This is a very reliable backup system to use for backing up your data/document files from your computer to the server in Waterman (Zoo).
Program or application files should not be backed up as they can be reinstalled from disks.
This method will satisfy one of the recommended two backups for your files. You will also have access to these files from ANYWHERE using an ftp software application. Imagine being at a conference, or even in another building on campus, and needing a file that you did not expect and being able to retrieve it effortlessly (a bit of a stretch, but with a little training for those that do not currently use FTP, it really is quite simple)
Before you start this process you should have an optimal organizational plan as to what files you want to keep backed up. This will require a good understanding of 'file management' on your computer (the location of your files and directory structure). You will see from the example of my automated backup batch file below the need to have good disk management skills.
The described process allows you to map a drive and drag-and-drop files, the same as you are used to for mapping a drive to the image lab computer or other file shareing computer/server.
Unlike the image lab computer which currently has minimal security, your ZOO account space provides a very high level of security for confidential, sensitive data as well as maintaining data integrity. It also has unlimited space.
You can still use your FTP program to manually drag-and-drop the files into ZOO or automate the process as described below.
The DIRECTIONS for installing SAMBA are laid out at http://cit.uvm.edu/network/samba. I use MS 'Internet Explorer' when installing software on campus. When you click on the appropriate link, select the 'OPEN' button to launch the program instead of downloading it and then having to find that location and then double clicking on it to launch it. This saves a few steps and avoids the misconception that simply downloading the program automatically installs it.
Follow those directions, reboot your computer, and then…..
To Map a drive: after following the directions from the SAMBA page from above, when you complete the step of 'Start-> Run-> \\zoo' you will have a window on your desktop that shows the directory in your ZOO account.
Right click on your name and a drop down menu will appear. Left click on 'map network drive' and scroll down to the letter you want to assign. (I use 'Z' for ZOO). Put a check in the 'reconnect at login' box.
To create new directories in your ZOO file,
double click on your name and a
new window will come up with the directories and files that are already there.
You will probably see stuff you never knew existed. DO NOT rename, change or
delete any of these. Go up to the menu bar of this window and click on 'File',
'New', 'Folder' and name it "Backup_files".
OR
you can open Windows Explorer and use that to create your directories/sub-directories.
You will see in the example below the directories and the sub-directories that I have created in my 'backup_files' directory.
REMINDER
If you leave your machine running once you have logged on using your name and password there is open access to your ZOO account from your machine. You should log off when you leave your machine. START, LOGOFF username, YES.
To fully automate the backup process, I created a batch file (the good old DOS way) and have it run automatically using my scheduler. Schedular is an icon in the lower right hand corner of your screen by the clock and looks like a little calendar with a small red circle in the lower corner. You can also create a shortcut for the batch file on your desktop and double-click it. I have added my batch file to this document for reference and you will have to modify it for the specific location of your files as well as the drive letter you have set to ZOO. I backup my documents, e-mail folders, mailboxes, address book, and Netscape bookmarks. I have also mapped a drive to Waterman (ZOO) as my Z:\ drive and created a folder called "backup_files" on ZOO.
To create the file, open notepad or other text editor. You can copy and modify the lines below or type in your own. When you save it, save it on your desktop as 'backup.bat'. The icon will show up with as an MS icon.
xcopy C:\mydocu~1\*.* /s /d Z:\backup_filesThe 'xcopy' allows the switches to operate. The /s includes all of the subdirectories in 'My Documents' and the /d is an archive switch so that only new and changed documents will be copied over after the initial running of the batch file.
As this is an old DOS function, and DOS uses the 8.3 (eight characters for the file name, then a '.' and then three characters for the application extension), directory names longer that eight characters have been truncated to the first six characters followed by a '~' and then the numeral '1'. If there are more then one directory in the same directory level withe the same first six characters, then the second directory would have a '2' after the '~'. (C:\My Documents and C:\My Documentation For my Thesis would be truncated as mydocu~1 and mydocu~2 respectively)