1. How can I safely backup my computer's data?
According to University policy, all computer users are responsible for assuring that their data is backed up. You must decide on a backup system to use and you must check regularly to confirm that you have good recent backups of your important data. SSCS provides a service to assist you in doing backups. The name of the service is bacula. There are certain limitations to its use, and you are still responsible for monitoring the status of your backups on this system. If you would like to use this backup system, please contact Social Sciences Computing Desktop Support services at 773-834-4146 or by email at sscstech@listhost.uchicago.edu.
2. What backup options can you offer me?
We strongly encourage you to use our bacula backup service if your computer is eligible. To be eligible, your computer must have a static IP address (not wireless) on the University network and must be left on at all times; also, it also cannot be a laptop computer or have removable storage devices; finally you must be a Social Sciences faculty or staff member eligible for SSCS support.
Bacula is an open source backup program. It has been used successfully by SSCS for more than three years to back up hundreds of Social Sciences Division computers.
We install the bacula client program on your computer and it will automatically back up over the network to our bacula server. To request that your computer be backed up by bacula, please contact Desktop Support services at 773-834-4146 or by email at sscstech@listhost.uchicago.edu. When the technician comes to do the installation of the bacula software on your computer, please ask him or her to show you how [hyperlink “how” to question #3 below] you can check the status of your backups to be sure that they are good.
3. Since I am responsible for my own backups, how do I verify what files are being backed up by Bacula?
First, you should check to be sure that the bacula program is installed and running on your computer. Then you should check the status of your backups through our bacua web portal at http://tape.uchicago.edu. Follow the steps below.
1) To check that bacula is running:
If you have a Windows computer and bacula is running, you will see a small icon like this [link screen shot graphic here] in the system tray.
If you have a Mac and bacula is running, you will need to launch the Activity Monitor application from within the folder /Applications/Utilities. Select “All Processes” and scroll down the list of running processes to find the process “bacula-fd”. If it does not appear, bacula is not running on your computer.
2) To check the status of your backups on the bacula server:
Open your web browser to http://tape.uchicago.edu and, when prompted, provide your SSCS username and password. Be patient while the backup data is being retrieved. This can take up to several minutes. Don’t refresh the page, as this will delay the retrieval. You will soon see a graphic representation of the folders and files on your computer that are being backed up. You should check the time stamp on these files to be sure that they are current.
4. What's the best way to back up my laptop at home?
For off-campus computers and for wirelessly networked computers on campus, SSCS cannot provide the bacula backup service.
We recommend that you store your data on our departmental servers [link to relevant server question above] as they are backed up nightly. In this way you can access your data either on-campus or off-campus via a broadband internet connection.
If for some reason it is not feasible for you to store your data on our server, you have several different alternatives for backing up files that are stored on your home computer. You must decide which is the best for your needs. There are two main types of backup systems that home computer users use: backups to local media and backups to on-line (i.e. network-based) file storage locations. Either of these types of backup can be performed automatically by your computer at a scheduled time or manually by you at a time of your choosing. Automated backups have the advantage that you don’t need to remember to do them every day. A local automated backup system involves the regularly scheduled execution of backup software running on your computer to copy your files to some sort local storage medium such as a USB hard drive, flash drive or recordable CD or DVD discs. An on-line backup system involves the transfer of your files to a network file storage location.
LOCAL BACKUP METHODS
Users of computers with current versions of Windows or the Mac OS X operating system can use the included backup software that comes with their computers for local backups, both automatic and manual, to media such as external USB hard drives or flash drives. An advantage of local backups is that they do not require a high-bandwidth internet connection. A disadvantage is that the backups are located typically in the same room as your computer—which means that fire, flood or theft could result in the loss of your backups as well as your computer’s data files.
For users of Windows XP, please see these instructions for automating backups with the ntbackup program: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422
For users of Windows Vista, please see these instructions for automating backups with the System Backup and Restore program:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/backup.aspx
The two most current versions of the Mac OS X operating system (10.5 and 10.6) include a built-in automatic backup program called Time Machine. For instructions on using it, see these instructions: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427
Another common method of backup is by manually copying your files to recordable CD’s or DVD’s, also known as burning files to a disc. Windows and Macintosh computers come with the built-in ability to write files to recordable CD’s and DVD’s.
Windows XP users can find instructions for burning discs at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306524
Windows Vista users can find instructions at: http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/b47eb51a-ea6d-4d97-97b0-2d07a59316981033.mspx
Mac users can find instructions at: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh854.html
ONLINE BACKUP METHODS
The second type of backup is to an online (network-based) file storage location. There are fee-based commercial online backup services available. Perhaps the most popular is one provided by Apple for Macintosh users, called iDisk, used in conjunction with the Time Machine backup program described above. The main advantage of online backup systems is that the backups are off-site and are therefore unaffected by local causes of data loss on your computer, such as fire, flood or theft. The main disadvantage is that writing files to a network location is typically much slower than to a local storage medium, such as a USB hard drive.
One option for network-based backup from you home computer would be to copy your data files to a backup folder that you create on your SSCS departmental server. You may need to install the University’s VPN software [link to question above] to do this. The backup program in Windows (see above) is capable of writing to a network folder. It is not recommended to use Apple’s Time Machine program to make backups to a network folder, since this has proved to be highly unreliable and Apple does not officially support it or recommend it.
If you have questions or need advice about setting up a home backup system, contact Social Sciences Computing Desktop Support services at 4-4146.
5. How can I avoid getting a virus on my computer?
A virus is a malicious program that installs itself on your computer without your authorization and may cause damage to your computer’s data or to other computers on a network.
The first step to avoiding a virus infection is to be sure that your computer has a self-updating anti-virus software installed. If you are an eligible Social Sciences faculty, staff or student, you can download and install the University’s site-licensed McAfee Viruscan antivirus program. It is available for download at http://nsit.uchicago.edu/services/licensing/antivirus/ The program has some configurable options that may be confusing to you. Please contact SSCS Desktop Support Services at 774-834-4146 for help with Viruscan configuration issues.
Other steps include:
Mac users should see: http://www.apple.com/softwareupdate/
- Avoid downloading or installing any software if you are not sure that it came from a legitimate source. In particular, peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs are notorious for introducing viruses disguised as legitimate programs.
- Avoid responding to web browser pop-up windows that offer to “fix” problems with your computer. Close such windows by clicking on the X icon in the upper right-hand corner of the window, not by clicking on any buttons displayed within the window.
- Do not open email attachments if they seem suspicious, even if you recognize the sender’s address.
- Make sure that your computer’s software firewall is turned on. Windows users, please see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/security/winfirewall.mspx
Macintosh users, please see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1810
6. What do I do if I think the security of my computer or my SSCS user account has been violated?
There are two aspects of security: physical and electronic. If you think there has been a physical violation of your computer’s security (e.g. a break-in or robbery or inappropriate use of your computer by an unauthorized individual who has had physical access to it), please contact University Police at 123 from any campus phone or by dialing 773-702-8181. Also contact us, Social Sciences Computing Desktop Support services at 773-834-4146.
If you think the electronic security of your computer or your SSCS user account has been violated (e.g. by a hacker or virus), please contact us, Social Sciences Computing Desktop Support services at 773-834-4146 immediately.
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