Yet Another Backup to DVD Question

June 3, 2008 5:38 PM

I need software that backs up my pictures to archival DVDs. It must do incremental backups, allow me to access the pictures without special software, allow me to set the DVD recording speed (so my archival DVDs don't get destroyed). What app meets all three seemingly simple but yet mutually exclusive criteria?

To help, know that I've tried:

* Picasa: This is closest to what I want, but I can't find a way to control DVD speed
* Backup4All: The backup is stored in a spanned zip so practically, I need the software to restore the pictures.
* Acronis: Won't let me record to DVD
* Comodo: Doesn't span DVDs automatically
* Syncback: Doesn't span DVDs automatically


With all of the options out available, I can't believe that what I need doesn't exist.

Thanks.

posted by roofone to computers & internet (7 comments total)

It might help if we know what operating system you're using. Also, how do you plan on doing incremental backups to a write-once medium?
posted by bizwank at 6:35 PM on June 3

Ah, sorry. I'm on Windows. But can also have a linux box I can use if I need to.

As for your second question, the next increment goes on a new disc. The important part of increments is that the backup program either knows or can find out what's been backedup before, and only increments the backup with all the new stuff. Neat trick, huh?

Picasa does it this way.
posted by roofone at 7:40 PM on June 3

Well it must keep a log of what's been written previously, unless you have a DVD jukebox and it can check all the existing data before choosing what to write anew. Sounds like you'll end up with lots of discs with empty space on them that way. So what happens when you change your file/folder structure or add pictures to a pre-existing folder or edit some images? You can't delete the old copies from the DVDs, so you'll end up with different versions of the same file and lots of multiple copies, wasting even more DVDs and requiring more work on your part to later view or restore the images. Have you looked into using tape or a RAID instead of DVDs for your backups? That's kinda what they're made for, tape especially.
posted by bizwank at 7:47 PM on June 3

I'm pretty sure Bacula can do this, but the setup wtill be a massive pain. Have you browsed through the Freshmeat listing for backup software?
posted by PueExMachina at 8:51 PM on June 3

I skimmed through the first few pages and found scdbackup:

# breaks the 650 MB / 4.7 GB limits (more than one CD / DVD )
# Information script on each media tells where a certain file may be found
# Collision test with renaming avoids aborting of mkisofs
# Interrupted backups can be resumed at the start of the failed piece
# Verification of resulting media by MD5 checksums
# Optional high redundancy backups with several media copies
# Incremental backups with an arbitrary number of levels
# Restore utility searches most recent backuped file versions
posted by PueExMachina at 9:01 PM on June 3

Bizwank, I appreciate the time you've spent thinking through the constraints to backing up to DVD, but you're not actually helping to answer my question.

Know that Picasa provides incremental backups to DVD (it maintains a database, you can but wouldn't want to use it for backing up a single picture, I don't know how well it handles directory changes). Sadly however, I can't control the write speed, and my DVDs end up ruined.

> Have you looked into using tape or a RAID instead of DVDs for your backups?

RAID (except striping) provides availability, not backups; to assume otherwise is dangerous.
Using tape would be more expensive and unwieldy then DVDs (or just an external hard drive).

Again, thanks, but I've thought through my requirements pretty carefully.
posted by roofone at 8:28 AM on June 4

Just a note for posterity on my final solution. I ended up using windows and Picasa (which satisfied all of my requirements except being able to control my recording speed). I use the Plex Tools program to limit the speed of my Plextor DVD drive to 4X while I record.

It's a bit cumbersome as I need to run two programs to back up my pictures, but I don't do it too often, and the features of Picasa make it worth it.
posted by roofone at 9:43 AM on July 24