Service overview
IT Services provides a backup service for either file level recovery, database recovery, or in the case of VMware VMs, full VM recovery.
The backup service offering provides the following 3 different types of backups:
- Database weekly full backup: One (1) full hot database backup per week and incremental hot database backups other days of the week, and hourly log backups. All backups are retained for 5 weeks. Available only for supported versions of Oracle, MS SQL or mysql with backups performed in conjunction with the required database backup agent.
- Weekly full backup: 1 full backup per week and differential incremental backups other days of the week. All backups are retained for 5 weeks. This is the default standard backup for VMware VM backups.
- Monthly full backup: 1 full backup per month and differential incremental backups other days of the month. All backups are retained for 5 weeks. This is an optional backup type and typically used for backing up data over 1TB in size.
Service Inclusions
36-month storage lease that includes:
- Backup(s) as purchased
- Any backup agent(s) required at no additional cost
- File-level recovery – for OS-level backups
- Data file and log recovery - for database-level backups of supported versions of Oracle, MS SQL or mysql, with the required backup agent configured
- Oracle, MS SQL or mysql database recovery where recovery is done from a file-level backup of a database export
- File level and full VM recovery – for VMware backups
- NDMP file level backups - for clients that have purchased IT Services SAN File Storage
- Onsite (McGill IT Services Data Center) and Offsite (external to McGill IT Services Data Centre) backups
- Biannual updates to the backup infrastructure
- Monitoring of backups
- Augmentation to existing backup(s) previously purchased by a client
- Availability of IT Services to:
- expand backups to meet the additional requirements of the client and will work with the client during the backup expansion
- work with the client in addressing any backup or restore issue that may arise
- One-time configuration of backup agents if the client requesting it does not have an appointed, qualified System Administrator
Service Exclusions
- 32-bit OSes are not supported
- IPv6 is not supported and must be disabled
- Server recovery other than a VMware VM
- Oracle, MS SQL or or mysql database recovery where a backup agent is used to back up the database
- It is the responsibility of the client’s Database Administrator in the recovery of the database from the backup set
- Backup of a clients’ external or remote device(s) when connected to the server being backed up
- Performance tuning
- Data import or export assistance
- Server capacity monitoring
- It is the client’s responsibility to monitor their server capacity to prevent file system corruption due to full capacity
- Access to the backup infrastructure
- Physical access to the IT Services Data Centre and any of the Backup System infrastructure components
- System and/or Database Administrators
General Requirements
- Clients need to have their own qualified System Administrator who needs to fully manage volumes and files on their server, which includes:
- The guest OS and all subsequent service packs or patches
- All installed applications, monitoring and upgrades
- Volume and file management within the OS
- Updating backup agents on the server upon request by IT Services personnel
- Updating system security and firewall rules to permit backups
- Server(s) being backed up must
- reside in IT Services Data Centre
- have at least 1Gb network connectivity
- run an OS that IT Services qualifies for end-to-end vendor support. Note: current OS support includes Windows 2008R2/2012/2016/2019 (64-bit), Linux RHEL6/7/8 (64-bit), Solaris SPARC 10/11 (64-bit).
- Server(s) being backed up must have a registered A record and reverse pointer record in the McGill DNS service
- Windows MSCS, Veritas Cluster Server, and Oracle RAC cluster configurations are supported for backup via use of a DNS registered cluster or virtual server name
Additional Information
- IT Services reserves the right to
- perform client backups using different media types (e.g. tape, disk)
- request a scheduled backup system downtime to upgrade the backup system infrastructure
- schedule client server downtime at a minimum of two (2) per year to update the server’s backup software
- Backups are automatically expired by the system once they surpass their backup retention (e.g. 5 weeks) and cannot be recovered
- IT Services will initiate all file level restores and coordinate the work with the client
- The client is solely responsible for volume or file system management on the server
- IT Services is not responsible for data corruption.
- IT Services is solely responsible for vendor support with respect to the backup system infrastructure hardware and software
- Provide a minimum of 1 year's notice to discontinue backups for the client due to client’s server running an unsupported OS
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Who can use it
All McGill staff and affiliates are entitled to use this service.
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How to request & access the service
Find more information on the Virtualization Server service description.
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Cost
Refer to Rates and Prices for Data Products and Service.
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Availability
The Data Centre facilities operate 24 X 7 X 365.
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Frequently Asked Questions
None available.
Best practices & policies
None available.
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Training & documentation
None available.
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Support
Contact the IT Service Desk.