This service is a component of the CCS Data Protection Service. Active data is copied to an alternate location for restoration in case of loss or corruption of the original.
This service is a component of the CCS Data Protection Service. Active data is copied to an alternate location for restoration in case of loss or corruption of the original. Backups are not archiving, which is the movement of inactive data to long term storage. Unless special arrangements have been made with CCS to install database agents, database files are excluded from backups because their normal open state would result in inconsistencies after a restore. Email and local workstation hard drives are also not part of this service.
The Backup and Recovery Service [17] operates on fault tolerant equipment having the same protection and security as the primary data in the CCS Central Storage Service [13]. Its purpose is to provide the ability to recover data should it become unavailable because of hardware failure or human error (that is, accidentally deleting files or overwriting files with corrupt or outdated data).
The service is defined by two criteria: Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO). The first is a measure of how current the recovered data is while the second indicates how long it takes to get the data back. Data can usually be restored to the original or an alternate location via a self-service procedure or upon request to the CCS Help Centre. All files stored within the Central File Service [18] (CFS) are protected by this service. Data stored on departmental servers that have subscribed to this service are also protected.
The CCS Backup and Recovery Service operates at three levels:
- On-line backups: The RPO is 4-16 hours and the RTO is immediate. Recovery is a user initiated (self-service) operation using Windows “Previous Versions” property or Unix snapshot file system. This level of Data Protection is only available for applications using the CCS Central File Service (CFS) or the CIFS/NFS protocols of Central Storage [13]and for data created or changed within the last 14 days.
- Off-line backups: A daily copy of new and changed data guarantees an RPO of 24-48 hours. This level has an RTO of 1 working day. Data is retained off-line for up to 8 weeks. This level of service is also available to Colleges/Departments/Units that operate their own data centres on campus. Backup agents are available (and recommended) for various data base applications.
- Off-site backups: This is an additional copy of backup data that is replicated to a remote location under security requirements identical to the primary Central Storage Service and is intended for recovery in case of a “disaster”. The RPO for this data is the same as for the original off-line backup copy, but the RTO might be several days to a week depending on circumstances.
The Backup and Recovery Service costs are included in the Central File Service [18].
Cost
For college/departmental servers the cost is $225 per year for 500GB per.
An optional cost, for college/departmental servers, of $75 per year for 500GB to store backups off-site (e.g., off campus) for disaster recovery purposes.
If you need help or have questions about the service, please email us at IThelp@uoguelph.ca or check our CCS Help Services page for more ways to contact us:
- CCS Help Services [19]
There may be scheduled maintenance or a service issue occurring. Please refer to CCS System Status Page for more information:
Item | Expectation |
Service availability | Backups are run off hours – overnight & weekends, except during scheduled maintenance . |
Recovery requests | Restores are possible 24x7 for the self-service (on-line) level and during business hours for off-line or off-site requests. Data can usually be recovered from off-line backups within 24 hours. |
Service requests and problems | Response times vary, however we will do our best to help as quickly as possible. |
To request the service, contact the CCS Help Centre at IThelp@uoguelph.ca [21] or 519-824-4120 Ext. 58888.
To have files restored from backup, use the "Login/Restore" button at the top or contact the CCS Help Centre [19].