ChemIT sharing their recommendations and best-practices for backups and group file storage. May be of particular value to research groups.

ChemIT-recommended services

 

Costs

Resource links

Notes and considerations

EZ-Backup
Central backup services

As of 10/2013:
Per computer:
$5.50/mo
(First 18 GB, compressed)
See link for additional rates

http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/ezbackup/fees/

  • Default setting is to backup full computer, including the OS, which makes for a larger backup and thus potentially more expensive.
  • But the most cost-effective method will requiring carefully and accurately focusing backup on just user's unique docs, not full OS.
  • There is an archive service available.
  • A cost-effective solution for even larger amounts of data on one system.
  • Very robust backup services, well-proven over the years.
  • Includes Off-Site copy of backups at Weill Medical center.

SFS
Central (CIT) file storage services

As of 10/2013:
Per group:
$9/mo for 150GB
$30/mo for 500GB
$60/mo for 1TB (1TB increments, at $60/TB/mo.)

http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/sharedfile/fees.cfm

  • Service backs up all files stored on SFS via EZ-Backup at no additional cost.
  • Versioning (access to prior versions and deleted files) is optional, and requires a portion of the allocated space (~20%).
  • Default is all folders and documents are shared by group.
  • ChemIT can set up private folders for each member.
  • CIFS are Windows and Mac-friendly. (NFS option also available.)
  • Accessible from off-campus via VPN.
  • NetID-based - so no additional usernames and password are needed.
  • If you need more than 1-2 TB of storage, other solutions may be more cost-effective. Contact ChemIT for more details.

CAC file storage
Another central (CAC) file storage services

As of 10/2013:
Regular or DB files: $500.00/TB/year or $0.50/GB/year
(which averages to $41.67/TB/mo)
Archival: $100.00/TB/year or $0.10/GB/year
(which averages to $8.33/TB/mo)

[http://www.cac.cornell.edu/services/storage.aspx\\][http://www.cac.cornell.edu/services/rates/
]

  • Unknown to ChemIT.

Box.com
Central cloud storage

Free to CU members, up to 10GB
(More data storage available. Contact ChemIT for details.)

http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/box/about.cfm

  • Good for working files. Good for sharing, including to your own, with other computers. Limited space.
  • Individual file size limit is 2GB.
  • Limits on file names and path lengths.
  • Cornell-contracted and approved for University data. Use and rights governed differently than with your group's private DropBox.com accounts, for example.
  • More space is available to individuals; contact ChemIT to put in this request to CIT, please.
  • Has capacity for shared folders and documents, if sharing is desired.
  • Service stores prior versions of files, and in most cases also deleted files.
  • Consider backing up files in case account gets hacked or of a bad internal actor.
  • NetID-based - so no additional usernames and password are needed.

Other file storage-related info

Research Data Management Service Group (RDMSG) has a "Storage, backup and recovery" page on Cornell-specific options.

Other backup-related info

Hard drives fail

It's not a question of if a hard drive will fail. Only a question of when. Thus, make sure your unique data is not on just one hard drive.

  • Backups is a term which applies to restoring current or very recent data.
  • Archiving is a term focusing more on restoring prior versions of data or older data.

Synchronizing is not a panacea

Synchronizing, especially without access to prior versions, can confer very limited data protection since undesired changes get sync'ed. What can happen to a hacked DropBox.com account demonstrate this danger.

Ideas to back up Box.com (or DropBox.com) files

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