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McGill University Managed Backup Service
Service Description and
Service Level Agreement
Project Title: x
Request#: y
Prepared by Network and Communications Services
Document Control
Revision Date Description Approved
No. By
0.3 January 24, 2007 Draft 3
1.0 February 26, 2007 Changes to restore component, wording changes, GB
contact changes, remove NetWare exclude list
1.1 March 5, 2007 Changed level 5 escalation contact to just CIO GB
1.2 April 18, 2007 Put Project Title and Request# on cover page
1.3 Jan 30, 2008 Update NCS contact info and links
Changed Level 2 Escalation
1.4 March 18, 2008 Client must pay full amount
McGill University Managed Backup Service ii ii
Table of Contents
Document Control ............................................................................................................................. ii
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ iii
Executive Summary and Agreement ............................................................................................ v
Understood and Agreed by Client representative ............................................................................ v
Service Description .......................................................................................................................... 1
Eligibility ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Acceptable Usage Policy ............................................................................................................ 1
Service Architecture .................................................................................................................... 1
Client support ........................................................................................................................... 2
Client machine location ............................................................................................................ 3
Off-site backups and storage ................................................................................................... 3
On-site storage ......................................................................................................................... 3
Backup expiration ..................................................................................................................... 3
Restores ................................................................................................................................... 3
Futures ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Chargeback and Pricing .............................................................................................................. 4
McGill University Managed Backup Requests ......................................................................... 4
McGill University Managed Backup Tiers ................................................................................ 4
Chargeback .............................................................................................................................. 5
Equipment Life Expectancy ...................................................................................................... 5
Service Level Agreement .............................................................................................................. 6
General ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Certification ................................................................................................................................. 6
Components ................................................................................................................................ 6
Servers ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Backups .................................................................................................................................... 7
Backup Policy ................................................................................................................................. 7
Scheduling ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Excludes ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Agents ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Multiplexing and Multistreaming ................................................................................................... 8
Special backup requests .................................................................................................................. 8
Audit ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Restores ................................................................................................................................... 8
Normal Priority .............................................................................................................................. 8
Heightened Priority ...................................................................................................................... 8
Special “Bulk” Restores (e.g. client system upgrades) .......................................................... 9
Vaulting .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Backup Announcements and Errors ........................................................................................ 9
Major Backup System and equipment problems...................................................................... 9
Purchasing................................................................................................................................ 9
Pricing ............................................................................................................................................ 9
Maintenance Window ................................................................................................................ 10
Client Machine maintenance/downtime/changes ...................................................................... 10
McGill University Managed Backup Service iii iii
Backup software ........................................................................................................................ 11
Upgrades and patches ........................................................................................................... 11
License and software ownership ............................................................................................ 11
Policies ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Amendment and Distribution Policy .......................................................................................... 11
Contract Termination ................................................................................................................. 12
Communications Plan ............................................................................................................... 12
Monitoring Services ................................................................................................................... 12
Change Requests...................................................................................................................... 14
Problem Support Services ........................................................................................................ 14
Escalation .................................................................................................................................. 15
Internal escalation process:.................................................................................................... 15
Appendix A – Contact Information ................................................................................................. 16
Appendix B – McGill University Managed Backup Service Access Policy .................................... 17
Appendix C – McGill University Backup Service Security Policy .................................................. 18
Appendix D – McGill University Managed Backup Service Buyback Agreement ......................... 19
Appendix E – McGill University Managed Backup Service Basic Criteria for Backups ................ 20
Appendix F – McGill University Managed Backup Service Backup Details form .......................... 21
Appendix G – McGill University Managed Backup Service NCS starter Exclude Lists ................ 25
NCS starter Exclude Lists ........................................................................................................... 25
UNIX ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Windows ................................................................................................................................. 26
Appendix H – McGill University Managed Backup Service Description of the backups provided to
the client ........................................................................................................................................ 27
McGill University Managed Backup Service iv iv
Executive Summary and Agreement
Network and Communications Services administers an enterprise backup system using
enterprise-scale backup servers and tape libraries to back up server class machines. Backups
can be accomplished either over the IP or SAN networks.
This Service Level Agreement formally outlines the details, goals, and support and problem
resolution procedures for McGill University’s Managed Backup Service. Any department that
wants to leverage this managed service will pay only for the incremental cost of the existing
infrastructure and all out of pocket client expenses such as client licenses and tapes. The cost is
calculated based on a three-year amortization schedule and the price will be readjusted every six
months to take into account any manufacturers’ price changes.
Signed by NCS representative
Signature
Name
Title
Department
Phone
Date
Understood and Agreed by Client representative
Faculty or
Department
Signature
Name
Title
Department
Phone
Date
McGill University Managed Backup Service v v
Service Description
The McGill University Managed Backup Service provides backup and restore capabilities to
clients. Clients purchase from Network and Communications Services (NCS), backup
infrastructure to meet the client requirements, a backup client license(s), and tapes. There is no
minimum or maximum backup requirement that can be requested.
Eligibility
This service is available to all McGill University faculties, departments, and affiliated research
units.
Acceptable Usage Policy
All commercial activities are specifically excluded from Backup Service participation.
