albatross

IT Tips & Tricks

The Albatross Inspiration: Forget About Fixing Broken Links

27 April 2023

Want your linked data to sail through a migration unharmed? Want your data to be immune to the vagaries of end-users who unwittingly move or rename files and then complain to the IT department when some of their data seems to go missing? Most users simply don’t realize that the links in their files get broken when those files are moved or renamed, so they turn to you — as the IT guru — to resolve the problems they created.

Knowing how to fix broken links is one thing. Knowing how to protect links and prevent missing data in the first place is where it’s at. As a network admin or IT guy, you know that data migrations (or system reorgs or end-user shenanigans) often result in apparently missing data, downtime, and upset end-users that angrily bombard the IT department with complaints.

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If your IT department sometimes feels like the complaints department, you need help!

And finding and fixing broken links to restore the missing data is a time-consuming and expensive task for an already overworked IT department. If you’re looking for a one-stop solution to all of the above, perhaps you’re seeking the software equivalent of the wandering albatross.

Users turn to you — as the IT guru — to resolve the problems that they created.

Making Your Linked Data Impervious

The wandering albatross is the unsung long-distance hero of the skies. What other bird can fly 15,000 miles in a single month? Or perform a 10,000-mile non-stop flight? Or travel 500 to 600 miles without even flapping its wings? Or complete the equivalent of 18 roundtrips to the moon in its lifetime?

Can you think of another bird that can remain airborne for up to five or six years — aside from brief water landings to feed — and only makes landfall every few years to breed? We couldn’t believe it either, so we checked. The wandering albatross has not only mastered the art of remaining airborne almost indefinitely — the true nomadic kings of the skies — but they’ve also mastered the art of sleeping on the fly. (How handy is that?)

But what on earth — or should we say “what in the sky”? — does this remarkable bird with a wingspan of up to 12 feet have to do with your data?

But what on earth — or should we say “what in the sky”? — does this remarkable bird with a wingspan of up to 12 feet have to do with your data?

Well, think about it. Most birds require nesting, flock formation, regular land breaks, a lot of wing flapping, seasonal migrations to seek out more temperate climates, and so forth. In other words, they’re pretty high maintenance. But the wandering albatross?

He’s immune to all of that. He simply sails the skies serenely, inspiring ancient mariners and modern ornithologists alike.

Imagine if your data was as impervious as the albatross. It could silently soar and swoop — and go for years without making landfall — triumphantly held aloft by its massive wings. In other words, you could freely migrate your data pretty much wherever you want without data loss. Those end-users who don’t know any better? They could literally knock themselves out shifting data around and the links in their various files and folders would remain blissfully intact. Result? Zero data loss. Imagine never having to deal with data loss due to broken links ever again.

How To Fix — or Even Better, Prevent — Broken Links

When it comes to broken links, you have two primary options. One, you can wait until after your data migration or system reorg when the proverbial albatross poop has already hit the fan and you’ve got missing data and end-users driving you nuts. At this point, you can deploy LinkFixer Advanced to find and fix all those broken links for you — in their thousands or even millions — instantly restoring the associated missing data. Problem solved.

Migrate your data pretty much wherever you want without data loss.

Option two — and this is the smartest, fastest option — is to install and run LinkFixer Advanced ahead of your data migration so that any links that break during the migration can be automatically repaired, thereby preventing data loss from occurring in the first place. That means no downtime, no frustrating search and repair projects, and no disruption to the organization. Additionally, running LinkFixer Advanced regularly — along with your backups, for example — ensures that any file system restructure, system reorg, or end-user mischief will never produce lost data due to broken links. You’ll forever be free as a bird from that particular nuisance. Problem prevented.

Test Flight, Anyone?

Want to know what it’s like to fly without flapping your wings? Call 727-442-1822 to discuss your situation with a helpful Service Consultant, or visit LinkTek.com for more information or to request a free no-credit-card-required trial.

LinkTek: Why flap when you can soar?

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With LinkFixer Advanced, you’ll never again have to “flap” about your linked data.