In a nutshell, here’s our best advice on next steps:

• iOS 5 will be ready for free download via iTunes next Wednesday, October 12. We strongly recommend you hold off on installing the upgrade until that all the apps you care about are compatible with iOS 5. Once you upgrade, it is impossible to go back to iOS 4. Note that this includes not downloading the upgrade on your iPad and iPod Touch as well.
• The iPhone 4S will hit the stores next Friday, October 14. Again, we strongly recommend that you do not purchase the new iPhone until that all the apps you care about are compatible with iOS 5. iPhone 4S comes pre-installed with iOS 5, therefore downgrading the software is not possible.
• You can check the status of any of your apps on the App Store.  Note that the App should state specifically that it is iOS 5 compatible.  If iOS 5 is not mentioned, you should assume that it is not compatible yet.

As a quick reference, here is the iOS 5 compatibility status of a few apps we know most of our business users have on their iOS devices…

• Daylite Touch = Currently in Beta
• 1Password = No ETA Yet
• SugarSync = No ETA Yet
• DropBox = No ETA Yet
• Evernote = Compatible as of version 4.1.2
• Inrix Traffic = No ETA Yet
• Docs to Go = No ETA Yet
• Good Reader = Currently in Beta

Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information as well as any relevant updates!

A chemical and digital photo lab enlisted our help in updating their existing backup system to make it more cost effective and efficient. They had roughly 20 TB of data spread across several different servers with multiple RAIDs. The backup system was scanning each of the RAIDs and copying any new or modified files and folders across the network to a tape library. There were several issues with this system: 1) they were using up to 10 tapes per week at a cost of roughly $45 per tape (or up to $450/week), 2) when they had a large influx of data, the backup system was too slow to finish the process overnight, therefore it would continue to run during the next business day, which translated to a compromised network and server speed, and 3) to ensure the integrity of the backup system, every three months they would start a new set of tapes; however, this process entailed using a large number of tapes and almost five days to complete, which meant there wasn’t any kind of regular backup for four of those days.¹

The Solution:

First off, we worked with the lab team to determine that there were three distinct kinds of data coming from three different types of clients whose data had three different possible “shelf lives.” The first was very transient, short-lived data from walk-in customers looking to have images or entire rolls of film scanned, usually with some additional photo-retouching needs. The workflow for this kind of data meant it was usually in the lab for less than a week and the customer would not be paying for long-term storage. The second type was from customers bringing in 300GB to 1TB of data from larger-scale photo shoots that needed to be batch processed and possibly color corrected and/or retouched. Storage time for this type could be up to 30 days in the lab. Finally, the last kind of data was from customers paying for the long-term storage of millions of images, thus allowing them to call up and order prints on-demand.

Now understanding the life cycle of the data, we proceeded to design a backup method that specifically treated each of the three different types of data, rather than the existing method of trying to pull all of it through a single network connection to the backup server, and then finally writing it all to expensive tapes. With our new system, far less tape would be consumed and the data would never actually leave the servers, but would instead be backed up by the same server that was hosting it.

To achieve this, we developed new policies for the three data types. The first kind of data, from customers that did not have long-term storage needs, was now backed up to three rotating RAID sets instead of tape. Each set would be used for a week in a rotating pattern of Backup A, Backup B, and Backup C. On the 22^nd day, the system would go back to Backup A and reuse it, thus overwriting the existing backup data. The end result was fully automated data backup for up to 21 days (or 14 days minimum), which is more than enough time, given the nature of the data and its expected life cycle. Additionally, since no tapes needed to be swapped, this cut roughly 50 percent of the overall tape usage.

The second kind of data, from larger photo shoots, was also backed up with rotating A-B-C RAIDs, but because the customers often wanted to go back and revisit this data later, it was also written out to tape at the end of the A-B-C rotation. Again, the vast majority of this was completely automated and the tapes were further reduced by roughly 25 percent.²

The final data set, requiring long-term storage, was handled in a slightly different manner. Because this kind of data was live in the lab for months on end and didn’t change very often, it was critical to ensure it was protected in case of fire, earthquake, etc. Therefore, it needed to be copied to tape and taken off-site on a regular basis. Since the process of scanning such large volumes of data and writing it to tape can take a significant amount of time, a main concern was that the process could not be completed when the lab was closed and could impact workflow the following morning. To avoid a potential issue, we designed a staged backup system where each night—and in only a few hours—the RAIDs containing the live data were synchronized to a matching set of RAIDs.³ We would then have the backup system scan the secondary set of RAIDs and from there, copy the data onto tape. This meant the lab could be working off the primary RAIDs at full speed while the backup system was making a copy of this data from the secondary RAIDs.⁴

The End Result:

Because our new design was far more automated and based primarily on hard drives rather than tape, the lab’s system was now more efficient, more reliable, required far fewer man hours for management, and alleviated the burden on the network and file servers during business hours. In the end, and although an initial significant investment was needed, the data was now being backed up in a manner appropriate for its type, tape consumption was reduced by roughly 75 percent, and the projected cost savings across a four year expected hardware life span resulted in the new system paying for itself in roughly 18 months.

