Data Storage and BackUp Policies
The storage and archiving of data is the responsibility of the investigators. The BCF will provide temporary space so that users may access files readily for data analysis. The data generated on our servers are backed up regularly at scheduled intervals. Please make copies of your data. Restoring data from backup will be charged as service fee.
Recommendations
The Biotechnology Computing Facility (BCF) strongly recommends storing user-created data on BCF administered file servers and to create additional backup copies of the critical data the user creates, maintains, or modifies.
The procedures used by individuals for creating these additional backup copies may differ based on the value of the data as assigned by the user, how frequently the data is modified, and other factors.
Accidents, computer equipment malfunction or failure, and human error are the most common causes of data loss. In most cases, damaged or lost data cannot be restored at any cost. In any case, don't rely solely on a single copy of data stored on your PC, a file server, or any other media, if losing that data would cause you distress.
Alternatives for Storing BackUp Copies
A number of alternatives for storing backup copies of user data are available.
- For individual, small sized files, regular 3 1/2 inch diskettes are reasonable though not very reliable.
- For moderate numbers or sized files, ZIP disks, Thumb drives (USB attached Flash memory cards), or CD recordables (CDR/CDRW) are quite adequate.
- For users with very large amounts of data, other options, both hardware and specialized software are available on the market. There are a number of file servers, supported by BCF and by ARL, available to students, faculty, and staff, on which copies of data can be stored. In many cases, a combination of BCF/ARL supported file server storage, the local desktop hard drive, and portable media can be used to provide adequate backup of critical data files.
- See <BCF Backup and Restoration Procedures> for more information.
Data Storage Policy
- Standard configuration of desktop computer operating systems (MS Windows, BIOSCI domain members) provides the user with a network drive (U:) for file storage on Brahms.
- Users with DataLab accounts whose PC's that are not domain members can <access> the Brahms file server from anywhere on campus.
- Other desktop platforms (e.g. Mac OS) can access Brahms via the <Finder>.
- User data should be stored on an BCF administered file server in order to receive minimal, regular backups of data. Although users should not rely solely on file server backups, neither should they rely solely on desktop system hardware or the backup copies they store.
Backups
- Backups of file servers, taken by BCF, are not intended for restoring individual users' data files, but rather for recovering from file system damage caused by equipment and/or software failure, system upgrade error, and minor disasters such as power failures.
- Every computer user is responsible for determining and maintaining adequate backup copies of critical, important, irreplaceable data files. For extremely valuable data, multiple copies stored in multiple locations is strongly recommended. Data stored on typical media such as disks, diskettes, tape, CDROM, can be damaged by heat, magnetic fields, oxidation, and in general, the aging process, so copies cannot be relied upon indefinitely.
- In some cases, for some users, for some files, the BCF backup procedures are adequate insurance for data. In other instances, these procedures are not adequate. It is the user's responsibility to determine what constitutes adequate backup coverage for his or her data.
