These pages are for all LHS Staff, and are intended to give an overview of the backup system and address some of the technical issues involved with backing up computer files.
Our file server currently handles 350 users, including student employees. The Home, Programs, and Project file shares account for over four terabytes of active storage.
Any attempt to backup the number of computers involved using the network during the day causes a lot of network load. This was the problem with the Retrospect system. Additionally, the tape units were wearing out and did not have the capacity to run unattended.
The current backup is done to a tape library attached to the file server. The library holds several sets of tapes, and can locate and load any tape required. This allows the backups to be scheduled for the low-activity hours (overnight and at weekends). It still takes time to process all the files, but the impact on daily work is far less. A typical four terabyte full backup can be done over a weekend.
in these pages you will find a Frequently Asked Questions section for the LHS backup system, links to campus resources, and links to general articles and information about computer backups.
For specific problems, assistance with your backup, or to request file recovery from backup, please submit a service request through the link on the main staff page.