Additional Notes for the Geekishly Inclined

1. They were creating a new set each quarter to ensure that in the event of a large scale restore, they were not trying to restore data spanning hundreds of tapes, which would result in the restore process taking days.

2. This tape library was directly attached to the server hosting this data, ensuring that it could be written to tape during the hours the lab was closed and thus prevent the backup process from impeding the workflow during business hours.

3. We used rsync-based scripts to scan the live data set and sync only the new and changed data to the matching backup RAIDs.

4. In this scenario, we again attached the tape library directly to the server to ensure the highest possible speed when writing it to tape.  The tapes were then taken off-site on a weekly basis.

It works very much like trading in your car: the better the condition and the cleaner the repair record, the more it’ll be worth. I used the site myself recently and discovered that the value will be raised if you still have the power cord or adapter and original restore discs. Another value tip: if you’re turning in your laptop, it also helps to have a working battery.

P.S. Whenever you dispose of a computer, smartphone, or tablet, remember that you need to take some steps to keep your data and privacy safe. Please take a minute to read an older post where we talk about securely erasing your hard drives, or this article from Apple.

Here are all the highlights:

• The units affected are the iMac 21.5-inch and 27-inch; purchased between May 2011 and July 2011
• 1TB Seagate Hard Drive
• Good news: Apple’s hard drive replacement service is valid until July 2012, even if your original warranty has expired and you don’t have AppleCare

If there is any chance your iMac could be at risk, please take a moment to double-check by entering your Mac’s serial number on http://www.apple.com/support/imac-harddrive/.

If you do have an affected hard drive, Apple recommends making an appointment with them for a hard drive replacement as soon as possible. In the interim, make sure your backup system is working each and every day. It’s also very important to ensure you have a complete backup of your files before having your iMac serviced because Apple will be replacing your drive and you want to be absolutely sure you can restore your data when you get back to your office! Creating a Time Machine backup is the easiest way to achieve this and all you will need is: 1) 1TB external USB or FireWire hard drive (preferably one with no existing data on it), and 2) an available USB or FireWire port on your iMac.

We were approached by a start-up that was going to house two companies under one roof.  Their first business was the design and reselling of furniture. A cost analysis of using an outside studio for the marketing photography of their wares lead them to their secondary business plan: building their own in-house photography studio to rent out as a separate profit center when they weren’t utilizing it.

The challenge here was how to establish an efficient workflow when shooting hundreds—sometimes thousands—of photographs within a few hours’ time. Specifically, two factors we had to take into consideration was the size of the studio, which was set up in a 5,000 square foot warehouse with four different sectioned backdrops/rooms, as well as how to keep the Mac Pro workstation close enough to the cameras for the tethered shooting.

The Solution:

We worked with the staff photographers and studio manager to pinpoint eight optimum locations for the Mac Pro workstation, keeping it top of mind that a photographer would need to be able to move freely around the room during a shoot. In order to allow the cameras to capture and write to the drives as quickly as possible (and thus not hinder the photographer and/or the shoot), we had previously decided to configure the Mac Pros with internal hi-speed RAIDs.¹ Additionally, we gave the photo assistants the ability to move the data onto a protected network server and storage during the day, so that should a hard drive die, or a drink get spilled on a computer (yes, we all know that can happen!), that day’s worth of shots would be completely safe.^²

We used reels similar to this one.

The tough part was figuring out how to achieve all of this, given that the photographer wasn’t going to be stationary and that we didn’t want to loose any time to shutting down the system and resetting it again when it was time for the photographer to move to another area of the studio. The resolution? We used heavy-duty mobile carts, outfitted them with brackets to strap down the Mac Pro, used VESA mounts for the displays, and wheels durable enough to accommodate all of the weight.  We also included additional straps to secure extended run UPS battery systems. Since we were brought in during the conception phase, we were able work directly with the contractors when it came time to build the studio to hang heavy-duty power cords and network jacks on retractable pulley systems suspended from the ceiling.^³

This workflow allowed the photo assistants to set up the cart for tethered shooting at any of the eight predetermined locations, with easily accessible power and network connectivity dropped from the ceiling.⁴ When the photographer was ready to move to a new location within the studio, the assistant would simply disconnect from the server, unplug the network and power cords, and roll the cart over to the next desired location. During this process, the computer continued to batch process the images just shot by relying on the UPS battery for power. Once settled in the next space, the assistant would merely pull down the closest power and network jacks, plug back in, and get right back to work.

The End Result:

By creating a hybrid of a mobile, yet fixed workflow, photographers, whether on staff or renting the studio for the day, were provided the best of both worlds. They had the freedom to move around in order to find the best perspective for shooting, but were also able to retain the speed of a gigabit Ethernet network, and the built-in safety of backing up their data, as they continued to work.

