Ask Slashdot: Protecting Data From a Carrington Event? 386
kactusotp writes "I run a small indie game company, and since source code is kind of our lifeblood, I'm pretty paranoid about backups. Every system has a local copy, servers run from a RAID 5 NAS, we have complete offsite backups, backup to keyrings/mobile phones, and cloud backups in other countries as well. With all the talk about solar flares and other such near-extinction events lately, I've been wondering: is it actually possible to store or protect data in such a way that if such an event occurred, data survives and is recoverable in a useful form? Optical and magnetic media would probably be rendered useless by a large enough solar flare, and storing source code/graphics in paper format would be impractical to recover, so Slashdot, short of building a Faraday cage 100 km below the surface of the Moon, how could you protect data to survive a modern day Carrington event?"
How to stop Carrington events (Score:5, Funny)
how could you protect data to survive a modern day Carrington event?
Ban reruns of Dynasty on TV?
Pray, Mr. Babbage... (Score:5, Funny)
To paraphrase:
On two occasions I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if the surface of the Earth is fried by a solar flare and all computers are rendered inoperable, how can one protect a video game?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a need.
Re:Least of your worries (Score:5, Funny)
The only mechanism I can think of which would case a solar flare to render optical disks unreadable would be radiation damage. A solar flare which delivered that kind of dose would likely wipe out all life on earth so you probably wouldn't be worrying about your backups.
A good sysadmin would worry about backups even after death... :-P
True near-extinction planning. (Score:5, Funny)
So, the big event happens, many people are dead and all computer technology has been wiped out.
How to properly prepare your backups? The trick is to really think about what is the core mission of your company... obviously, you build games now so the company will survive.
So how to ensure the company will survive in the event most customers are dead and computers nearly non-exstant? Quite obviously, it is to be the leaders of the next rise in civilization.
This means ensuring a good supply of arms, and training for each person in the company so that you can arise as the natural leaders from the ashes of civilization.
You should probably also harden the building, and lay in a year of food so the company can sit safe while civilization steadies into a steady state outside. To ensure you can really hold out that long, make sure your company is housed in a large building with a flat roof, that no-one can see from the outside (a 10 foot extension to the walls on the roof may work). Then put enough dirt on the roof that you can grow crops and raise goats/chickens.
As a game company you stand a better chance of ruling civilization than most. You'll have better reflexes, and of course who has thought more about post-apocolyic matters than a modern game developer?
Good luck, and I look forward to living in servitude under your wise rule.
genetically (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Pray, Mr. Babbage... (Score:5, Funny)
I want them to think "Who is this A.S.S. and why was he so great?"
Re:If such an event occurs... (Score:5, Funny)
With their PC's are setup Miles underground
Mom and Dad must have a helluva basement...
Re:Don't panic! (Score:5, Funny)
"For with the destruction of Finland, the source code for 'Angry Birds Rio' has been lost to us. Forever. I ask that you now observe a moment of silence. [chokes back tears]. Perhaps we could have carried on otherwise. Perhaps we could have found the will to carry on. The United States as we knew it would never have survived this catastrophe, but perhaps we could have saved the species, and rebuilt something from the ashes. But not now. With the loss of Angry Birds Rio, all hope has been extinguished. There is simply no reason to carry on living. Even if we could save the species, what would be the point? And so I have decided that, with our remaining resources, the American Government will distribute cyanide capsules to help ease your passing. I will now commit suicide live on camera, to demonstrate to you the proper way to consume the cyanide poison capsule. God have mercy on our souls."
Re:let's see...linux kernel source (Score:5, Funny)
"one-zero-zero-zero-one-zero-one-zero-one-one-zero..."
"Err, what's that mean?"
"I don't know, but my grandfather says it's the phrase you recite to get into Heaven. It has to be exact. He passed it on to my father, who passed it on to me."
"Wow. So what if you don't recite it perfectly?"
"Ack! Don't even say that! I'd get sent to the land of eternal punishment!"
"You mean Hell?"
"No - worse! It's a place Grampa called DotNet!"
Re:Least of your worries (Score:4, Funny)
The only mechanism I can think of which would case a solar flare to render optical disks unreadable would be radiation damage. A solar flare which delivered that kind of dose would likely wipe out all life on earth so you probably wouldn't be worrying about your backups.
Ding ding ding! We have a winner!
Re:Don't panic! (Score:5, Funny)
If you can arrange for 30 days of potable water...
Can't all water be put in pots?
Re:Don't panic! (Score:4, Funny)
It's ok, though, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Gecko!
.
.
(pun intended)
Re:OK, I'll Bite (Score:4, Funny)
Wouldn't it be ironic if the game plot was about a society that degenerated in a post-apocalyptic nightmare after they failed to properly secure their backups?
Re:Don't panic! (Score:4, Funny)
I read this Morgan Freeman's voice and I still have tears streaming down my face I am laughing so hard.
+5 funny indeed.
Re:Don't panic! (Score:4, Funny)
That was awesome but now my discs don't play?