Data Storage and Backup
March 29th, 2011
Definition
Storage refers to preserving your data files in a secure location you can access readily.
Backup refers to preserving additional copies of your data in a separate physical location from data files in storage.
Storage systems often provide mirroring, in which data is written simultaneously to two drives. This is not the same thing as backup since alterations in the primary files will be mirrored in the second copy.
Backup preserves older copies so you can restore your data if accidental deletion/alteration or a disaster such as fire, flood, or hardware malfunction damages your data in storage.
When it comes to safeguarding your important data assets, remember both storage and backup are essential!
Relevance
- A granting agency may require that you retain data for a given period and may ask you to explain in a data plan how you will store and back it up.
- Storing and backing up your data ensures that it will be there when you need to use it for publications, theses, or grant proposals.
- Good preservation practices help make your data available to researchers in your lab/research group, department, or discipline in the future.
Storage Options
| Option | Description | Size and cost | Access and security | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| External hard drives Available at DoIT Tech Store | Also known as hard disk drives | Varies; 2 TB for $170 -$190 | Not secure unless kept in a secure location and sensitive data are encrypted. | Best for short-term storage (approx 1-5 yrs) since disk failure can occur |
| Portable media Available at DoIT Tech Store | Flash drives, CDs, and DVDs | Varies; 64 GB for $154 | Not secure unless kept in a secure location and sensitive data are encrypted. | Best for short-term storage (approx 1-5 yrs) since media formatting can fail |
| Departmental server or storage network | Your department's IT unit may offer storage on their server or network | Varies | Protected by user accounts and passwords | Contact your department's IT unit for information |
| MyWebSpace | A web-based service for storing, sharing, and publishing files | 1 GB Free to UW-Madison facstaff and students | NetID restricted; can add permissions for campus or external users Not a secure environment for sensitive data, unless data are encrypted. | Can request additional capacity for Group Directories |
| DoIT IP Storage | Storage on DoIT's Data Center platform that you access as a networked drive on your computer | $1/GB/yr $2/GB/yr with off-site mirroring included | Protected by user accounts and passwords | Storage is inside the UW-Madison network and accessible only on the UW-Madison campus |
| UW-Google Apps | Google's suite of online applications | 1.0 GB free storage | NetID restricted; can add permissions for other campus users, using their NetIDs May not be a secure environment for sensitive data, unless encrypted. | A UW-Madison/Google agreement protects the intellectual property rights of UW-Madison facstaff and students (unless shared with others outside the university) |
| Third Party Cloud Storage | Amazon S3 Dropbox MobileMe and others | Varies | Varies | UW-Madison has no negotiated terms of services with these providers. See Guidelines for use of non-UW-Madison applications for research for help evaluating your risks and rights. |
| MINDS@UW | The UW System libraries' digital archive | Free to UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students | Can be shared with the public or restricted to specified UW-Madison users | Accepts materials as discrete files in final unchanging form only. Materials will receive a permanent URL and will be maintained indefinitely. |
Backup Options
| Option | Description | Size and cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| External hard drives Available at DoIT Tech Store | Also known as hard disk drives | Varies; 2 TB for $170 - $190 | Not recommended as the sole long-term backup as disk/media failure are risks over time |
| Portable media Available at DoIT Tech Store | Flash drives, CDs, DVDs | Varies; 64 GB for $155 | |
| Departmental server | Your department's IT staff may offer backup | Varies | Contact your departmental IT staff for details |
| Bucky Backup | A server-based system | Calculate cost | Allows you to schedule automatic backups |