Invisible wrote:
>>>> 1. They want to keep backup tapes (even differentials) forever. (No 
>>>> regulations require this.)
>>>>
>>>
>>> Ask why they want to do this.  You were not in the meeting where they 
>>> decided to do this.  They should be happy to tell you.
>>
>> Include an estimate for the cost of tapes for one year of backups, as 
>> well. Don't forget the cost of storing them securely off-site.
> 

> hundred pounds per year.

You're going to store an entire set of backups on 5 or 10 tapes?  Aren't 
you backing things up every week, or every day?

> Interestingly, I worked out that based on the dimensions of an LTO tape 
> [not sure if this is with or without case] you can store enough takes in 
> 1 m^2 for 360 years of backups. :^}

Only if you fill the tapes. And a cubic meter of media safe storage is 
pretty expensive.

> Neither of these arguments look particularly compelling. It's more the 
> fact that there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO DO THIS that annoys me...

No, but you should (a) ask why they want to do this (as in, "please 
describe for me when you might want to access backups this old, that I 
might work out a way of labeling the tapes to make it easy to find what 
you're looking for") and (b) point out that they do indeed need to 
budget a thousand pounds to buy tapes and storage.

> I just dislike having the backup frequency vary at random, that's all. 
> The idea of keeping hold of these backups is so that we can go back. I'd 
> really hate to say "gee, I can't restore that file because that 
> particular month was a day longer than the others".

See above: "when might you want to go back to these old tapes?" when 
they answer "how should we handle the situation when the month is a day 
longer, and we didn't make a back up that day?"

If you phrase everything as a reasonable question, it's more difficult 
to get upset at the person asking. (Not impossible, mind; see the "shoot 
the messenger" syndrome.)

>>> Be nice, and give constructive feedback.
>>
>> Again, shouldn't be hard. Ask if you can back up the file then use an 
>> automated comparison rather than a visual comparison to make sure it 
>> worked.
> 
> I suggested MD5 hashes or something would be a good idea. I even 
> suggested a procedure for using 'em...

What's wrong with "comp"?  Or just a little program to read two files 
and compare the contents, if that's what they're really worried about?

> That's the amusing part - there *is* a chart in the document! It just 
> doesn't make any *sense*. :-/

Well, ask them to express the chart as a calendar, since you don't 
understand what it means. Or otherwise ask them what you're confused 
about. If there's contradictory information in the chart, come up with 
an example that matches both contradictory elements and ask what the 
answer is, after pointing out that one element in the chart says yes and 
the other says no.

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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