Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

Backup: Archival and Data Protection

SCS Computing Facilities provides data backup and restore solutions for registered computers in our environment. Our community handles valuable data on a daily basis and having backup software adds a tier of protection for issues that may occur in the future. We offer backup solutions to meet different computing scenarios. All backup solutions are managed by the Operations group.

We offer two backup services:

Data Protection Service

For desktops and laptops that may not require a full partition backup or may be mobile, we offer our Data Protection Service. This service evolves as our needs do, most recently establishing CrashPlan as our data backup solution for desktops and laptops. CrashPlan is a cloud-based data protection software for endpoint devices.

CrashPlan runs continually in the background of a device, providing constant backup of new files. Any time a new file is created or an existing file is changed, the product adds the file to a "to do" list. These files are then backed up during the next scheduled backup period. Backup frequency can be custom set by the user. You can register your SCS computer for Data Protection Service through our SCS online equipment registration form.

Data Protection Service is ideal for most computers where mobility, remote work, wireless connectivity and cloud convenience are preferred or necessary. On campus or on the go, the computer will be able to backup automatically from an internet connection, regardless of location. With convenient access to recovery functionality to get back files, Data Protection Service provides you with tools to get back to work.

Archival Backup Service 

For servers or dedicated, on-premise, wired-network desktops we offer Teradactyl's True Incremental Backup System® or TiBS. TiBS is designed specifically for unstructured data sets commonly found in research and scientific communities. Advanced time and size based synthetic backup consolidation transfers only new and changed data from the clients to the backup servers.

When a full system, archival solution is needed, our Archival Backup Service is the ideal solution for workstations and servers.  You can register your SCS computer for Archival Backup Service through our SCS online equipment registration form.