DriveSavers, a company well known for providing pricey but valuable options for recovering corrupted or otherwise lost data from a failing or failed hard disk, has begun offering data recovery from P2 media. "P2 cards are considered to be one of the most durable video storage mediums available but, like all removable media, they are inherently susceptible to physical failure and data will inevitably need to be recovered from these devices," said DriveSavers Chief Information Security Officer Michael Hall in a prepared statement. Recovery services start at $1000 for an 8 GB card. HD Studio asked Hall to offer some advice, should the worst happen to your footage.
HD Studio: How does the process of data recovery from P2 compare to recovery from a hard disk? Is it more or less complex?
Michael Hall: It is more complex. Hard drives and P2 cards have different computer interfaces, and P2 cards contain two or more solid state memory chips that work together as a RAID to provide increased storage capacity and faster data transfer rates.
Is it more or less expensive?
It is about the same.
What kind of faults are typical on P2/solid-state drives? Does the entire piece of media fail, or just some small fraction?
It varies. It can be a physical or logical failure. With a logical failure the P2 card is still accessible, but the data set is corrupt or may appear as if the data was erased. With a physical failure, the card is inaccessible. Physical failures can be due to any number of factors. Usually a failed component or memory chip occurs due to mishandling of the card.
If I suspect I've lost important footage from a P2 card, what's important for me to know and do if I want to have the best chance at eventually recovering that data?
Keep the card safe and protected from further damage. If it has been damaged by water, send the card to us in a zip lock bag. Once the corrosion occurs, it makes the recovery much more difficult. If it has been physically destroyed, collect as many of the pieces as possible and send to DriveSavers immediately.
Comments (1) for "60-Second Q&A: DriveSavers on the Potential for Disaster"
1.
As the P2 format continues to grow, Panasonic is happy to see more and more 3rd party businesses also growing. However, we would like this opportunity to clarify two issues.
1. This posting states, “P2 cards are considered to be one of the most durable video storage mediums available but, like all removable media, they are inherently susceptible to physical failure and data will inevitably need to be recovered from these devices.” It is important to note that P2 cards are built on a foundation of high-speed, solid-state SD memory technology. With no moving parts (unlike traditional disk drives), there is very little to fail. However, like with any file-based media, people sometimes accidentally erase their content. Therefore, we always recommend following proper workflow techniques, which include always using the “record inhibit” switch at the side of the P2 card, after you have recorded your content. Also, we always recommend archiving P2 content to two disk drives for short-term workflow needs (editing and redundancy), as well as archiving to LTO or other suitable file-based media for long-term archiving. Actually, it’s important for anyone using any file-based camera to practice proper workflow and archiving (in a similar fashion that you would dub a tape from a master). To assist everyone, we offer workflow resources and papers on the Panasonic P2 HD site - http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/p2-hd/white-papers.asp
2. Regarding possible P2 card water damage, we do NOT recommend putting a P2 card in a zip lock bag. This action, plus the time of transit between the customer and the DriveSavers, as well as potential heating issues in transit (i.e. in trucks and warehouses), is more likely to lead to damage and possible corrosion. Instead, if a card falls into fresh water, it should be dried immediately. If the cards go into salt water, they should be washed off with fresh water immediately and then dried off. In both cases, any excess water should be removed with a towel. Then, they can be dried with a hair dryer on low or under a warm desk lamp. Chances are, they won’t need a data recovery service! For example, last summer, a customer accidentally dropped an HPX3000 into a fresh water lake in Zanzibar. The good news was that all of the P2 media was fine (after drying the cards). We’ve also had instances of ENG crews chasing storms and waves. Again, even in situations where the cards get wet, they’re generally fine, once they’re dried. Sure, we don’t recommend getting your P2 cards wet, but, please note that if you do and follow the above procedures, you are more likely to retain that media.
Steve Cooperman
Product Line Business Manager - P2 Systems
Panasonic
Posted by Steve Cooperman on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 @ 10:07 AM
Post your comments below
