New offsite backup server!

[misfitmatt87]

Did Linus mention what O/S he will be running on this? Did I miss it?

[emptysands]

What's the software side of this? How you plan to manage the transfer?

[Sober2ndThought]

Here my question, isn't Kamloops a bit to close to Metro Vancouver for a back up server? 

 

The whole purpose of an offsite backup server is that in the event something were to happen, such as a large natural disaster, you can have an offsite backup solution located far away where the data is still safe. But Kamloops is only 4 hours away from Metro Vancouver. 

 

An earthquake which hits Metro Vancouver could easily impact the Kamloops region. Consider the overdue Cascadia Earthquake, the shaking from that will likely have impacts in the interior of the BC and definitely will be felt in Kamloops. 

 

The second one is the impact of a solar storm. This might seem unlikely but consider that Canada is at a very high degree of latitude and the Earth's Magnetic is more susceptible as it gets closer and closer to the poles.  Then consider this, if a solar flare were to hit anywhere between the lower mainland and interior of BC it could easily knock out power, create power surges or even an EMP wave which could destroy hard equipment located both in Metro Vancouver and in Kamloops.

 

If this sounds impossible consider something very similar happened in Quebec in 1989 which caused massive power outages right along the St. Lawrence in a radius much bigger than the one between Kamloops and Metro Vancouver. 

 

Wouldn't it not be better to relocate the server some where in Alberta, ideally like Calgary or Edmonton where there are direct and regular hourly flights (lasting only an hour), providing the added benefit of accessibility? Especially considering Telus (the ISP hosting the server) also has significant data centres in Alberta.