I've talked about how much I despise cloud computing, something that several people call the future of computing. Though I admit that this will more than likely be a trend for some time eventually people will realize that to truly have safe data they must have control over it. So to tell you where I think we are going I will tell you about my current setup.
I have a very powerful "server":
Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 3.0GHz 64bit (Quad Core)
RAM: 8GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 2x 500GB SATA3 in RAID1
Video Card: ATI 512MB HDMI Graphics
Media Drives: DVD DL DR, DVD-ROM, 9-in-one Card Reader
Operating System: 64bit Debian Linux
Now to break that down. My computer has a quad core processor, basically it has 4 brains. Which means it can do several tasks at once and along with its excessive RAM there is never a wait for the computer to do anything.
Also there are 2 hard drives in the unit that are raided, this means that there is a constant copy of everything on the computer across two drives. When a change is made it is made on both drives simultaneously. This protects against data loss from 99% of issues that cause data loss. And to protect against the unforeseen catastrophic event that may destroy the entire computer I have an external drive. Backups are performed on a regular basis and this drive is stored at a trusted friends house in a firesafe.
So my computer is fast and there is no worry of data... but what makes it the computer of the future?
I am running Linux. Many people have no idea what this is. Instead of Windows or Mac OS, I have Linux. An Open Source fully customizable Operating System. By design it is nearly impossible to get a virus or have other access your personal information. It is secure, fast and smart.
But then what about all your programs that wont run on Linux?!
It's called a virtual machine. Within Linux I can decide to open up Windows XP, Windows 7 or Mac OSX. The operating system then shares resources with the virtual operating system without any noticeable lag. This insures that my computer is 100% compatible with any software written for any operating system.
And with the ability to share folders and drives no information is stored within the virtual machine so if OS corruption is encountered all that has to be done is a restore of an old image or just a re-image.
Also with the ability to share files across my network I can have several "stations" that can access the information and make changes without having to store the information locally. It's like cloud computing but within your own network, completely under your control.
Imagine only having to worry about data on one PC? Data that is always backed up so you don't have to worry about the end user. It feels good.
Now you may be thinking this is a very costly setup. Not really. There is about $900 in parts and about 4 hours or labor for setup and configuration. A small price to pay for peace of mind.
Thanks,
Chris Dickerson
Owner / Lead Technician
Open Source Technologies
http://www.OSTechGA.com
(678) 372-9470
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