Re: [NTLK] Warning: 20 MB Cards Recently on eBay

From: Laurent Daudelin (nemesys_at_cox.rr.com)
Date: Thu Jan 17 2002 - 23:47:23 EST

on 17/01/02 23:33, Brian at bmcewen_at_mediaone.net wrote:

>> I don't know the answer to your life-cycle question, but typically the only
>> data on a flash card in a routah is the IOS image. Its configuration gets
>> written into on-board NVRAM. It's possible that they may have had core dumps
>> written on them from time to time, but [a] it's really slow and [b] they tend
>> to be bigger than the cards. CSCO's customers don't upgrade router images
>> all
>> that often -- if it works, why mess with it? Additionally, it's quicker for a
>> router in a datacenter to boot off of a server box, and use the image in
>> flash
>> for backup purposes.
>
> This just about echoes the reply I got from my old ISP, cowboy.net- I asked
> how quickly they used up the linear flash in their router.
>
> They said they'd had the same card for 5 years and were only 5% or so into
> it's rated life cycle. I don't know how they kept track.
>
> It is SO nice to have the large capacity storage in one card; I just back
> it up a bit more often, and keep all names/notes on internal. If it goes,
> I have a handful of small cards still.
>
> I feel a little like Woo: messagepads and cards are multiplying at my
> place. But only a LITTLE like Woo has achieved... :)

I have the same strategy, i.e. Keeping all data on the internal and all
packages and other stuff on the card.

However, the Newton internal storage is also some sort of flash RAM, so it
must have a limited life span, isn't it? That's what is worrying me a little
bit, because it would be much harder replacing the Newton internal flash RAM
storage than it is to throw a PCMCIA card away and replacing it with another
one. I have then started wondering if I shouldn't keep all data on the card.
It would certainly make the backup much longer though, with all the other
stuff on the card, and I'm afraid I would make less backup because of the
increase time to back up from the card, as all of you know that it's best to
perform full backups, not incremental ones, due to some bugs in NCU.

So, what others do think about this? Hey Rich? I think that this would be a
good subject for an online poll: do you keep your data in your Newton's
internal or on an external card?

-Laurent. 

-- 
=====================================================================
Laurent Daudelin            <http://home.cox.rr.com/nemesys>
Logiciels Nemesys Software         mailto:nemesys_at_cox.rr.com

code grinder n.: A suit-wearing minion of the sort hired in legion strength
by banks and insurance companies to implement payroll packages in RPG and
other such unspeakable horrors. In its native habitat, the code grinder
often removes the suit jacket to reveal an underplumage consisting of
button-down shirt (starch optional) and a tie. In times of dire stress, the
sleeves (if long) may be rolled up and the tie loosened about half an inch.
It seldom helps. The code grinder's milieu is about as far from hackerdom as
one can get and still touch a computer; the term connotes pity.

-- 
This is the Newtontalk mailinglist - http://www.newtontalk.net
To unsubscribe or manage: visit the above link or
	mailto:newtontalk-request_at_newtontalk.net?Subject=unsubscribe

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Feb 01 2002 - 16:02:42 EST