[iyonix-support] Re: Harddrive Buying Help

In article <gemini.jcoih101kfh12027c.druck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
   David J. Ruck <druck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> John M Ward <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > In article <45BF24C5.3030001@xxxxxxxxxx>,
> >    John <jwb@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > the limitation is part of the disc drive chip on the iyonix. the
> > > only way it will change for the current motherboards is by using
> > > a separate plugin pci based hard disc controller
> >
> > Ah!  I suspected something of the sort.  Thanks for the info. 
> > Depending on demand, I suppose there might one day be a usable
> > market for an optional add-on of this nature, but it would
> > presumably have to be factory-fitted.  It might be better to wait
> > for the next generation of machine, in which it would (I expect) be
> > thought beneficial to include such a controller.
>
> It would not be really worth it for the Iyonix, the current Filecore
> can only handle up to 256GB in any case, so you might as well put in
> another 128GB drive.

I did -- or, rather, I got castle to do so -- though their one had only
112 GB available, whereas the original one had 114 GB, as do the two
drives in the two-slice RiscPC.  I swapped :4 for :5 and now boot off
the latter, to give a bit more room on the "mirror backup" drive.

> For a machine which can usefully handle larger discs, FireCore will
> need tweaking to support the larger capacity and reduce the minimum
> file size which is building up to silly values again. Although
> FireCore's architecture is reaching its limits, and it may be time to
> replace with an alternative from the FOSS world, and take the
> opportunity to extend the filing system APIs to handle >2GB files and
> image filing systems.

Yes.  I was indeed aware of all of this, and have hopes that one day it
will all be dealt with somehow.  We have a generally very robust filing
system, so there is little intrinsic reason to change to something
completely different; however the systemic limitations you mention do
suggest that this is a bullet that will have to be bitten (or a nettle
to be grasped, or whatever metaphor one favours!) if we are to progress
much further.

> > In my own situation, it is nothing critical: capacity merely limits
> > the number of generations of full backups I can keep -- currently
> > eight generations of all five of my RISC OS computers, so it is
> > hardly a concern yet.  I am just thinking (and planning) ahead...
>
> Backups to the same drive are WORTHLESS! 

Agreed!  That is why I added a second drive to the two-slice RiscPC, and
more recently a "mirror drive" to duplicate it on the Iyonix PC.  I have
storage almost coming out of my ears here.

> You must use a different drive to remove the single point of failure.

Correct.  All my eggs are in several baskets, and I always recommend
others treat their data in the same way.  Of course, I just have to fo
overboard and back-up absolutely everything multiple times, mirroring
that entire structure as well -- but that's me.  Paranoid?  Perhaps...

> Preferably using several removable drives and keeping one off site at
> all times.

That was what I intended to do when I got Castle to install a DVD
writer, at the same time they put in the second drive.  Unfortunately I
have never got this to work, and haven't really had the time to fully
investigate it to the extent that I could put in a useful report.

I am hoping to be able to do so after the elections this coming May,
when my enormous workload should be shared to the degree that I shall be
able to cease working half-way through most nights, as I do at present. 
Therefore it is a case of "watching this space" for the time being.

Meanwhile, I use a CJE-supplied 1 GB "pen" drive to take a copy of all
my most critical data (emails, ward work, main website. deeds of the
house, etc) offsite, in my shirt pocket -- encrypted, just in case...

Okay, I suppose I *am* paranoid!  :-)

-- 
John Ward in Medway, Kent - using RISC OS since 1987
Now using an Iyonix, an A9home, 2 RiscPCs and Virtual-RPC!
Acorn/RISC OS web page: www.john-ward.org.uk/personal/john/computers

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