HPC Backup

HPC Data Backup Technical Guide

Step 1: Identify Your Critical Data

Before starting, check your current usage to ensure you stay within the 10 GB limit in the /backup directory.

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du -sh /data/home/$USER

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Step 2: Compress Your Files (Recommended)

Compressing your files into a single archive (tarball) makes the transfer faster and keeps the backup directory organized.

To create a compressed archive of a specific project folder:

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tar -czvf ~/my_backup_project.tar.gz /data/home/$USER/path_to_your_project

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• -c: Create a new archive.
• -z: Compress using gzip.
• -v: Verbosely list files processed (optional).
• -f: Use archive file.

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Step 3: Synchronize to the Backup Directory

Use rsync to move your compressed file or raw directories to the designated backup path. This tool is efficient as it verifies the integrity of the data during the copy.

Option A: Copying a compressed tarball (Recommended)

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rsync -ahP ~/my_backup_project.tar.gz /backup/$USER/

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Option B: Copying a directory directly (if under 10 GB)

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rsync -ahP /data/home/$USER/my_folder /backup/$USER/

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• -a: Archive mode (preserves permissions and symbolic links).
• -h: Human-readable output.
• -P: Shows a progress bar during the transfer.

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Step 4: Verify the Backup

Once the transfer is complete, confirm your files are present and check the final size:

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ls -lh /backup/$USER/
du -sh /backup/$USER

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