Tips for selecting Hard Drives for use in a SCSI/SATA RAID Configuration

Tips for selecting Hard Drives for use in a SCSI/SATA RAID ConfigurationMost SCSI and SATA RAID controllers will accept different kinds of hard drives. The hard drives should match in capacity points and rotational (RPM) speed. At best, all drives in an array will be identical–at the same firmware revision level.

RAID can be used with any size hard drive. The smallest capacity drive will determine the largest logical volume size for all drives in the array.

Whenever possible, select drives from an approved vendor drive compatibility list. This ensures that the hard drive is tested, and should function reliably with your SCSI or SATA RAID controller. Untested configurations can possibly work as well. But for best results, select only tested and compatible drives for your SCSI or SATA RAID controller. Most SCSI or SATA controller vendors publish a hard drive compatibility matrix on their web site.

Looking for legacy hard drives? CUE Technologies Inc

Pricewatch.com is a service to allow retailers to advertise their prices in real time, for locating and supplying most any type and brand of computer product, including hard-to-find items.

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Troubleshooting – What is the proper way of debugging a slow Windows installation?

You know the drill – you’ve been asked to check why your cousin’s computer is running slow. I was right there yesterday. Being a Mac user since 2007 I haven’t really dug deep in Windows internals in the past five years. Googling for answers reveals many, many different answers: broken registry, spyware, antivirus program, fragmented…

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EnCase Computer Forensics Training for Beginners

EnCase,Computer Forensics TrainingGuidance Software is recognized globally as a world leader in Digital Forensics, Cyber Security, and E-Discovery solutions. Their services include incident response, computer forensics, litigation support, and experts with hands-on experience in digital investigation. Each year they train over 6,000 corporate, law enforcement, and government professionals in digital forensics, e-discovery, security, and incident response.

This hands-on forensics training course involves practical exercises and real-life simulations in the use of EnCaseĀ® Forensic version 7 (EnCase v7). The class provides participants with an understanding of the proper handling of digital evidence from the initial seizure of the computer/media to acquisition, including the use of FastBlocĀ® SE and LinEn. Instruction then progresses to the analysis of the data. It concludes with archiving and validating the data. Delivery method: Group-Live. NASBA defined level: basic.

Students attending this forensics training course will learn:

  • The EnCase v7 computer forensic methodology
  • What constitutes digital evidence and how computers work
  • Basic structures of the FAT and NT file systems
  • How to create a case and how to preview and acquire media
  • How to conduct raw and index searches
  • How to analyze file signatures and view files
  • How to conduct hash analysis and import hash sets
  • How to prepare reports, using templates provided with EnCase v7
  • How to restore evidence
  • How to archive files and data created through the analysis process
  • The proper techniques for handling and preserving evidence

Level: Introductory
Prerequlslte: Basic computer skills. Advance preparation for this course is not required.
Tuition: $2,495.00 USD per student.

Note: This training course is intended for IT security professionals, litigation support and forensic investigators Participants may have minimal computer skills and may be new to the field of computer forensics.

Details: http://www.guidancesoftware.com/computer-forensics-training-encase1.htm

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USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or FireWire – What is the recommended solution for data storage?

1. What is USB 2.0?

USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Firewire USB 2.0 is the industry standard peripheral connection type for most x86 computers (Windows based). This specification is rated with maximum transfer rate of 480Mb/s (60MB/s). Sustained transfer rate of USB 2.0 depends on many factors including type of device in use, data being transferred, and speed of the computer system. A normal sustained data transfer rate for USB 2.0 ranges from 10-30 MB/s. Only burst data transfers can reach the 480Mb/s rate.

What are the benefits of USB 2.0?

  • USB 2.0 is “hot swappable,” eliminating the need to reboot or restart your computer when attaching a device.
  • There’s no need for terminators, memory addresses or ID numbers with USB devices.
  • Various sorts of devices can plug into a USB port: external hard drives, digital cameras, printers, Zip drives, SuperDisk drives, floppy drives, mice, keyboards, etc.

2. What is USB 3.0?

USB 3.0 is the replacement connection type for USB 2.0. This specification is rated with maximum transfer rate of 4Gb/s. Sustained transfer rate of USB 3.0 depends on many factors including type of device in use, data being transferred, and speed of the computer system. Sustained transfer rates can reach speeds of 3.2 Gbit/s.

What are the benefits of USB 3.0?

  • USB 3.0 is “hot swappable,” eliminating the need to reboot or restart your computer when attaching a device.
  • There’s no need for terminators, memory addresses or ID numbers with USB devices.
  • Various sorts of devices can plug into a USB port: external hard drives, digital cameras, printers, Zip drives, SuperDisk drives, floppy drives, mice, keyboards, etc.
  • USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports, and USB 2.0 devices will work on a USB 3.0 port (both at USB 2.0 speeds)

3. What is FireWire?

FireWire is a high-performance connection standard for personal computers and consumer electronics. Originally developed for Apple computers, this connection has been implemented by x86 computers for some time now. FireWire can move large amounts of data between computers and peripheral devices at transfer rates of up to 400 Mb/s (50 MB/s). A new FireWire specification, FireWire 800 (or FireWire B) has entered the computer market with transfer rates of up to 800 Mb/s (100MB/s).

What are the benefits of FireWire?

  • FireWire is “hot swappable,” eliminating the need to reboot or restart your computer when attaching a device.
  • There is no need for terminators, memory addresses of ID numbers with FireWire devices.
  • Though USB 2.0 is rated at a higher throughput speed (480Mb/s related to FireWire’s 400Mb/s), FireWire delivers faster performance for sustained transfer rates on external hard drives. This is because FireWire has lower overhead (less instructions that the CPU has to interpret related to USB 2.0).

Which connection type is better? USB 2.0, USB 3.0 or FireWire?

  • If you plan on transferring large amounts of data often, then USB 3.0 would be the best connection type for you.
  • If you are doing Audio/Video or are on a Mac, than FireWire would be a good choice as many of these programs recommend FireWire over USB 2.0, and Apple currently does not support USB 3.0.
  • If you want the versatility of connecting the hard drive to many different computer systems quickly and easily, and transfer rates are not that important, then USB 2.0 would be the ideal because it is compatible with both PCs and Macs, and most computers today still have USB 2.0 ports.
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