[SAC] Fwd: PEER 1 Backups - IMPORTANT BACKUP INFORMATION

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

In case any of this is useful for you guys....

Begin forwarded message:

>
> Dear Valued Customer,
>
>
> Periodically it is necessary to review your system’s backup  
> strategy to ensure your data is being backed up efficiently and not  
> over-utilizing valuable disk storage space.  Your PEER 1 backup  
> plan has a 30GB limit of storage space as described in the PEER 1  
> Tivoli Service Description (http://dedicatedhosting.com/ 
> servicedescriptions).  The 30 GB limit includes the initial full  
> system backup, plus all incremental backups (6 copies of changed  
> files) and 1 copy of deleted files, all of which have a 30 day  
> retention period.
>
>
> In many situations it is possible that this limit is being exceeded  
> which can inhibit the performance of both your server and your  
> backup system. In order to rectify these situations, your PEER 1  
> Dedicated Hosting support team has put together guidelines of how  
> to successfully limit backup storage usage for your servers.
>
>
> If you have a system administrator, we recommend you pass this on  
> to them so as to ensure your data is being effectively backed up.
>
>
>
> Improving Backup Restoration by Limiting Drive Space Usage
>
> Many customers use their servers as data repositories, keeping old  
> information and local copies of files on them forever.  Servers can  
> quickly accumulate large quantities of unused, temporary, and  
> duplicate files. This can cause issues with backups, as copying  
> large quantities of unneeded files can take a long time. Restoring  
> data could also be very time consuming if unneeded files and  
> directories are present. From our extensive experience, restoration  
> requests are always critical and extremely time sensitive. Making  
> sure that unneeded information is not backed up, results in a much  
> improved restoration experience and in most cases less downtime. As  
> a subscriber to our backup service, you are already taking steps in  
> the right direction to ensure your data is protected. PEER 1 would  
> like to help make sure that the restoration process goes as  
> smoothly as possible.
>
> Excessive data can also cause a server to stop working properly as  
> available disk space dwindles.   Running out of space is a  
> dangerous situation for both Linux and Windows servers; therefore  
> we are providing some tips you may follow in order to avoid these  
> kinds of situations.
>
> Care should be taken to not impact the functionality of your server  
> by removing system-critical data or files.  Doing so could cause  
> downtime and/or loss of productivity.  If you are in doubt about  
> the importance of a file or program, please ask support for  
> assistance before removing it.
>
>
> Below are some tips for reducing the excess information stored on a  
> server:
>
>
> 	* Store on the server only data that is necessary for your  
> business’ operation.  If required, archive and remove obsolete data  
> at your business’ location for reference.
>
>
> 	* Remove temporary files and uncompressed installation programs  
> from your system.  Ask your application developers to write their  
> scripts and programs to delete temporary files when not in debug mode.
>
> 	* Delete duplicated or unnecessary files and directories.
>
> 	* Uninstall unused programs, software or packages, and avoid  
> installing unnecessary ones.
>
> 	* Rotate and compress logs.  Most systems are configured to do  
> this by default; however, user-installed applications may not have  
> this feature.  Review your log file sizes for your applications to  
> determine if rotation is occurring.
>
> 	* If you install third-party software, remove the installers after  
> installation.  If you need to keep a copy of the software handy,  
> store a compressed version on your server.
>
>
> As mentioned above, the amount of stored backup data included in  
> your backup product is 30GB.  As explained in the Tivoli Service  
> Description, PEER 1 reserves the right to charge for data over 30GB  
> at a rate of $3 per GB. We have previously only billed for extreme  
> overages, but this policy will be more stringently enforced at a  
> later date.  While we would of course inform customers prior to  
> implementing this enforcement, we highly recommend you ensure you  
> would not be affected by this policy.
>
>
> If you wish to inquire about your current stored backup amounts or  
> if you need further information regarding your Tivoli backup  
> solution, we encourage you to open an online ticket at https:// 
> dhsupport.peer1.com or contact your PEER 1 Dedicated Hosting  
> Support Team at 1-877-504-0091 or 1-305-717-6600.
>
>
> In the coming months PEER 1 will be providing timely, updated usage  
> reports to all backup customers as we are continually looking to  
> improve our services.
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
> Your PEER 1 Dedicated Hosting Team
> http://www.dedicatedhosting.com
>
>
> Please note: This is an automatically generated e-mail message sent  
> from an unmonitored e-mail box. Any e-mail sent in reply to this  
> message will not be answered. However, if you have additional  
> questions, please call us at 1-877-504-0091 or 1-305-717-6600.
>
> Thank you.
>
>