Additional Notes for the Geekishly Inclined

1. Specifically, we used hardware RAID cards and stripped 10,000 RPM SATA drives into a RAID 0 configuration. This gave our clients the best possible speed for capturing from their cameras as well as batch processing the RAW files.
2. This was accomplished by scripts that were set up to synchronize the local storage within the Mac Pro shooting station, across the network, and over to a RAID 5 protected and temporary staging location on the file server.  From there it was moved into a digital asset management system.
3. Another protective measure we made to the Mac Pro shooting station was to use FireWire expansion cards. The amount of power that is present in a FireWire buss can actually burn out the ports if it is hot-plugged repeatedly.  By using an expansion card (that costs less than $100), we protected the main motherboard from damage.
4. Solid Core, the kind of network cable used for in-wall runs, was not chosen as it is far too stiff to use in a retractable solution such as this, and the repeated stress would eventually mean the cable would need to be replaced. Therefore, the jacks were mounted to the ceiling and long patch cables—which use stranded core wire and are far more flexible—were used inside the reel. Obviously, due to normal wear and tear over time, the strands inside the patch cord would break. However, this system design meant the patch cords could easily be replaced and the stress on the actual jack in the ceiling was negligible.

One of our clients, a prolific music composer whose work includes scoring several television shows, has compiled a collection of 4 TB worth of millions of small audio files that he and his team regularly pull from. Because of the way Pro Tools and the other software tools in our client’s arsenal work, his entire team needed up-to-date copies of these audio files on their workstations. However, the problem is that this kind of workflow doesn’t allow for the files to be stored on a shared network location such as a NAS or traditional File Server.

At the time we were presented with the issue, our client had been making due with a $100 commercial file-syncing program that he had set it up himself in a few hours.  It did succeed in getting the job done, but not without some major cons.  The main problem was that, due to the millions of small files it had to check, it took almost 14 hours to complete the syncing process (since a sync doesn’t entail copying all of the data each time, but instead checking the entire folder structure for new or modified files and copying only those files). This meant that when he created new clips, and kicked off a sync, his team couldn’t be assured access to them until well into the next business day. His own workstation would be affected as well, since the syncing period tied up a lot of power and speed. To boot, the only way to find out when the sync was complete, was to check the progress on the main composition workstation, which was housed in another room in the studio. Even worse: a sync needed to take place several times a week.

The Solution:

We tackled the problem by writing a custom script that automatically scans the storage folder on the primary composing workstation. The script syncs the new and modified files across the network to a matching folder structure on the other computers.  When the sync is complete, the script double-checks its own work to ensure a 100 percent success rate, and then sends an email to the entire team to confirm that the files have been synced.  Additionally, we set the script to run in the wee hours of the morning, which means that by the time the team arrives to work to start their day, they are now able to hit the ground running.

The best part is that our script is able to tackle this task in about four hours, or in 28 percent of the amount of time it took the commercial tool.  Even better is that by installing the script on the primary workstation, we are simply harnessing the underlying Unix tools that are already part of OS X, therefore our client doesn’t have to worry about ever paying for software upgrades.

The End Result:

In less than a month’s time, we were able to create and implement our custom script, which resulted in helping our client reclaim previously lost hours per week, gain a more predictable workflow via automatic email notification, and increase overall productivity.

Seadra Chagolla
Office Manager
The Growing Place, Ocean Park
www.growingplace.com

We will have more detailed information coming in the near future, so for now we will hit the highlights that we know will affect the majority.  Below we have listed applications in two groups: 1) those that don’t work now, but are reportedly being updated by the developers for compatibility, and 2) those that will not work under Lion, and probably never will, as the developers don’t have any plans to update them.

Applications that don’t have full compatibility at this time:

• Microsoft Office 2011 (coming soon)
• Microsoft Office 2008 (should be coming soon)
• FileMaker Pro 11 (coming soon)
• Daylite (coming very soon)
• FinalDraft 8 (coming soon)
• OmniFocus (coming soon)
• QuickBooks 2011 (coming soon)

Applications that will stop working entirely:

• Quicken Mac 2007 and earlier (look at iBank as a possible replacement)
• QuickBooks 2010 and earlier
• Microsoft Office 2004
• Now Contact & UpToDate
• Some elements of Adobe CS4 and earlier
• Acrobat 9
• Many plugins for After Effects
• Many older Plugins for Scanners
• Older legacy printers
• FileMaker 10 and earlier

If you have questions about a specific application you use, there is a great resource you can check called RoaringApps.com.  Please note that this is a community-driven site, not a commercial one, so in some cases, its information may be lagging a few days behind.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this over the next few weeks and posting periodic updates, so stay tuned.

Cliff Scott
I•8ighty•6ix
www.innovations86.com

John Haskell / Dr. Revenue®
President Dr. Revenue Marketing Clinic
www.drrevenue.com