topic Re: File Storage solution in General Discussion

File Storage solution

limvo05 — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 05:14:33 GMT

Hello,

I would like to know your thoughts on the file storage solution. For years I've been buying external storage drives to store my photos. While the cost for storage is fairly cheap, I am curious if there are other storage solutions available?

I have heard of cloud storage services such as Amazon, Apple, Google, etc. Have anyone used those and if so, what your experience like? Would you say it's cheaper and move convenience to store photos on the clouds or locally? I once had a drive died on me, luckily I was able to recover all my photos.

Thanks.

Re: File Storage solution

ebiggs1 — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:03:39 GMT

I have five 2TB external HD. My desktop has three 2TB HD internal. I do not use nor do I like cloud. Only active and recent photos are stored on the computers HD, the Z drive is given up to PS/LR and Finale as cache usage.

Re: File Storage solution

wq9nsc — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 11:33:21 GMT

Like Ernie, I am not going to rely upon the cloud for files I want to keep because I have zero control over any company in terms of whether they will stay in business or will do something foolish with lax data security. I keep archive files on duplicate external drives with one offsite, it is inexpensive and not time consuming.

Rodger

Re: File Storage solution

RobertTheFat — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:58:05 GMT

I strongly concur with Ernie and Rodger regarding the cloud. There was a case a few years back, where a well-known cloud service with a good reputation suddenly went broke. Their creditors didn't give the customers time to download their files before they shut down the servers and sold them off. If you must use a cloud service, use it for secondary or tertiary backup only.

But don't imagine that merely having on-site backup drives will save you. I recall another case where a professional photographer was a tenant in a converted factory in the Boston suburbs. He had an enormous inventory of stock photographs carefully backed up, but all the backup media were on-site. One night the building burned down, and he lost everything. A call went out to his previous customers, asking for copies of pictures he had sold them. Sad to watch.

Re: File Storage solution

ebiggs1 — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:47:11 GMT

" Their ~~creditors~~ relatives didn't give ~~the~~ ~~customers~~ anyone time to download their files before they shut down the ~~servers~~ drives and ~~sold~~ trashed them ~~off~~."

Probably where they belong since no one will be willing to go through all this when I am long gone from this world. Easy and fast!

Re: File Storage solution

Waddizzle — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:22:30 GMT

I have used a Microsoft 2008 r2 configured as file server for storing CAD files, which was an upgrade for 2003, and an upgrade from NT4 before that. Adding another couple of drives inside of it for storing photos was easy. It has 8 drive bays.

But, when it came time to pick out a dedicated machine for photo processing, I went with a gaming laptop that was on sale at B&H. It contains an NVidia video board two hard drives, one of which is solid state. It is portable, but I lose my connection to the file server when I am not at home.

So, I bought some Velcro and four 4TB USB drives. I have two drives Velcro onto the rear of the laptop screen. It's perfect for processing photos on the go, and then backing them up when I get home.

Re: File Storage solution

Mitsubishiman — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 03:52:53 GMT

This is more of a budgetary question than technological, drive space has become affordable in multiple options.

I emphatically agree with those that dislike cloud storage, once it is out of your realm there is a risk, and if you ever bother to read the fine print on the agreement there is little protection if they fail.

Strongest advice I can give... It is as important that you have multiple locations for back up.

The one issue I always hear after a house fire is... I can buy everything destroyed, I can not replace the precious photographs (computer or paper)

Scan everything - backup everything - at your house and a location away from it - farther the better

And someone someday will be extremely happy that you did...

Memories don't die but wth time become hazy...

Re: File Storage solution

limvo05 — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 04:24:38 GMT

Thank you all for responding and provided greater suggestions and comments. I think the best solution for me is to store them on my solid-state drives. While the size of the solid-state drive isn't as big as other media types, SSD tends to be more reliable, plus a lot faster to read and write. Just need a good way to manage and catalog them. Thanks.

Re: File Storage solution

ebiggs1 — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 14:13:28 GMT

"Memories don't die but wth time become hazy... "

This is true of special events that are friend or family related but for people like me that has thousands upon thousands of business related photos not so much. I am the one that took them and I do not cherish the thought of going through all of then to see if anyone wanted something.

