The Limitations of Backups

Over at Worse Than Failure, a reminder that even the best backup strategy sometimes isn’t enough. Can you figure out the weak spot before you follow the link and read the full story?

Over the years, Chris’s employer has come as close to a Perfect Technology Infrastructure as anyone. They hire the best network administrators money can buy and give them whatever resources they need to ensure that the infrastructure remains solid. And that they do.

The company’s backup and retention plan is nothing short of immaculate. Every system they’ve ever purchased — from that old payroll program on the System/360 to that bizarre parts database for OS/2 — can be brought back to life, if not physically than through virtualization. A walk through their “software archive” was a treat for many; new technicians are often astonished to learn, not only of the existence of 8-inch floppy disks, but that the company still has the 8-inch install disks for CP/M. And a drive to run them on.