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