(OT) archiving as opposed to backing up

[Patrick/VCM SysOp]

> Well, let's see here:  73GB / 5GB at the $9.95 level = about 
> 14 subscriptions = $140 per month so they break even in 3 
> months.  Not bad.

True, but after adding the cost of the processors that manage those drives
(SAN or otherwise), plus networking hardware, a little bandwidth, and a few
headcount to keep it all glued together, it's an impressive achievement.
You have to work hard to keep all that overhead from eroding your margins
quickly.  

> Maybe they're just doing it dirt cheap Google-style: just 
> throw a huge number of cheap hard drives at the problem and 
> use lots of mirroring.  If one fails, throw it out and 
> replace it, then re-mirror.

It would have to be.  I guess the real question is, what's controlling those
drives.  At the scale at which I'm used to buying hardware, I think it
wouldn't play.  Google-scale buying power is my geek wet dream.

One thing seems certain: they oversubscribe.  That alone may be the answer.

Patrick