Planning Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery for Digital Assets by Robin M. Hastings

Author:Robin M. Hastings
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC-CLIO

Application Servers

For application servers, the backups can get tricky. Many applications store their application folders and files in nonstandard places, like in user folders (generally the administrative user who has permissions to install software in a Windows machine) or in hidden folders in the C drive that starts with a period and can be difficult to find, but most use the “Program Files” folder on Windows or a /bin folder in Linux. Some applications give you the option of where to store the file and this should be an IT policy in your library, but be aware that not all software programs give you those options and documenting where each program stores its data can save time when setting up backups. It can be hard to figure out where applications put all their files, but if there is documentation for the application you are serving from your app servers, you can sometimes figure it out. If you are using off-the-shelf applications, the vendors can be helpful here, too. If you are sticking with open-source applications, sometimes a web search will turn up information on where application files are stored, but documentation can be thin on these kinds of programs, so it’s likely going to require some searching. Once you’ve determined where all the important files are, make sure to add those locations to your backups. Don’t forget to backup any applications needed for librarians to do their work—ILL software clients, files for cataloging utilities, and other specialized software is often time consuming to configure, so backing up the applications and their configuration files is important.

A note about installation media such as CDs that contain the installation files for a program—while you can usually get another copy from the vendor if necessary—it is possible (and generally advisable) to back up your installation media too. You can copy the contents of an installation CD to a folder on your cloud backup storage site and be assured that if the CD is lost or damaged in the disaster, all you need are fresh writable CDs and a CD burner to recreate the disk and reinstall the software. You only need to do this once— it doesn’t have to be a scheduled thing, since the CD won’t change! If you are using offsite storage for other paper/physical items, you could also do a burn of the installation media to a writable CD for storage there, too. Don’t forget to back up your backup solution if you go with a commercial vendor—you’ll need their software to recover your systems and if you don’t have access to it, you might not have access to your files when you need them most! Keep a copy of the software you are using (or the scripts you have written) with your backups as well—it could be vital to your recovery.

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