Where there is the will (& funds), a recovery company can find a way.

Thought DriveSavers still had their success stories bit, but not finding it just now. Did find their YouTube channel with some tidbits—

• http://www.youtube.com/user/drivesavers?feature=watch
• Related, http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/company-info/customer-testimonials/
• Also, http://gizmodo.com/388465/charred-hard-drive-from-space-shuttle-columbia-recovered-best-data-rescue-ever

We have a standing DriveSavers contract for encrypted drive recovery. Only needed 2-3 times. Pricy, but hope the backup process gets motivated after such expenditures.

When starting & playing with it, use a VM. We don't want this to happen (https://xkcd.com/349/)—

@scottalanmiller Good bits.

Considering the "storage engineer" role continues to be an emerging one, better barometers do need to exist. If not number, perhaps one with adjective associations—"are you nuts??", "hmm, not bad", "can do that if you don't mind losing everything", etc.

Kind of saying it jokingly, but there is a need.

Is there a RAID failure rate calculator in those links? Been bugging me for a while. Could be a topic of an article to write (& expect hot buttons to be pushed on such).

Quick (& unvetted) search results—

• https://www.memset.com/tools/raid-calculator/
• http://www.raid-calculator.com/
• http://www.servethehome.com/raid-calculator/raid-reliability-calculator-simple-mttdl-model/
• https://www.icc-usa.com/raid-calculator
• http://www.z-a-recovery.com/art-raid-estimator.htm

ZFS tidbit, http://zevo.getgreenbytes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1912

Erg, looks like the class starts " 3rd Quarter 2014"—

• https://www.edx.org/course/linuxfoundationx/linuxfoundationx-lfs101x-introduction-1621
• Also, https://www.edx.org/school/linuxfoundationx
• Cool they have an "audit" option for those unable to fully commit, but want exposure to the material

"Security is not convenience" as the saying goes.

@Dominica Time Machine & Migration Assistant ought be the ticket. Quick links—

• http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/6-easy-steps-to-migrate-your-mac-using-time-machine/
• http://www.macworld.com/article/2066996/how-to-transfer-backups-from-time-machine-to-a-new-mac.html
• http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4500

OS X level wasn't mentioned. OS X 10.5 is very much on its last legs, and 10.6 is close to being unsupported. Generally, am reticent to move a Mac model too many OS X versions away from the one it shipped. Newer OS X levels work better with more RAM. Apple "lies" about max RAM capacity, check MacSales/OWC &/or EveryMac for prospective maximum RAM of the precise model (usually found by cross-checking the serial number).

If the Mac is older, say 3-4 years old ... it may be time to swap out the hard drive for something newer. Just a general tip which has served well over the years. (Newer is also a big bigger and prospectively faster.) If swapping HDDs then Time Machine becomes moot, as that HDD can be dropped in an external enclosure for Migration Assistant to transfer applications, data settings, accounts, et al. After the migration is complete and a break-in period passes (30-90 days according to comfort level), that "old" HDD can be used as a Time Machine HDD (being old & approaching suspect, but not "bad" ).

Caveats which come to mind—

• Ought be the first thing done after wiping the machine and the reboot after the OS install finishes
• New OS X versions have improved Time Machine (e.g., 10.7 or 10.8 multiple Time Machine backup points are possible such as one HDD at home & one HDD at the office)
• Use a HDD enclosure with the best interface possible (FW800 or USB3), mainly as waiting stinks (many GBs will take a while).
• If mixing OS X levels, some old programs may not work (well, yeah, no longer compatible & all that)
• Encryption/Filevault will complicate things (either on TM or the boot HDD)

See >> Simple!!
.
.
.
Believe KatieM has Mac expertise, and has a few tips & tricks to note, of course.

.... and now seeing a buried SW email from SmartDeploy about a 03/04 seminar for their "new beta project 'Serenity'". GG Spencer(sp?) was the sender.

Guessing it is a cloudy version of their product with some InTune-ish features. Not like InTune seems to be getting traction.

Few thoughts—

• Various tutorials, http://www.linux.org/
• http://www.professormesser.com/linux-plus/linux-training-videos/

"Linux" is one piece. Usually there is scripting and getting to know the commands/programs, e.g. rsync. Straightforward project is using VirtualBox to run a Windows 7 VM on the linux distro of choice. Try a trial version of VMware Workstation for Linux to see how it is different than VirtualBox. And so on.

Find Linux magazines and take note to which projects/articles you read rather than skip over. That is an indication of what you want to do &/or know. Not advocating buying these, but let yourself get a gauge of what to fuel your motivation—

• http://www.linuxjournal.com/
• http://www.linuxformat.com/
• https://www.imagineshop.co.uk/bookazines/linux-and-open-source-genius-guide-vol-4.html

Just a few thoughts.

@Dominica Basically, yes. Newer the OS X version the better. Caveat is if the Time Machine backup is encrypted.

If the Mac was reset, why not use Migration Assistant to pull the applications, data, and/or settings? There are caveats to this, notably it ought be the first thing done after such a refresh. Care needs be applied if done later.

@scottalanmiller Hrmm, seeing it as March 17th—
http://www.spiceworks.com/spiceworld/austin/agenda/call-for-speakers/

'Tis still a while before call for speakers ends, no?

@Bill-Kindle said:

....Why do I care, I'm not GA'ing anymore

Great....as the Alaska DOT is going down, we now know who to blame. =:-o

Cisco's "self defending networks" ads from years ago springs to mind. Good to know this is getting more mature, and prospectively withing fiscal reach to obtain. Cisco is a great ecosystem, however they do price in the "princely sum" range.

Microsoft MDT process (via Easy Transfer) can do some of it. Being MS, the transferred bit are MS specific. Stephen Rose had a Springboard series of videos on it (TechEd, too?).

Hands down awesome way is OS X's Migration Assistant transferring Time Machine (or others HDD target) to a fresh machine. It gets all the programs, data, settings, passwords/credentials, and even one's messy desktop. Very slick. Few small caveats, such as Adobe programs need be re-activated (...by design Adobe being Adobe). MSFT really needs take a lesson from Apple's book on that bit.

Wha...? AJ is saying someone else is hyper...

=:-o

At what point is it too much?

Basically, when it prevents other work from getting done. It is not a one-time thing. Rather, needs be continually revised and reviewed. Not to mean at an OCD level, rather a guideline/checklist level and by different people. Fantastic times for documentation reviews are when a person leaves, and when a new person comes on board.

It will take many iterations for I.T. operations to get the right documentation feel for the culture.

"Hit by a bus" stuff is DR/BCP. Typically higher level, and review ought be no less than once a year. Timing can be pre-business peak time, post peak time, post end-of-fiscal-year, or whatever is agreed on .. by senior management (not I.T.) who ultimately ought be the ones checking it out as BCP is their responsibility.

@NetworkNerd Their GG got to you (& a NDA?)? She's been trying to rope me in, however our deployment resource guy bailed. Replacement person isn't up to the same technical chops, and I don't have the bandwidth to tackle the prospect.

@Joyfano Yeah, makes sense.

3 hour time difference for the east coast people, and 2 hours for those around Texas.

Erg, guess I'll need to sign off and hit my TCP/IP book—

• http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321336313

RoguePacket here. In Southern California. Feeling like a minion!