Re: fireproof backups -- MIDRANGE-L

Title: RE: fireproof backups

Dan,

I talked with a friend You need to know who the rating authority is UL or FM ? Will the "Vault" hold the building if it comes in on top of it, or will it be crushed. What is the heat transmission rate of weakest points in the Vault, Cable Entries, HVAC entries, Door, Etc. and how fast will the inside temperature raise. Does the Vault have an Active Two Stage Fire Suppression System. This is important as you will have electronics in the Vault, and you want to be able to EPO and Seal the HVAC in the event of an internal or external situation. Can the Vault be hooked into the general Fire Suppression system, so that a lock down will be automatic. Finally, what is used in the Vault H20 or FM-200 Fire Suppression system.

Lastly, check with the insurance carrier for the business/building, and they should be able to able to help you !!

Jeffrey M. Silberberg
Independent Consultant
CompuDesigns, Inc.
(770) 399-9464

AS SOON AS I KNOW THE ANSWERS
THEY CHANGE THE QUESTIONS

----- Original Message -----

From: Bale, Dan

To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com

Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 1:33 PM

Subject: RE: fireproof backups

Excellent questions. Supposedly the data cable and the power cable are "double sealed" (whatever the heck that means!)

The proposed vault solution is nebulous at best. The 350 Degree/2 Hour rating given for this vault is typically the standard for paper to survive a fire. I asked the vendor how this would protect magnetic media that cannot survive sustained temperatures of over 120 degrees or so. His response was that he believed that was the rating outside of the safe! I'll tell ya, this guy scares me! Even without having to consider surviving a fire, how hot do you think a sealed fireproof vault would get after one week of being powered on constantly and operating backups for 14 - 20 hours before being opened up again the following week to replace the tapes? He replies "Well, there's a fan in the tape unit."

He is taking about 20 seconds in between the time I ask a question and he answers it. (Learning as you go?) He keeps having to go back to the company that actually builds these things to answer my questions. He uses an AOL.COM address for his business email correspondance!

I'm seeing flashing RED danger signs all over the place!

-Dan
Dan Bale says "BAN DALE!"
IT - AS/400
Handleman Company
248-362-4400 Ext. 4952
D.Bale@Handleman.com
Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)

-------------------------- Original Message --------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From:   Neil Palmer [SMTP:neilp@dpslink.com]
Sent:   Monday, June 18, 2001 11:57 PM
To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject:        RE: fireproof backups

And how does the SCSI cable run into the vault to connect the tape drive ?
And when that cable burns won't that allow air and fire through the hole
to burn the contents ?

...Neil

"Bale, Dan" <D.Bale@handleman.com>
Sent by: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
2001/06/18 18:01
Please respond to MIDRANGE-L

        To:     <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
        cc:
        Subject:        RE: fireproof backups

Well, got a little more follow-up on this. Apparently, there is nothing
in or on the vault to cool the contents.
I wonder how hot it would get in there with the vault being sealed for a
week with the tape drive on 24x7 and operating several hours per night?
- Dan
Dan Bale says "BAN DALE!"
IT - AS/400
Handleman Company
248-362-4400 Ext. 4952
D.Bale@Handleman.com
Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)
-------------------------- Original Message --------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From:   Bale, Dan
Sent:   Monday, June 18, 2001 1:05 PM
To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject:        fireproof backups
Time to touch on a "hot" topic around here. Someone up in my
organization has decided that we need to fireproof our remote AS/400
backup units. The idea is to enclose the backup unit in its own
fireproof vault. I imagine that this would also be our answer to secure
the backup media as well. Has anyone done this? Wouldn't these units
have to be cooled in some manner to offset the heat generated by the
tape drive? Below is some information we received from a vendor. Has
anyone had experience with the Mammoth tape drives on the AS/400?
<snip>