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Remember these are two distinct servers, both running Windows serverServer.
OS maintenance windows
Proposed Download automatically. Install manually (by ChemIT or researcher?) so no surprised interruptions.
- If ChemIT to do the updates, determine monthly schedule and stick to it so predictable to researchers.
- If ~4hour window of interruption, should be fine if date/ time known well in advance to researchers. For both systems.
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- Systems still able to get updates via the network.
Leave Symantec Anti-Virus (SAV) off, for increased performance.
- Researchers must practice safe computing practices, of course.
Robustness
Data
Confirm: Data not stored persistently on either of these computational systems, thus reducing the value in investing in these data options.
Data options
1) EZ-Backup: off-site, robust backup
- EZ-Backup\: $5.50/ month, for first 18 GB, compressed.
Reasons to not do this, other than cost:
- Periodic performance hit, during daily backup window.
- ChemIT will restore OS and applications without relying on backups since faster. So do //only// for researchers' data.
- If all calculations are pulled off system right away, need for backups is thus much reduced.
2) 2 drives, mirrored, in each server. Via hard ware RAID (need? want?), ideally.
- IS If OK redoing last run OK to do, if a the single drive fails?, no need to invest.
- Can always buy a second drive later, if want to start doing this. (Only 2 drives per computer, see (3), below.)
3) 2) File versioning, local. Would need another drive (need? want?).
- Can get via saves to off-site file share, such as Petersen's SFS file share.
- Size and quantity of data expected?
3) Real back ups (need? want?)
- EZ-Backup: $5.50/ month, for first 18 GB, compressed.
- If all calculations are pulled off system right away, need for backups is much reduced.
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- Can always buy a second drive later, if want to start doing this. (Only 2 drives per computer, see (2), above.)
UPS
~$170. Budget to replace every ~3 years or so.
GOAL: Protect for against power outages measured in at least the single-digit minutes.
- Both servers covered by one UPS.
- Q: For how much time, versus one server per one UPS?
- Only one server can be governed by UPS status.
- Q: Invest in figuring out how to shut down second server elegantly, from UPS-governed server?
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- Above that, must add and invest server resources to run Terminal Services.
File manage by NetID directoriesGroup's file management via NetID directories? Or simply move to group's file server?
Who all needs access, and to what?