[GTALUG] Portable Backup Drive Compatible with Linux (and Recommended Backup Software)
Steve Petrie, P.Eng.
apetrie at aspetrie.net
Thu Feb 2 11:01:46 EST 2017
Warm Greetings To The GTALUG Community,
Portable Backup Drive -- A deeply interesting subject !!
* * *
* * *
> I would suggest a NAS box just because you can stick it in a corner
> and
> just about everything you will want to backup will connect to the
> network.
> Or even backup over wifi.
Sounds like an interesting idea, but:
-- NAS does come with the complexities of networking;
-- is a NAS box likely to be convenient, for frequent off-site / on-site
cycling of backup media??
>
> I have had mixed luck with USB drives.
> I find they are ok for moving some files around but trying to clone a
> lot of files tends to break some usb->sata chip-sets.
>
Are there any particular usb->sata chip-sets, that you would care to
single out for praise or criticism?
What abou the -- JMicron - JMS561 -- chip-set that is used in the
www.startech.com HDD docking station that I mention below ??
* * *
* * *
Earlier, thanks to some excellent advice I received via the GTALUG email
forum, I bought a 1 TB WD My Passport Ultra portable USB HDD. This
acquisition was done as part of my plan to migrate soon from a very
ancient Dell Windows XP desktop PC to debian Linux running on a brand
new custom-configured desktop PC.
While it was somewhat painful to get the WD portable USB drive working
with Windows XP:
1. the drive comes GPT formatted, which is not a supported partitioning
scheme under XP ( I used NTFS);
2. tricky to get the drive recognized as a partitioned USB device under
XP;
The WD drive works fine. Backups can take a long time (the Dell PC is
USB 2.0, not 3.0), but not longer than I usually sleep in one stretch :)
I'm using backup software SyncBackFree V7.6.28.0 on the Windows XP box,
for mirroring my many NTFS partitions, on to the WD USB HDD.
* * *
* * *
The advice about the WD Elements versus the Passport came too late for
me. But I can assure the forum that, after I looked at the backup
application software that comes with the WD Passport, I chose not to
touch it at all. Seems way to wedded to the world of Microsoft, for my
taste.
I plan to buy two (2) more WD USB drives for backup, and I'll definitely
try to get the Elements model, per GTALUG advice.
* **
* * *
During my research into these portable USB HDDs, I came across several
complaints (Amazon customer experience postings) about failures of the
electrical connectivity of the USB cable / connector. With a portable
USB drive, there can be frequent connector insertion / removal cycles.
It seems that the early USB connector standards are not engineered for
this kind of frequent duty cycle.
By contrast, the USB-C connector standard has been designed to be robust
under conditions of frequent insertion / removal (minimum 10,000
insertion / removal cycles.)
Being concerned also, about reports I read of portable drives
overheating, under conditions of sustained intensive data access, I
looked for a fan-cooled docking station. Found one, that accepts
insertion of an (internal not USB) SATA-bus drive, and that presents it
as a USB drive to the host computer:
-- www.startech.com
-- eSATA USB 3.0 Docking Station 2.5_3.5 Inches SATA 3 UASP Built-In
Fan (SDOCKU33EF)
But on closer inspection, this docking station seemed to have too many
disadvantages:
-- big exposed cooling fan would likely be too noisy;
-- clumsy balancing legs to fold out;
-- high-force mechanical latch mechnanism, likely subjects the HDD to
too much repeaqted mechanical shock;
So, I have designed a simple docking station that:
1.enables low-mechanical-force insertion and removal of the portable
drive, but still keeps it securely in place;
2. Provides an enclosed drive bay with integral cooling fan inside, for
quiet efficient cooling operation;
3. Accepts a USB HDD with a USB-A jack, so no need to provide any
electrical bus contacts at all (e.g. SATA), in the drive bay;
4. Provides a USB-C connector on the outside front of the docking
station enclosure, so a short USB-A-to-USB-C cable connects the HDD,
with the USB-A connector staying permanently plugged to the portable
HDD, while the other end of the cable carries the USB-C conenctor for
reliable frequent connector insertion / temoval via the USB-C jack on
the exterior of the docking station;
5. Provides USB-B and USB-C host-side connectors on the rear panel of
the docking station;
6. Includes a custom-designed and compact, easily-attached retro-fit
"grip" for the portable HDD, the grip eliminates all cable strain on the
USB-A connector, yet is small enough so that the portable HDD, together
with the grip and coiled USB-A-to-USB-C cable, still all easily fit into
a small Canada Post P.O. box at any Postal Outlet. (Although the fine
print in the CP P.O. Box rental contract, specifically excludes box use
for "storage". I have never had any problems with my local Postal
Outlet, over my storing backup media in the box.)
My thinking for this USB HDD docking station design is, once my new
debian Linux PC is operational, to consider developing the docking
station as a saleable product, likely through a crowd-funded
premium-based financing model, where the premium will be a
deeply-discounted early-release model of the docking station.
All good fun !!
Best Regards,
Steve
apetrie at aspetrie.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alvin Starr via talk" <talk at gtalug.org>
To: <talk at gtalug.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2017 4:39 PM
Subject: Re: [GTALUG] Portable Backup Drive Compatible with Linux (and
Recommended Backup Software)
> On 02/01/2017 11:37 AM, Brad Fonseca via talk wrote:
>> Hello!
>>
>> I am in the market for a new portable hard drive in order back up my
>> files on my Linux system (running Mageia 5.1). My requirements are:
>>
>> - Reliable
>> - Portable
>> - Price Under $100
>> - at least 500 GB in size
>> - USB-powered (I don't want to have to deal with plugging it in)
>> - no additional software included (an empty file system without
>> having
>> to immediately reformat the drive if possible)
>> - Fast file transfer and retrieval rates (SSD with USB 3.0?)
>>
>> In addition, I'd like some recommendations regarding good Linux-based
>> back-up software. I've looked at luckyBackup
>> (http://luckybackup.sourceforge.net/) based on some articles I've
>> read
>> but I know this group probably has some well-tested applications they
>> prefer. Ideally, the application will have good documentation and/or
>> an
>> easy-to-use interface.
>>
>> Thanks so much in advance!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>
> I would suggest a NAS box just because you can stick it in a corner
> and
> just about everything you will want to backup will connect to the
> network.
> Or even backup over wifi.
>
> I have had mixed luck with USB drives.
> I find they are ok for moving some files around but trying to clone a
> lot of files tends to break some usb->sata chip-sets.
>
>
> --
> Alvin Starr || voice: (905)513-7688
> Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133
> alvin at netvel.net ||
>
>
> ---
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