Genealogy in the Cloud:Distributed Internet Services for

Genealogists

Jordan Jones / S-457NGS 2015 — St. Charles, Missouri

Roadmap• What is Cloud Computing?

• Are You Already Using the Cloud?

• How Can Genealogists Use the Cloud?

• File Sync and Share

• Digital Memory

• Remote Backup

• What Are the Risks?

What is Cloud Computing?

The Cloud

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Definition of the Cloud

The cloud does “not require end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services.”

The Cloud

Previously ...those who wanted to host a website or manage a lot of data had to

• buy servers,

• configure, and

• maintain them, or

• arrange for someone else to do this.

Now …

• A layer of abstraction has been built, allowing

• servers,

• software,

• databases, and

• storage

• to be

• commoditized,

• delivered, and

• maintained,

• in bulk.

The cloud allows people to ...

• Know less and less about the systems they use, and

• get more value for their dollar because

• it “just works” (most of the time) and because

• they don’t need to buy, rent, configure, monitor, and manage as much as they did previously

Aspects of the Cloud

• Application Programmer’s Interfaces (APIs).

• Economies of Scale

• Device and Location Independence

• Scalability

• Reliability

• Hands off, automated maintenance and upgrades

The Cloud Means Device-

Independence

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Are You Already Using the Cloud?

Do You Use?

• Google: Google Docs, Gmail, Picasa, GoogleMaps

• Yahoo: Yahoo, Flickr

• AmericanAncestors.com uses Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Solution) to deliver records images

Do You Use?• FamilySearch.org uses Amazon EC2

(Electronic Compute Cloud) and other Amazon cloud services

• Dynamically add servers during peak load times

• Quickly deliver new versions of the website

• Quickly fall back to previous versions of the website

How Can Genealogists Use

the Cloud?

Genealogical Uses for the Cloud

• File Sync & Share

• Digital Memory

• Remote Backup

File Sync and Share

File Sync & Share • Keep files in sync between multiple

machines

• Windows

• Mac OS

• Linux

• Mobile devices (iOS, Android)

• Share files with others

Google Drive• Both file- and folder-level sharing is available.

• Makes 16 file types viewable in the web browser.

• 30 GB free in Drive / Picasa / Gmail; up to 30 TB paid

• 100 GB, $1.99 / mo. 1 TB, $9.99 / mo.

• Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, iPad, iPhone, Android

Amazon Cloud Drive

• Both file- and folder-level sharing is available.

• 5 GB free, up to unlimited paid

• No storage measured for music purchased from Amazon

• Special photo and music apps

• Mac, Windows, Android, iPad, iPhone

• Unlimited for $59.99 / year

Microsoft OneDrive

• Both file- and folder-level sharing is available.

• 15 GB free, up to 1 TB paid

• Remote file access on Windows 7 OS

• Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Xbox

• $6.99 / mo for 1 TB (included Office 365)

Dropbox• Syncs with any selected folders on your hard drive

• Automatically keeps the Dropbox folder synced to the cloud and then down to your configured systems

• Specialized app for automated photo sync and viewing (Carousel)

• 2 GB free; up to 1 TB in paid accounts

• Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android

• $9.99 / month for 1TB

Apple iCloud • Both file- and folder-level sharing is available.

• 5 GB free, up to 50 GB paid

• No storage measured for media purchased from Apple

• Remote file access on Mac OS

• Mac, iPad, iPhone

Box

• Both file- and folder-level sharing is available.

• 10 GB free, up to 50 GB paid

• Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone

ComparisonFree GB Max GB

File and Folder Share

Platforms

Dropbox 2 100 YWindows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android

Amazon Cloud Drive

5 Unlimited YWindows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android (Amazon)

Apple iCloud 5 50 N Mac, iPad, iPhone, web

Box 10 100 YWindows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone

Microsoft OneDrive

15 1000 YWindows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Xbox

Google Drive

30 1000 YWindows, Mac, ChromeOS, iPad, iPhone, Android

Digital Memory

Google Keep

• Platform: Web, Android

• Price: Free

• Features:

• Stores a specific subset of files and sizes.

• Exceptionally quick note and reminder jotting.

Google Keep• Mainly for Notes and Reminders • Limits attachments to JPG, PNG, GIF of less

than 10 MB and 25 megapixels• For genealogists, can be a great place to

put research plans and notes• Excellent reminder system (location- as

well as time-based reminders)

Google Keep

Google Keep• Because of format limitations on

attachments, Google Keep is of limited utility for genealogists

• It’s powerful as a quick note engine and reminder tool.

• On the security front, remember that Google uses every shred of data you give it to understand you and market to you.

Microsoft OneNote

• Main competitor to Evernote• Allows multiple file types• Has a unique folder and tab view

organization• Supported on Windows and Mac OS• No tagging

Microsoft OneNote

Digital Memory• Store multimedia

(digital audio, video, images, text, files)

• Can replace “taking notes”

• Annotation

• Tagging

• Privacy

• Quick and easy

• Access

• Platform ubiquity

• Web clipping

• Tasks and reminders

• Social media

Digital Memory for Genealogists

• Capture information where you are • courthouse• cemetery• interviewing family

• Quickly store that information

• Share over social media

• Keep information private

Digital Memory for Genealogists

• Access information on multiple machines

• Replace paper notes

• Research Plan

• Research Log

• Records

Evernote• Platform: Android, iPad, iPhone, Windows

Phone 7

• Price: Free; plus, $25 / year; premium, $50 / year

• Features:

• It stores all kinds of files, and allows you to organize them with folders and tags, from your desktop or mobile environment, and then access any note wherever you happen to be.