Re: File Storage solution

limvo05 — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 04:24:43 GMT

Believe it or not, last night my 3TB external drive decided to give up on me. Anyone here have experience with Western Digital USB drive? I've tried using the Mac OS First Aid kit to fix the drive, only to make it worse. It unmounted the drive and now I can't remount it to do anything with it. Dang!

Re: File Storage solution

FloridaDrafter — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 01:06:04 GMT

@limvo05, Give Wondershare Recoverit a try.

Re: File Storage solution

wq9nsc — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 11:57:09 GMT

Is that drive powered via the USB port or does it have an external AC adapter? For an external drive with and AC adapter, suspect the adapter and try another one if possible if you have another of the same type drive. Just checking with a DMM or VOM to read the voltage isn't a good test unless the drive is connected to the adapter because the cheap switching type supplies contained in the adapter will still generally produce rated output when not connected but voltage drops off tremendously under load when capacitors in the supply begin to degrade.

Rodger

Re: File Storage solution

limvo05 — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 14:57:36 GMT

It's the Western Digital My **bleep** USB drive. It plugs directly to the back of the computer, no external power source is needed.

Thanks.

Re: File Storage solution

FloridaDrafter — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 15:13:34 GMT

Rodger, I've had that happen with USB powered externals. I have USB to SATA and USB to IDE devices (just the connector), both powered by AC wall worts, that allowed me to use the HD's from the external storage device, once popped open, and get the data. I have the devices to get files from laptop and desktop HD's that I have kept over the years and to utilize the 1 TB SATA drives removed from laptops for non-essential storage.

Once I popped opened the case on the external USB drives, I could see the damage on the cicuit board. That board is attached to a SATA connector plugged into the external HD (I'm sure you already know this, but it is woth repeating for others that don't). These external USB drives are just regular drives, in brand X cases, with capacitors to boost the USB power to get "spinup".

My point is, I would also suspect the USB powered devices capacitor as well.

-FD

Re: File Storage solution

Mitsubishiman — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 13:53:14 GMT

I have had several and stiil do utilize WD external hard drives, my experience has been the original cable that come with the drives are of lesser quality, I always use a better cable.
I will assume you tried a different one, I have experienced more bad cables than defective hard drives.

Re: File Storage solution

Waddizzle — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:37:38 GMT

@Mitsubishiman wrote:
I have had several and stiil do utilize WD external hard drives, my experience has been the original cable that come with the drives are of lesser quality, I always use a better cable.
I will assume you tried a different one, I have experienced more bad cables than defective hard drives.

I have never had a problem with cables. Probably because I do not move them around much.

These are two 4 TB drives on the rear of my screeen. These are for primary editing.

I have decided to retire the old server before it fails on me. I now have a 24 TB NAS 5-bay drive array for longer term storage. There three 8TB drives installed, and two empties.

Re: File Storage solution

limvo05 — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:50:06 GMT

Nice!

Given the cost of storage is relatively low these days, I think I am going to get a bunch of 1TB SSD drives. I think 1TB drive is better than a larger one because if something happens to it, I would only have to deal with 1TB of backup vs large one. The cost for a 3 or larger SSD drives is still pretty high.

Technically speaking, because there is no moving part in the SSD drive, they should last a lot longer than other type of media storage.

Re: File Storage solution

Waddizzle — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:08:01 GMT

@limvo05 wrote:
Nice!

Given the cost of storage is relatively low these days, I think I am going to get a bunch of 1TB SSD drives. I think 1TB drive is better than a larger one because if something happens to it, I would only have to deal with 1TB of backup vs large one. The cost for a 3 or larger SSD drives is still pretty high.

Technically speaking, because there is no moving part in the SSD drive, they should last a lot longer than other type of media storage.

I have a 1TB SSD built into my laptop, in addition to a conventional 500GB drive for the C: drive.

Those external drives are storage for photo editing. One is primary, and one is an identical backup. I use Microsoft SyncToy to synchronize the data. I download camera files to the internal SSD, and then move them to the editing drive.

BTW, the Velcro is mounted in opposite directions, for lack of a better description. I cannot physically swap them. I also use SyncToy to backup the editing editing drives to NAS device.

Your drive failure reminded me that I forgot about my round tuit. My old server runs Windows Server 2008 R2. I have been meaning to upgrade the hardware ever since Windows Server 2012 came out.