University Computing Systems

Information About Backups

All Andrew File System (AFS) user files are backed up to tape -- currently once per week, but we hope to increase that frequency. "AFS user files" means any user directory or file in the AFS system belonging to an AFS user, including all directories and files in the user's account. You can tell if a file is in AFS by issuing the command "/bin/pwd" in the directory containing that file. If the system response begins with "/afs", then the file is in AFS.

NOTE!!!!

Many AFS'd workstations in private labs have local user accounts and files which are NOT in AFS and are NOT backed up by EC. If the owners of these workstations wish to have these local user accounts and files backup up, it is their responsibility to do so.

Local user accounts and files are those local to the machine -- not in AFS -- and specifically created by or for the users of that machine. This includes local home directories, and directories made by the user in any of the machine's local (not AFS) directories.

Often, the contents of local accounts and directories can be copied to an AFS user account (assuming that the user has adequate AFS disk quota) and thus backed-up by EC.

Online Backups

/usr/ucs/bin/get.backup (Sun) is a utility that allows users to recover accidentally deleted files and directories.

get.backup is currently text-only; a GUI version is planned.

Users run get.backup themselves -- no intervention by UCS staff is required, or desirable.

Below is the informational message that get.backup displays on startup -- it explains much about the utility. 

		Online Backup -- /usr/ucs/bin/get.backup
		_______________________________________
			
          [ use down/up arrows to scroll; "Q" to quit scroll ]

  Online backups of AFS user accounts are normally done between 3 AM and 
  4 AM daily; if things go right, the contents of the online backup 
  will be a snapshot of user directories, including course and project
  directories, taken between 1 AM and 2 AM today.

  Use "get.backup" to access the online backup of the contents of your
  home (login) directory, as well as your course and project directories.

  Note: you can perform all of the functions done by get.backup without using
  the program at all -- see /afs/cad/pub/doc/readme/get.backup.details
  (not yet available) for details.

  If the backup attempted today failed, the most recent successful backup
  will be accessed by this program.

  You can copy any files or directories from the online backup to your login 
  or other directory, *provided* you have sufficient disk space in the target 
  directory and the proper AFS permissions in the source and target 
  directories.

  get.backup automatically puts you in the top level of your backup 
  directory; you can go to directories below this, but not above.
  This program automatically makes accessible the directory "BACKUP.nnnn" in 
  your home directory -- BACKUP.nnnn is your online backup. It is removed 
  when this program exits.

  In this program, you:
  
     - use menu selections to locate the file or directory that you 
       want to copy.   

     - give the target directory that file or directory is to be copied to.

     - copy the file or directory to the target directory.