On my home PC I have 11 years of Quicken records, 5,000 songs, 12,000 e-mails, detailed contact information about 750 people, and every article I've written since 1996. The computer also stores my wedding photos, tax returns, a couple of business plans, copies of leases and hundreds of letters, contracts, invoices and receipts.
My PC is worth, at most, $500. But the information stored on it is worth many, many times that.
That's why the Mirra Personal Server is an excellent insurance policy against losing precious data. This clever gadget, introduced Tuesday, is a Linux-based server that attaches to home or small-office networks and automatically backs up data. And it makes the files available for secure access anywhere through the Net.
The Mirra is a bargain when compared to alternatives. Sure, recording data on CDs is cheap, but it takes a lot of time and patience. (And what's the point of ripping hundreds of music CDs, only to back them up on data CDs?) There are also tape and so-called network storage drives. But these aren't smart devices and they demand technical manhandling. You also can store your files at online data warehouses, but these storage services are expensive – starting at about $20 a month for just 100 MB of data.
The best part about the Mirra is that it's a snap to use. Mirra Inc., based in Mountain View, California, was founded by Tim Bucher, one of the original members of the WebTV engineering team. The same keep-it-simple design philosophy shows up in the Mirra: While it performs the functions of a high-end file server, it literally just plugs in and starts working.
The Mirra comes in two sizes: Model M-80 has an 80 GB capacity and sells for $399, while the M-120 stores 120 GB for $499. There are no additional monthly fees for storage or remote access.
To use the Mirra you need a PC running Windows 2000 or XP, a broadband connection, and a router or a hub. Installation is simple. You install the software client on the PC and connect the Mirra to the home-network router. The only installation hitch I had was that my router has only one Ethernet port, so I had to buy a $40 hub for an extra port to plug the Mirra into.
After that, it was no sweat. The Mirra software on the PC scanned my network and found the server. From there, I told the Mirra to back up the My Documents folder. If you have a lot of files, the initial backup can take several hours, as it did for me, but the process runs in the background and doesn't interrupt work or slow Web access much.
Once the Mirra finishes the initial backup, it continues to monitor the PC for any changes, such as file revisions or additions, and makes automatic backups of anything new. There's nothing to configure or schedule.
In addition, you can retrieve your files online or share them with other people by setting up accounts through Mirra's website. People who want access to your Mirra enter user names and passwords and get files through an optional SSL connection (the same type used for online banking). And you can restrict each user's access to different folders. The company says its website acts only as a firewall to authenticate users and it doesn't store any user files at its facilities, so files remain private.
The only gripe is that the Mirra is bulky and noisy, since it's essentially a modified mini-tower desktop PC. I hope the engineers can shrink it down in future versions. You also may have to buy an Ethernet hub or router, as I did. A Mirra spokeswoman said the company will revise its documentation to point this out to buyers.
Also, if you want an MP3 jukebox with remote access, the Mirra isn't your best bet. But for guarding files and making them accessible wherever you go, the Mirra excels.
