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Your IFS Home Directory Is Backed Up Regularly

Should you accidentally delete, change, or otherwise destroy files in your IFS home directory, there are two ways you can get the files restored from the backup tapes:

• Oldfiles restores. The Oldfiles mechanism lets you access the most recent backup of your home directory yourself at no charge.
• Operator restores. You can ask the IFS staff to restore files for you. The IFS operators have access to previous backups, including several done within the past week, as well weekly backups for about the last six months and once-a-term backups going back about a year. There is a $10 fee for this service.

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Oldfiles Restores—Accessing the Most Recent Backup

Your Oldfiles backup is written over each time a new backup is made. IFS consists of many volumes, and different volumes are backed up at different times of day. As soon as one backup of the volume that houses your files is finished, a new one begins. Depending on how much data is on that volume, the backup can take anywhere from one to three days to complete.

Oldfiles is located inside your IFS directory, and its name begins with a dot (that is, .oldfiles). Oldfiles is also available inside group IFS directories. The .oldfiles folder/directory is normally hidden. Follow the instructions below to see it.

Using mFile on the Web

1. Log in to mFile at http://mfile.umich.edu/.
2. In the Folder Properties box at the left, under the View Options heading, click the Show Hidden Files link.

   

3. Your .oldfiles folder will appear in your list of files and folders. You may need to scroll to see it. Click .oldfiles to open it.

   

Using SSH Software on a Windows Computer

1. Use secure file transfer software to connect to your home directory (or group directory). ITCS provides SSH Secure Shell for this purpose. See Using SSH Secure Shell to Transfer Files with sftp [Windows] (S4299) for details. Members of the U-M community can download SSH Secure Shell software at no charge from the Blue Disc web page.
2. From the SSH View menu, select Show Hidden Files.

   

3. The .oldfiles folder will appear in your list of directories/folders and files. Look inside it for the most recent backup of your files.

   

Using Fugu on a Macintosh Computer

1. Use secure file transfer software to connect to your home directory (or group directory). ITCS provides Fugu for Mac OS X for this purpose. Fugu, which was developed at U-M, can be downloaded from the Blue Disc web site. For information about using Fugu, see Fugu's Help; from the Help menu, select Fugu README.
2. From Fugu's SFTP menu, select Show Hidden Files.

   

3. The .oldfiles folder will appear in your list of directories/folders and files. Look inside it for the most recent backup of your files.

   

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Operator Restores—Asking IFS Backup Staff for Help

Note that only entire IFS home directories can be restored. This means when you request a restore, you will actually get the entire home directory restored. The restored version of your home directory will be put in a different location (that is, it won't overwrite your current home directory) and will be kept there for you to access for one week and then removed. If you would like to have access to those files for more than one week, copy them into your home directory or to some other file storage medium.

To request an operator restore, send e-mail to ifs-restore@umich.edu and include the following information:

• Your name

• Your uniqname

• Where on IFS the file is (the pathname)

• The date you last saw the file

If you are a student, the $10 restore fee will be billed to your student account. If you are a faculty or staff member, the cost will be covered by your department or by other departmental funds; you will not be billed.

The IFS staff will attach a restored version of your directory to your existing directory. The staff will send you e-mail telling you the name of the restored directory and the pathname to it. The restored version will contain all your files and applications exactly as they looked at the time of the backup on the date you specify. You can then retrieve the information and make use of it. The restored volume does not take up any of your IFS file space during the time it is attached to your existing directory. Its disk space is not counted towards the total disk space you are using.

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Additional Resources

Using SSH Secure Shell to Transfer Files with sftp [Windows] (S4299)

IFS Overview (R1070)

Using Your IFS Home Directory Over the Web with mFile (S4311)

We welcome your comments; please send e-mail.

ITCS's Online Help Desk provides a variety of computing help resources.

For further help with IFS, send e-mail or phone (734) 764-HELP.

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