Description
The Department IT staff can provide support for installing backup software from recommended vendors, troubleshooting existing installations, and restoring files from backups
Backup services charged to a UW budget are for professional use only. No personal files (e.g., personal photos, music, video) may be backed up using UW budgets. If the backups contain data generated by more than one federal grant, you must assign the backup charges to all budgets in the appropriate proportions.
Purpose
To facilitate the preservation of data generated by faculty, graduate students, postdocs and staff.
Context
The most valuable component of any computer is the data stored on it. This data is susceptible to damage or loss due to natural disasters, theft, unintentional erasure or hard drive failure. While backing up data is not difficult, automated backups to a geographically remote location is the only reliable strategy that secures data from all possible threats.
The Department does not provide centralized backup services because the cost of maintaining and managing the necessary capacity for remote storage of all Departmental computers is prohibitive. Departmental IT staff will, however, assist with installation, configuration and file recovery if necessary.
Procedure
- Determine which computers and files will be backed up.
- Choose a strategy and vendor (if appropriate) that is appropriate for your needs (see list below).
- If choosing a paid plan, purchase it on an appropriate budget.
- Install the client software and configure it to include the files you want backed up.
- Allow sufficient time for the initial backup (which can take several days - most services back up at a rate of about 4 GB/day).
Strategies:
- Back up to a computer in a another Departmental building.
- Back up to a remote server via a backup service vendor.
For backups to another building on campus:
- Download the free CrashPlan (CP) client and install it on both the source and destination computers.
- Create an IT help ticket and request a static, private IP address for the destination computer. Include the building and room where it will be located.
- Configure CP to back up specific files and folders on the source computer to the IP address of the destination computer.
Preferred vendors of backup services:
Dropbox.com
Capacity: 2 GB
Cost: Free. Additional 50 GB is $10/mo or $99/year.
Limitations: Dropbox folder in a specific user account.
Opt-in model of backup most suited to small number of files.
BackBlaze.com
Capacity: unlimited.
Cost: $5/mo, $50/year, $95/2 years.
Limitations: user account files only; no system files, applications or temporary files. Specific folders can be excluded. Connected drives can be included.
Opt-out model of backup most suited to comprehensive high-volume backups.