Module 7

 Definitions: Protection vs. Backups vs. Archiving

 Why plan for and execute data backups?
 Considerations
 Issues/Concerns
 Plans and Best Practices

Data
Backups
  After completing this lesson, the participant will be
able to:
◦ Define the differences between backing up data and archiving
data
◦ Identify the issues related to data backups
◦ Identify and review backup plans and best practices

Data
Backups
 Collect

Analyze Assure

Integrate Describe

Discover Deposit

Data Preserve
Backups
  Data Protection
◦ Can include physical security, encryption, others
◦ Not addressed in these slides
 Terms “backups” and “archives” are often used
interchangeably, but do have different meanings
◦ Backups: copy (or copies) of the original file is made before it
is overwritten
◦ Archives: preservation of the file

Data
Backups
  Backups
◦ Used to take periodic snapshots of data in case the current
version is destroyed or lost
◦ Backups are copies of files stored for short or near-long term
 Archiving
◦ Used to preserve data in case of disaster or for historical
reference
◦ Archives are usually the final version, stored for long term,
and generally not copied over

Data
Backups
  Limit or negate loss of data, some of which may not be
reproducible
 Save time, money, productivity
 Help prepare for disasters
◦ Accidental deletions
◦ Fires, natural disasters
◦ Software bugs, hardware failures
 Reproduce results of past procedures (if they were
based on older files)
 Respond to data requests
 Limit liability
Data
Backups
  Are there existing policies that might affect how and
when you do data backups?
◦ Project, office, department, organizational, funding source
polices
◦ May differ between groups; which has precedence?
◦ Are backups part of a larger data management or contingency
plan?

Data
Backups
  How often should you do backups?
◦ Continual? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
◦ Cost vs. benefit
 What kind of backups should you preform?
◦ Partial: backing up only those files that have changed since
the last backup
◦ Full: backing up all files
 How often and what kind will depend upon what kind
of data you have and how important it is
◦ What about paper files?

Data
Backups
  Where will you back up your files?
◦ May depend upon project, requirements, etc.
◦ Personal external disk, centralized computer storage
(Dropbox), data depository (GEON, NEON, GCMD, KNB, etc.)
◦ What metadata is needed when using these systems?
◦ Good practice to keep backups in different location than
source data
 If a disaster strikes, it can destroy both versions of data
 How will outdated data be disposed of?
◦ Copied over, deleted, archived

Data
Backups
  How are backups carried out?
◦ Manually may work for single files, but requires that the user
remembers to perform regular backups
◦ Automatic backups can be set to run on a set schedule which
doesn’t require the user to have to remember
 Log of what files were backed up and when, validation of backup
 What happens to the backups after the project is no
longer funded, project ends, or staff departs?
◦ Long-term storage solutions? Will data be archived?

Data
Backups
  Who is responsible for performing backups?
◦ Users? System administrators?
 Are there backups of the backups?
◦ Necessary for high-value data
 How long do you keep your backups?

Remember: only backup the data you can’t

afford to lose!

Data
Backups
 DATA IN REAL LIFE
An architecture firm was handling their own backups.
The system was working fine – the backup software was
reporting that the data was successfully backed up, the
 Backups need to be checked, even if log files indicate a
administrator checked the backups after they were done
backup and
wasconfirmed
successful they were good. Unfortunately their
◦ Hardware and software
computer systemfailures
became can happenwith
infected aftera backups
virus andare
made erased much of their data. They went back to their
◦ Your system
backups might
andbe backing
found thatupthey
the were
wrongallfiles
blank and all of the
 Users need
data to wasknow
gone.howOnlyto obtain
after somefiles off of backups
investigation did they
◦ Wherediscover
are they that theand
located computer
who dotapes (which contained the
they contact
◦ You need
backups)
to know were
thisplaced against
information a wall thatashad
beforehand anyou
often elevator
need aon
filethe
offother side ofinit.anWhen
of a backup the elevator went past, the
emergency!
magnets inside erased all of the tapes. Had they checked
their backups properly, they probably would have
noticed this before there was an emergency.
Data
Backups
  Make sure you can read data off of older backups
◦ Media changes and you may no longer be able to read older
versions and formats such as floppy disks, Jazz , Zip drives,
Wordperfect files, etc.
◦ Media can degrade quickly, unexpectedly, inconsistently
 Media can fail without notice or warning!

Data
Backups
  Create a backup policy
 Review your backup policy and plan periodically to
ensure it is still valid and applicable
◦ Update contacts, if appropriate
 Minimize or remove reliance on user to perform own
backups
◦ Implement standardized and automatic backups
◦ Put experts in charge of this task (computer staff) as they are
more likely to be up to date regarding software updates,
hardware issues, best practices, etc.

Data
Backups
  Don’t assume backups are being DATAperformed
IN REAL L for
IFE you
◦ You don’t want toIn 2011,
find a software
out after bugnocaused
the fact that backupssome
have
been performed Gmail users to lose access to their
◦ If you are using third-party software (like Yahoo
email. Fortunately, Googleor Google
had
Mail), what happens if they lose your files?
backups!
(http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/03/01/g
oogle_storage_software_update_led_to_e_mail_bug/)

Data
Backups
  “Backup, “ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup
(accessed 3/16/2011)
 “NSF Data Management Plans – Research Data
Management,” Georgia Tech Library and Information
Center,
http://libguides.gatech.edu/content.php?pid=123776&
sid=1514980 (accessed 3/16/2011)
 “Google: Storage software update led to e-mail bug,“
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/
2011/03/01/google_storage_software_update_led_to
_e_mail_bug/ (accessed 3/21/2011)

Data
Backups
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Data
Backups