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Faculties & Departments
Computer Centre
Archive Folders
Archive folders
Two tiers of network storage for users are now available. The first (the existing X-drive) will have a small quota and is intended for current work, the other (being named the Y-drive) will have a lot more space and is intended for archived data but will also be used for large files or directories which do not change (e.g. pdf orders, scans or images etc.)
The archive locations are:
Staff: \\staffarchive
Student: \\studentarchive
Students and departments must first contact the Computer Centre by email - helpdesk@nuim.ie - and ask for the archive share to be activated.
All your shares are listed in the text file 0_My_Shares.txt in your home directory (X:\ 0_My_Shares.txt). If the archive you are looking for is not listed then contact the Computer Centre.
If you are mapping your own archive folder to a disk letter then please use Y: if available
Why should you save files on your network share?
Files which are saved on your computer can be lost or destroyed if the computer is stolen or accidentally damaged. Files which are stored on a network share are safer because they are on more reliable hardware in a more protected location and are backed up.
What is the difference between the X-drive and the Y-drive (archive)?
In normal operation there is no difference between the drives. Both will be available but you will have more space on the Y-drive.
In the event of a catastrophe where the service becomes unavailable restoring the X-drive will be given priority. At the moment the backup of this data takes hours so restoring the data would also take hours. As more space is given to users the length of time taken to backup and restore the data increases so that eventually it could take days to bring the data back online if there was a serious catastrophe. By separating the data into two tiers (current and archive) the Computer Centre can invest in high-availability storage for immediate disaster recovery of important data which will be needed quickly.
What should go on the X-drive?
Data which you are accessing and changing on a regular basis, including most of your documents which you are likely to access or update.
Data which is critical to your day-to-day work
What should go on the Y-drive?
- Files which are more than a year old and haven't been used recently
- Data which is being kept for archival or reference purposes (in particular anything which is being kept for data protection or relating to tendering ordering etc which is completed).
- Software downloads etc.
- large files or directories which contain files which you don't need to edit (images etc)
Do I need to archive my files regularly?
No. It should be sufficient to move out old files to the archive once a year, but perhaps sooner if you start running out of space on your X: drive.
You can also identify files that can be saved directly into your archive folder which will reduce the pressure on your X-drive.
What about file restores if I accidentally delete or corrupt a file?
File restores for the X-drive will be unchanged. The backup arrangements in place for the Y-drive are far more limited because it does not contain files which are being edited.
The X-drive will continue to be backed up under current arrangements. Files on the X-drive are constantly changing and may become corrupt so we aim to be able to recover files from every night for the last month, the first weekend of the last 3 months, some weekends for the last year, and the beginning of the year for the last five years.
The Y-drive is backed up primarily for disaster recovery, we can normally recover files which were deleted or corrupted up to one week in the past. In the future backup will be extended so occasional backups will be made which will be kept for longer periods.