[NTLUG:Discuss] Large file systems

[Robert Pearson]

On 7/30/06, . Daniel <xdesign at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I have MacOSX machines.  I have Linux (mostly) and I, on occasion, need to
> use Windows XP.
>
> I don't mind having to load a driver file onto Windows boxen as I suspect
> that's what I'll have to do.  But of all the file systems out there, which
> is the most universally readable by WindowsXP, Linux and MacOSX?
>
> The purpose of my query is because I'm trying to decide what format I
> should use on my external backup data drive.

I am changing my reply after re-reading your original mail.
It sounds like your USB/FireWire external backup hard drive is connected
to your Linux box. It could be connected to the Windows or Mac just as
easily and the same solution would apply.
You just need to share this drive out to the other two machines "over the
network". Let the network protocol software like NFS or Samba do the file
format conversion for you.

Mac OSX is easy. OSX supports NFS and Samba and so does Linux.
Windows requires adding Samba and/or NFS (Windows Services for Unix).

This means that to do backups or restores both the Source and Destination
machines must be on.
This means you will not be able to make a CD or DVD on the Linux machine
of the backed up information and use it for restores for Windows and
Mac because the files will be in the Linux file format.

You are absolutely correct. As of this writing there is no file system that can
be written by Linux, Mac and Windows. NTFS can be read by all three but
only written reliably by Windows.

This means your RPO (Recovery Point Objective) for Mac and Windows
would be a working network before you could restore from the Linux disk
drive. This may not be acceptable.

What I try to do with all my machines is segregate the OS, the Apps and the
User Data. Particularly with Windows. This is very easy with Linux. I don't
know about Mac. I then burn a CD of the OS and a separate CD of the Apps.
I leave the User Data on the remote drive.
This allows me to insert the CD and restore the OS quickly.
I can then restore the User Data at my convenience.

If you are into music or video then another whole set of conditions apply.