Accident-proof data storage
An accident-protected data storage (Engl. Disaster-proof storage ) has the task of protecting data in an accident from damage or destruction.
General requirements
To protect data storage media from damage or destruction as a result of accidents, various precautions must be taken, depending on the data storage device and the accident scenario to be expected. Usual protective mechanisms protect against fire, water and theft, for example. RAID systems and safes can be used for computer data; accident-proof data storage devices are no substitute for backups .
Layout and function
Accident-proof data storage devices are structured accordingly depending on the accident scenario to be expected and the data to be protected (paper, hard drives, etc.). Magnetic data storage media demagnetize at significantly lower temperatures than paper begins to burn or char. In general, accident-protected data memories are structured in a similar way. A robust outer housing protects against mechanical influences. There is insulating material between the inner and outer housing, which protects against the heat of fire and high accelerations. Finally, the data material to be protected is located in the inner housing. For data storage devices that generate heat during operation, insulation is a problem. If the cooling is poor, the data storage device would overheat and fail prematurely. To avoid this, there are heat transfer mechanisms (in the simplest case and with very little heat development through the insulation directly). Today's hard drives, for example, require efficient cooling in order to be able to work properly. Modern heat transfer concepts mostly use a heat exchanger .
Accident scenarios
Physical
Fall
In the simplest case, the data memory can only be secured against falling. If an external hard drive hits the carpet from a height of one meter, accelerations of around 200 g occur . A standard hard drive can withstand shocks of up to around 60 g during operation and up to 350 g when switched off. For this reason, an external hard drive should stand on the floor and / or be well secured. In the simple case, impact absorption consists of rubber elements or springs, which lengthen the braking distance and thus reduce the maximum acceleration. High-quality braking elements usually consist of a plastic material. An elastic braking element has the disadvantage that the data storage device swings back and forth after a fall. Due to its elastic properties, such a braking element does not have to be removed and replaced after a fall. Plastic braking elements have to be replaced after a fall, but they can absorb significantly more braking energy and quickly bring the data memory to a standstill. In practice, a combination of both braking elements is usually sought. The elastic braking elements absorb weak and the plastic braking elements hard impacts. Hydraulic braking elements also exist.
fire
A big problem for data of all kinds is fire and the problems associated with it, such as temperature increase or corrosive fire gases. The insulation must provide protection against these hazards. The thickness of the insulation varies depending on the level of resistance. The outer housing is partially provided with a fire protection coating, which foams up in the event of a fire and thus provides additional insulation. The insulation should heat up slowly in the event of a fire and cool down quickly after the fire has gone out. Selected material combinations enable this behavior. Materials with a water content are often used for this purpose (e.g. plaster of paris ). The water evaporates during a fire and thus keeps the temperature at around 100 ° C for a long time. Special seals are installed in the gap area so that the hot fire gases cannot penetrate through the door gap. These are either high-temperature seals or seals that foam up at high temperatures and thus close the door gap. Conventional fire protection certifications are not suitable in the area of IT systems, since temperatures / humidity are generated that destroy IT systems.
Laptop in a kiln
Laptop after 60 minutes in the kiln at over 1000 ° C
water
Although most of the data on a data carrier (hard disk, USB stick) can be restored by specialized data recovery companies after water damage, this always means a cost and time disadvantage for the user. For this reason, the accident-proof data storage device should also be protected against water. In the simplest case, the data carrier is such. B. a memory module completely cast in plastic or silicone. Common causes of water damage are, for example, a burst water pipe , flooding or the fire fighting water .
Magnetic and electric fields
This risk is relevant with electronic data carriers and often consists of permanent magnets (e.g. loudspeakers ), (heavy) power cables near the data carrier, electromagnetic radiation or radio transmitters . The data can be erased directly, such as with a hard drive near a strong permanent magnet. Damage to the data can also be triggered indirectly by incorrect behavior (e.g. latch-up effect ) in the electronics if an error condition occurs due to induction. This can be remedied by steel housings and / or a corresponding distance from the source of danger.
vandalism
By vandalism , there is the risk of damage by for the disk arson , mechanical damage ( Hammer , firearms ) or flooding. Data carriers that are easily accessible must be protected against vandalism. A robust outer cover is often sufficient for this.
Electric
Overload
The electronics can be damaged by voltage peaks in the power supply network. This is particularly critical with flash memories (e.g. USB sticks ) as the data can be damaged directly. Magnetically storing data carriers are less at risk from overvoltage, since if there is a sufficient voltage peak, only the electronics fail, but the data is retained. After replacing the electronics, the data are available again, provided that the damaged electronics have not also adversely affected the data. Overvoltage peaks often occur in industrial environments (e.g. large electric motors or electric welding machines ), lightning strikes , defects or poorly designed devices. In the case of massive overvoltage peaks, damage from magnetic or electrical fields is also possible. Intermediate elements in the power supply network such as line filters or overvoltage protection often provide protection against overvoltage .
Power failure
A power failure can damage the data during data transfer . In such a case, the data carrier must be checked for consistency. There is appropriate software for this purpose (e.g. chkdsk , fsck ). A power failure can occur as a result of damage to the power line (e.g. drilling into), strong voltage fluctuations (in this case it is not an actual power failure, but rather a (mostly) brief undervoltage), triggering of an electrical fuse or personal protection device (e.g. E.g. short circuit, earth fault) or removal of the power cable by e.g. B. accidental unplugging. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) offer effective protection against power failure . All relevant devices must be connected to the UPS.
Software engineering
In addition to computer viruses , worms and similar malware , defective or incompatible software can also cause data loss. For example, the wrong hard drive driver can malfunction and damage data. The use of virus scanners , firewalls and the creation of backups are recommended as prevention .
User-related
As a result of incorrect use, data loss through accidental deletion or overwriting or incorrect handling of the data carrier is possible. A remedy for this problem are backups, access control, access authorizations and appropriate training for staff.
Summary
An outsourced backup should exist for security. Whether an accident-proof data memory is necessary must be decided on the basis of the data to be protected.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Source: Samsung Spinpoint series
- ↑ Patent US2007257410 : External shock absorber. Published on August 11, 2007 .
- ↑ Patent JP2002334571 : Shock absorber for storage device, and structure. Released November 22, 2002 .
- ↑ Patent KR102001113103AA
- ↑ Patent US000006182805B1