[SAC] Hosted Backup System - cost discussion

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

Here is a point of discussion for SAC, it relates directly to our  
ongoing systems costs:

I just got off a call with our PEER1 rep, discussing recent backup  
system developments.  When we first signed up with them, we chose a  
tape backup option.  The plan we are on allowed for up to 30GB (per  
server).  This limit was recently increased, by them for free, to  
50GB - but the limits have never been enforced.

They have now changed their system from tape to a SANS solution,  
which has its own technical benefits that we will receive, including  
quicker recovery times if/when we need it, but also has increased  
technology costs for them.  So they are going to start enforcing any  
overages of backup volume in January.

At the moment, they are backing up all the data on both our servers,  
including incrementals (i.e. 6 revisions, deleted files, etc.) for 30  
days.  These revisions and deleted files all contribute to the 50GB  
max. per server.

This works out to us overusing their backup system by ~115GB (osgeo1)  
and ~80GB (osgeo2).  At their standard rate of $3/GB the charges for  
this level of overrun will end up being very high.  We have a month  
to address this.

Our options:
- tell them what folders/files to ignore during backup by filing a  
support ticket.  [At the minimal I believe we can stop having them  
backup the backups that go from osgeo1->osgeo2]
- pre-pay for more backup space (blocks of <100GB: $2/GB, blocks of  
 >100GB: $1/GB)
- others...

Questions, comments, ideas?

Tyler