• Optical Character Recognition for images, (and for PDFs for premium accounts).

Evernote (Notebooks)

Evernote (Tags)

Evernote (Tags)

The Tag Organizer

Surname Tags

Surname

Lubuibratich

Lutz

Magann

Milkvoch

etc.

Evernote (Media)

Evernote

Evernote

Evernote

Recommendation• Evernote is my recommended choice. • Evernote has a robust API and many

development partners• Microsoft OneNote has a compelling

organizational scheme; if you favor Microsoft products, it’s an excellent choice

• Google Keep does not allow for enough file types to be competitive with the others, but for quick notes and reminders, it’s a good choice

A Workflow for Research using

EvernotePutting it All Together

1. Research Plan

Create research plan notes (what are you trying to find, confirm, or rule out). 

I list as much information as necessary, including links to other research notes, or record notes, and information about the repository. If there in an online search tool for a repository, I might look up and note microfilm numbers.

I store this plan note in a folder I call “0 - Research Plans.” I tag the note with the repository or database where I will be conducting the search, as well as surnames, personal names, and record types that may help me find the note later.

2. Update Research Plan

I update the research plan note as I am actually conducting the search, noting anything about the research itself.

This will be my research note, but not the record note.

3. Create Record Notes

I tag the record note as appropriate with:

surname, 

individual name (if I am focused on this individual)

historical location, 

record type, and other relevant tags

3. Create Record NotesThen title the note with the format 

“date - person - record type - place - identifier” 

such as 

“1968-02-05 - Hill, Mary Jane - Death Certificate - Nebraska - 69-02358” 

I file the record note into a folder for the record type. 

4. File Research Plan with Research Logs

I make any final notes on the research note, then move it from the “0 - Research Plans”  to the “1 - Research Log” folder. 

I do this even if I have a negative search, to remind myself that I did conduct such a search, and the circumstances of the search.

Remote Backup

Not Just Backup ... Remote Backup

• If you backup your data only locally, a local disaster could destroy both your computer and your backup

• Recommendation: Backup BOTH locally and to the cloud

The Difference between Sync & Share and Backup

• Sync and share is keeps data automatically in sync. Backups may be available, but usually only last 30 days.

• Sync and share usually syncs a subset of your data.

• Backup is designed to keep every file as it existed at a point in time, a snapshot, and allow for better complete system recovery.

Cloud Backup Options• Carbonite http://www.carbonite.com — Had been

Windows only.

• CrashPlan http://www.crashplan.com/ — My current favorite. Reasonably priced unlimited backup, plus “build-your-own-cloud” backup to friends’ computers.

• BackBlaze http://www.backblaze.com/ — The most economical solution, especially if you have one or two computers to backup. Provides a find-my-computer feature.

Carbonite

• Automatic, easy-to-install backup

• Unlimited storage

• Backs up specific folders

• $59 / year

• Native Windows, Mac applications; mobile apps for sync and share

BackBlaze

• One of the most economical at $50 a year.

• Popular set-it-and-forget it program.

• Backs up connected USB drives.

• Backs up the entire system, including programs.

• Windows and Mac native clients.

CrashPlan

• The software (Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris) is free

• Backup to a friend’s computer over the Internet - free

• Backup your own computers - again, free

• Backup to an attached drive - you guessed it, free

CrashPlan

• Java-based Desktop application leaves a lot to be desired

• Backup to CrashPlan servers, or other cloud-based servers, such as Amazon Web Services — starting at $25 / year

• Family Plan (2-10 computers) — starting at $108 / year

CrashPlan - Shared Backups

What Are the Risks?

Privacy and Security• There can be privacy concerns with Dropbox,

Evernote, and others

• Encryption in flight (TLS, HTTPS) — protects data while it’s moving to the cloud

• Encryption at rest (128 Bit or higher) — protects data while it’s stored in the cloud

• For encryption at rest, the owner of the encryption key controls the access

Privacy and Security• With revelations about the NSA, as well as the

widespread use of unlocking data under court order or police request, even your encrypted data is only as secure as the ownership of the encryption key.

• SpiderOak provides encrypted backup where you own the encryption key. (Note, this does not work if you use their mobile apps or file sync and share capabilities.)

Resiliency

• Nothing in life (or on the Internet) is guaranteed

• Servers can go down, even with planned redundancy and resilience, as we saw with Amazon Web Services in the last couple of weeks

• Dozens of cloud-based websites rely on a small number of major cloud players (Amazon, RackSpace)

Recommendations

• Balance ease-of-use with privacy and security

• Not all files need the highest privacy and security

• Mitigate risks of cloud failures with local backups and syncing

• Do not confuse file sync with file backup.

Recommendations• We are much more likely to lose files because we

did not back them up than due to a remote backup service failure.

• We are much more likely to undergo a catastrophic failure of a personal hard drive than that a cloud service will fail.

• Cloud service will be more likely to have a working backup than we will.

Recommendations• If you are concerned about privacy, and your

chosen you cloud environment does not provide encryption for which you own the key, you can encrypt your data before sending it to the cloud to backup or share.

• In terms of managing risk, using the cloud is preferable to not using it. But the cloud is not a panacea; it should be part of a suite of tools at your disposal.

Thank YouThese slides will be available at:

www.genealogymedia.com/talks/