Clive

Owner and author of Clive's Blog.

Probably the Best Server Backup in the World

/ Technology / ,

Last Christmas we had a real problem recovering a server, following a serious crash. Although we had a series of tape backup, using only the best quality tape, a Sony tape drive and BackupExec, when we came to move the tape drive to a new server to recover the all important data we could not find a driver for the drive. Neither the native drivers or the BackupExec driver would work. The skills of one of my engineers saved the day with the use of a PE type boot CD in the failed server with allowed him to access the one of the raided drives and copy the data to a USB portable hard drive.

So we have been looking for a better solution.

In conjunction with Basic Business Systems (http://www.basic.co.uk/) with now use CA ARCserve D2D for backing up servers, first to NAS devices and then we copy this to either USB protable HDD or across the internet to remote storage. Backing up is fine – but the real strength is its speed of recovery. The Bear Metal Recovery simply speeds up the time to recover a server. It is also practical to test the recovery process and several of our clients who are now using this software are going to have a Disaster Recovery practice – we will go in on a Saturday with a spare black server, turn off the working box and recover ti to the spare using only the D2D files. If it works great, but if we do have any issues we will be able to solve them, whennot under pressure of a real crash.

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GB3LM – Lincoln Cathedral

/ General / ,

The Lincoln Shortwave Club maintain a set of amateur radio repeaters that are located on the highest point of Lincoln Cathedral. It is a good position for the antennas.

Antennas
2E0ZLO and M0TEF
Licoln Cathedral
View from the Top
Licoln Cathedral
View from the Top

It is a great view.

On this day we were undertaking some maintenance on the Cathedral’s internal radio system and we had to go inside the roof section of the high tower. This gave a different view of the bell that chimes on the quarter hours, Great Tom. When it chimes and you are inside the roof it is very loud.

The Bell
Looking down on the bell

 

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Spring Time in Brighouse

/ General

I have been working in Brighouse this week, upgrading a client’s network, reconfiguring Outlook to work from a remote site to an Exchange server, installing NAS storage and setting up terminal services for the reception staff. It has been a rushed job to address some of the limitations the company met when trying to run the factory production via terminal services – I came up with the solution at the end of one week and was there for 6.45am on the Monday to make the changes. Some problems with availability of software and hardware deliveries meant that it was an early finish on Monday, with a stay overnight in Brighouse to complete the job on Tuesday.

I stayed at the Waterfront Lodge in the centre of Brighouse, which is located next to the canal. As the weather was fine I had a good walk up and down the canal which included a visit to “Brighouse Marina”, (I could not find the Geocache hidden at the Marina, too many muggles). I managed to fit the walk in during the sunny break between showers. The canal walk is a real gem, giving a green corridor through the town.

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Pulp Fiction

/ General

It was my Dad who first introduced me to Science Fiction, lending me books he had got from the library – in particular he introduced me to the likes of Robert Heinlein, Edgar Rice Boroughs and EE “Doc” Smith and I developed a taste for the big space opera and pulp fiction sci-fi story.

Today with the internet I consume vast amounts of material, listening to StarShipSofa and Escape Pod and reading stories from a large number of sites including Project Gutenberg where much of the 1930s and 1940s pulp fiction is ending up.

I was looking for a few cover images to add to my Calibre Library when I came across this site – http://www.philsp.com/ – all you ever wanted to know about Pulp Fiction Magazines including a vast collection of covers. Now when I was looking for a book I would always be attracted to book with the exciting laser beam weilding space suited hero and heroine rather then the series all yellow covered book – I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover – but that saying was only thought up by boring do gooders, give me crashing spaceships and dinosaurs any day.

Have a look on the site above there are some real classic covers.

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Caffé 19

/ Business / ,

I have been using a new cafe for business and staff meetings – Caffé 19. Good prices, plenty of choice (including a variety of all day breakfast options) and a warm welcome from the staff.

As the cafe is part of The Lincoln Golf Centre there is plenty of free parking – and it is well located for the A46 and the Lincoln bypass.

The only thing missing is wifi internet access – to solve that Octagon Technology is installing a wifi access point there next week. Buy a coffee (don’t be mean buy a cake or sandwich as well) and Sue, behind the bar, will give you the code.

If you go there mention this post to Sue.

Sorry it is now closed 🙁

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