Data: Backing Up and Archiving
Central Processing Center
Comprehensive (total system) backup: The total IMS system is backed up every
week night (Monday through Friday). The backup starts at 11:55 P.M. and
finishes before 6 A.M. the next morning. If a file is open by a work station or
server process (e.g. web server), it can't be backed up and is therefore skipped.
This happens occasionally with some IMS files when someone leaves his/her
machine on overnight for a long running process or report.
A separate monthly backup of the IMS folder is done on the weekend. It is
generally completed around the 20th of the month. Since it would be rare that
any files are open during this backup, the backup should be complete.
Twenty generations (4 weeks) of the daily backups are kept. All of these are kept
off site except the newest one (kept on site for 1 day) and the 5 oldest ones.
Twelve generations (1 year) of the IMS monthly backups are kept. The three
oldest generations are kept on site, the rest are stored off site. Backups are not
kept beyond one year.
Data Archive: The CPC does not archive data or the IMS application.
Area Education Agency
The AEA does not have to back up anything. All files are stored at the CPC.
Bureau
Comprehensive (total system) backup: The Bureau is responsible for backing up
its own data. The server at the Bureau is backed up per the Bureau’s
requirements.
Data Archive: The finalized count file is archived on the State’s mainframe
indefinitely. The Bureau oversees this activity.