Data Backup Strategy
This policy describes the procedures which we will use to backup the HECToR systems.
Data environment
We have the following items in our data environment:
- Workspace: RAID disks running the Lustre distributed parallel file system. 576 TB, rising to 934 TB later.
- NAS "BlueArc" storage. 40 TB rising to 70 TB later. This will
divided initially as follows:
- homespace: 25 TB
- system area, and reserve: 15 TB
- System data: key system and configuration files, system logs, accounting information
- SMW: System Maintenance Workstation: it holds the primary copy of the system software
- Virtual Tape Library (VTL): 112 TB of disk space, closely coupled with...
- 780-slot ADIC tape library with 6 LT03 drives.
Main backup strategy
- We will maintain a copy of the system data, and a copy of the SMW's filestore, in the NAS system area.
- Each week, we will copy the entire homespace and the NAS system area to the VTL.
- From the VTL, the full backup will be copied out to tape. This may take up to two days. The tape copy will be kept at another site.
- Each day, we will take an incremental backup to the VTL of the homespace and the NAS system area. This will not be written to tape.
- Two generations of the off-site copy will be retained.
Since the VTL will hold a full backup and the daily incrementals of the current week, we will be able to use it to restore lost files at disk speeds. Note that, as on HPCx, workspace will not be backed up.
Secondary backup
The system which hosts the webserver and the website, SAFE and the database will be backed up to tape separately, using Veritas Net Backup. This will also include a second backup of the SMW's filestore.
