (LE) software from the Iomega
website.
REPLY
Since I already had a zip drive installed, decided to try this and see.
Appears to work just fine.
Initially set the program to update every time I made a change.
Not good. The zip drive is constantly active.
Although it didn't appear to affect operation I am concerned about wear and tear.
Reconfigured to only update selected file folder once very 15 minute and only those files that
change.
For coastal cruising a ten or fifteen minute interval should be sufficient to keep all but the very
last part of a trip record if you suddenly have a catastrophic failure and the drive crashes.
For longer off shore passages once an hour is more than sufficient.
The file that gets updated the most is the file containing your track plot.
Marks and annotations would only get updated if and when you added something.
The appears to be sufficient flexibility in the program to suit most applications except a real
time flight/trip recorder good right up to the last second before a crash.
If that is what you want I suggest a dedicated package stripped of all extraneous matter and
preferably started from an O/S stored on ROM.
Cheers
Arild