The George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation NEES Experimental Site Backup Plan at NEES@Lehigh Last Modified November 12, 2012
Acknowledgement: This work was supported primarily by the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Program of the National Science Foundation under Award Number CMS-0402490. NEES Experimental Site Backup Plan at NEES@Lehigh 2
1. Introduction 1.1. Objectives and goals The purpose of this document is to detail the data and metadata backup plan in place at the RTMD facility at the Lehigh University ATLSS Center. The procedures for performing both onsite backups and offsite backups are explained below 1.2. Responsibilities The responsibility for managing and verifying both onsite and offsite backups is with the NEES IT Manager at the Lehigh University RTMD facility. Responsibilities include the following: Setting up a recurring backup schedule for required data and metadata. Periodically verifying that required data and metadata scheduled backups are performing without error. Performing data integrity checks on the backup repository. Periodically simulation disaster recovery scenarios. 1.3. Availability Managing and purchasing tape cartridges for the tape loader system. Assuring that completed tape backups arrive at a safe and distant offsite location(s). In the situation where the primary person accountable is not available to perform the required tasks listed in section 1.2, responsibility for managing and verifying both the onsite and offsite backups is with the ATLSS IT Manager at the Lehigh University ATLSS Center. All responsibilities included in section 1.2 become the responsibility of this person. 1.4. Access Both physical and remote access through a user account to the backup repository (RTMD repository) must be provided to the persons listed in section 1.2 and 1.3. Said persons are to also have root access to the backup repository in order to perform required tasks listed in section 1.2. Physical access to the tape loader must be provided to the persons listed in section 1.2 and 1.3. Said persons are to also have access to blank tapes for the tape loader and the ability to place orders with the tape vendor. Physical access to the offsite backup location(s) must be provided to the persons listed in section 1.2 and 1.3. 1.5. Validation NEES Experimental Site Backup Plan at NEES@Lehigh 3
1.5.1. Process The backup repository is accessible to remote clients through rsync 1 using SyncBack 2. Procedures for connecting and scheduling a remote client to perform backups are supported through the RTMD IT manager. RTMDsim RTMDdaq RTMDctrl RTMDtele RTMDdrobo RTMDbackups RTMDarchives RTMDtestdata Public User Space Mount Points RTMDrepos RTMDarchives Mirror RTMDtestdata Mirror Public Mirror RTMDpop RTMD Users Asynchronously RTMDwkstn RTMDarchives RTMDtestdata Figure 1.1 Backup Architecture NEEShub RTMDarchives Mirror RTMDtestdata Mirror 1.5.2. Frequency Remote clients typically perform backups nightly. The backup repository drivers are mirrored onto another RTMD system weekly. 1.6 RTMD IT Architecture 1 Secure Copy 2 http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/index.html NEES Experimental Site Backup Plan at NEES@Lehigh 4
Figure 1.2 RTMD IT Architecture 2. Onsite Backups 2.1. Media The main backup repository is a DroboPro FS 8TB dual redundancy storage system. The mirrored backup repository is a Pogo Linux StorageWare S316 Serial ATA server. It provides a total storage space of 3.5 TB of storage space partitioned into two 1.75 TB RAID arrays. 2.2. Clients The following remote clients and services are required to utilize the media in section 2.1 for performing nightly incremental backups: RTMDtele: Turbine server RTMDpop: NEES@Lehigh website RTMDpop: flextps configuration RTMDsim: Simulation workstation RTMDdaq: Acquisition workstation RTMDctrl: Control system workstation All RTMD users are provided with and account on the RTMD repository with space to perform optional personal system backups. NEES Experimental Site Backup Plan at NEES@Lehigh 5
2.3. Security Both physical and remote access to the backup repository is restricted to only the persons listed in section 1.2 and 1.3. The servers are located within a locked server rack in the NEES control room at the RTMD facility at the Lehigh University ATLSS Center. 2.4. Theft, Fire and Flood Theft will be minimized through the use of the secure location listed in 2.3. With the redundancy plan detailed in section 3, the risk of losing all existing backups is minimized. The risk of damage through fire or flood is minimized through the use of a fire proof rack enclosure. 3. Offsite Backups 3.1. Media Offsite backups are performed nightly using SyncBack and are stored on the NEEScomm scratch server at Purdue University. 3.2. Security NEEScomm provides a Security document and policy for data stored at their facility. 3.3. Location NEEScomm provides the location for their servers upon request. NEES Experimental Site Backup Plan at NEES@Lehigh 6