User File Backups

The department does not do nightly backups of user home directories or 'research' filespace. File recovery of individual files is therefore ONLY possible from snapshots.

All user home directories and /user/research/ file space is stored on a NAS filer with a built-in 'snapshot' feature. In each home or research directory is a .snapshot sub-directory containing read-only copies of that home or research directory. If you need to recover a file, you can do so by copying it from the appropriate snapshot. We take nightly snapshots and save them for one week, after which time they are deleted. Depending on available space, we try to keep up to 4 weekly snapshots, but there is no guarantee this will happen. Snapshot directories do not count toward your disk quota.

Users are strongly encouraged to back up their own files. There are a number of methods for doing so, including backup to MSU's AFS space and saving to removable media on the instructional lab machines. General procedures are outlined here, but please test and document your own methods!