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Hard disks are rated with a MTBF (mean time between failure) which is typically around 300,000 hours. However, these are projections and don't predict when individual drives will fail. Unless you are using a RAID system with hot-swappable drives and have a tape backup system and an IT department that can manage these systems, I wouldn't rely on hard disks as a sole or primary method of archiving anything. There is an explanation of MTBF at http://www.hardwaregroup.com/faq/gen_mtbf.htm David At 11:31 PM 4/24/2003 -0400, you wrote: >Hi, > >I am about to archive some shows I am working on, and this LACIE >Firewire 120 GB drive looks awfully appealing at $400 CND. I hate CDs >and don't trust their reliability - even the Gold ones. OK...I admit I >am the stone tablet type, so given that, and keeping that in >mind...What's the scoop on hard drives? I know a number of places, >including the National Library of Canada, are archiving to HD and at >least getting rid of the pesky CD. > >I assume these drives need to be exercised: at what interval? > >Are some kinds of drives considered more reliable than others? >(FW/SCSI/EIDE) > >What's the scoop on Magneto Optical and [the apparently upcoming] Ultra >Density Optical? I've heard over the years MO is the most reliable of >backup media, but expensive. Perhaps things have changed? > >Thanks, and best regards, > >Alyssa. >___________ >Alyssa Ryvers >www.musicnorth.com David Seubert, Curator Performing Arts Collection Davidson Library Special Collections University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (805) 893-5444 Fax (805) 893-5749 mailto:[log in to unmask] http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/pa/