HPC Backup

== HPC Cluster Upgrade: Data Backup Guide (March 2026) == {| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;" |- ! scope="col" style="background:#f2f2f2;" | '''Maintenance Window''' | Starting 27th March 2026 |- ! scope="col" style="background:#f2f2f2;" | '''Backup Location''' | <code>/backup/<username></code> |- ! scope="col" style="background:#f2f2f2;" | '''Storage Limit''' | 10 GB per user |- ! scope="col" style="background:#f2f2f2;" | '''Recommended Data''' | Source code, scripts, configuration files, and small datasets. |} === Overview === During the extensive upgrade planned from '''27th March''', we aim to keep all data intact. However, as a safety measure against any untoward incidents, all users are requested to back up their critical work from <code>/data/home/<username></code> to the temporary backup partition. === Step 1: Verify Current Usage === Check the size of your home directory to ensure you stay within the '''10 GB''' limit for the backup partition. <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> du -sh /data/home/$USER </syntaxhighlight> === Step 2: Compress Your Critical Files === To save space and speed up the transfer, we recommend creating a compressed archive (tarball) of your code and scripts. <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> # Create a compressed backup of a specific project tar -czvf ~/my_code_backup_$(date +%F).tar.gz /data/home/$USER/my_project_folder </syntaxhighlight> === Step 3: Synchronize to Backup Directory === Use <code>rsync</code> to copy your files to the dedicated backup path. This tool ensures file integrity during the transfer. ==== Option A: Copying a Compressed Archive (Recommended) ==== <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> rsync -ahP ~/my_code_backup_*.tar.gz /backup/$USER/ </syntaxhighlight> ==== Option B: Copying a Directory Directly ==== <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> rsync -ahP /data/home/$USER/important_folder /backup/$USER/ </syntaxhighlight> === Step 4: Verification === Confirm your files are present and check the total space used in the backup directory: <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> ls -lh /backup/$USER/ du -sh /backup/$USER/ </syntaxhighlight> === Handling Large Data (>10 GB) === If you have a genuine need to back up more than 10 GB: # '''Local Download:''' Download the data to your local machine using SCP or SFTP. # '''Contact IT:''' If local download is not feasible, contact the IT team for alternative arrangements. [[Category:HPC User Guides]] [[Category:Maintenance]]