>>A client in the resources industry recently asked for a database system that would need to be still running in 30 years time.
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>>My record is only 16 years - that is to say when an old client handed me some 1990 FoxPlus backup diskettes last year I could say I had the same tables STILL RUNNING ON MY LAPTOP (well the son of the son of the son of the son of the original laptop).
>>
>>But seriously, what backup strategies might be employed today (if any!) to have a VFP database or its data still running in 2036?
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>>John Burton
>
>John, I think you need to break the problem down into 5 or 10 year steps. What backup strategy will last 5 years. Then in 5 years be prepared to convert to another format and re-convert and re-backup for the next 5.
>
>And it's not just the format of the backup but also the medium. I remember I had saved some DOS apps to 5.25" diskettes. Amazingly one day I needed some math calculation code from one of those apps. No problem as I had the diskettes safely stored. But no 5.25" diskette drive! It took me scavenging around second hand shops to finally locate a 5.25" diskette drive that actually worked and an old PC to run it on.


I see a market for companies providing the cyber equivalent of bank deposit boxes. You give them your critical data and they guarantee they will give it back to you at some future time -- probably not 30 years in the future, more like 10 years -- in a format that is readily consumable at that time. Right off the bat these companies would be providing off-site data storage, which far too few users do, plus the promise to insulate you against hardware changes. Let's go into business together and do it! <g>