Further governance is provided by the following policies:
McGill University Policy on Intellectual Property
McGill University Computing Facilities Code of Conduct for Users
Service Architecture
Backup systems are comprised of backup servers and tape libraries (see Figure 1). The backup
server provides the scheduling of the backup jobs and the cataloging of the backed up data. It
also manages the flow of data from the client machine to the backup destination. Usually, the
final backup destination for the data is a tape in the tape library.
The McGill University Managed Backup Service employs Veritas’ NetBackup Enterprise Server
as backup software. It utilizes a SUN V880 and a SUN V480 as backup servers, and a Quantum
P4000 tape library and a StorageTek L700 tape library. The backup servers and the tape
libraries are connected using infrastructure provided by McGill University’s Managed Storage
Services.
The Quantum P4000 tape library contains 10 SDLT320 tape drives and 322 tape slots. The
StorageTek L700e tape library contains 5 LTO2 tape drives, 3 LTO3 tape drives, and 1 SDLT320
tape drive for compatibility with the Quantum tape library, and 678 tape slots.
Typically what is required to perform a backup is a backup client license, backup software
installed on the client machine, and a backup policy. The backup software allows backup
communication between the client machine and the backup server. The backup policy defines
most of the parameters to control the backup itself for example when to run the backup, what to
back up, and how long to retain the backed up data.
Tape pools are defined to contain client machines that share the same backup retention
characteristics. NCS attempts to fill tapes to capacity with as many backups from various client
machines as possible. Thus, the tape containing a client’s backup data usually contains data
from other backup clients.
Provision can be made to have the client’s backup data on tapes used exclusively by the client if
required by law and requested by the client. In all other cases, the client’s backup data will be put
onto tapes shared with backup clients of similar backup retention characteristics.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 1 1
Figure 1 - Typical Backup System
NCS’ standard practice is to back up a client machine over the IP network and most backups are
done in this fashion. Client machines with either 1Gbps or 100Mbps network connections can be
backed up, although 1Gbps network connections are always preferred, and recommended for
client machines with greater than 100GB of data. Commodity gigabit network connections are
available at a reasonable price from NCS.
Provision can be made for backups over the SAN. This is recommended for client machines
already connected to McGill University’s Managed Storage Service (SAN) with greater than
250GB of data. An extra cost for this functionality must be paid for by the client. Please see
Figure 2 for further details.
Clients may want to use a backup database agent to backup up their database rather than
deploying a process to dump the database via a script for backup purposes. The disadvantage of
using a dump script is that extra storage is required on the server to store the database dump file,
and the client must manage these dump files stored on his/her server. The database can be
backed up directly without any additional storage if a backup database agent is used. An extra
cost for the backup database agent, both purchase and yearly maintenance must be paid for by
the client. Please see Figure 2 for further details.
Backups are usually written directly to tape. When tape drive speed or tape resources become a
bottleneck, NCS stages the backup to disk and then copies the data from disk to tape after the
backup is completed.
Client support
Please consult with NCS to ensure that the client machine’s operating system is supported by the
McGill University Managed Backup Service prior to engaging NCS in this service. Veritas’
NetBackup Enterprise Server product publishes an operating system compatibility list which NCS
follows. NCS may be able to support some flavors of Linux not on the compatibility list if they
support the Linux 2.4 kernel compatibility libraries which the Veritas NetBackup RedHat2.4 Linux
client can use.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 2 2
Client machine location
NCS recommends that client machines be physically located in the Burnside Hall machine room
in close proximity to the backup system. This arrangement provides the least amount of network
latency during backups and restores, and 24x7 monitoring.
NCS will not refuse to back up a client machine in a location different from Burnside Hall unless
the client machine does not meet the basic criteria for backups. Please see Appendix E for
further details.
Off-site backups and storage
The McGill University Managed Backup Service offers the ability to make off-site copies of
backups as an option. This is typically done only for full backups unless specifically requested
and paid for by the client. Daily, after the backups complete, a special vault job is run to make
the duplicate tape copy that is to be sent offsite.
The McGill University Managed Backup Service offsite provider is Iron Mountain. Their offsite
facility is not within the campus. Tapes are picked up and returned from Iron Mountain each day.
On-site storage
NCS must eject tapes from the tape library from time to time as there are a finite number of slots
in the tape libraries used by NCS. This allows NCS to make room for new tapes that will be
written to or that are required for restore requests. The ejected tapes are stored within the
Burnside Hall machine room until they are required or expire.
Backup expiration
Each backup has an associated expiration date as paid for by the client. Once the expiration
date is met, the backup is deleted automatically by the backup system and is no longer available
for restore.
Restores
The client can do their own restores if so desired. If the client decides to do their own restores,
we ask that they contact NCS Operations at 398-3699 before starting a restore. NCS Operations
can inform you of any upcoming work or service which might interfere with your restore or
resource availability for your restore, and can contact you should your restore fail.
Also, the NCS Operations Supervisors are equipped to perform the restores for you. We ask that
you contact the NCS Operations at NCSOperations@campus.mcgill.ca or 398-3699 with the
details for your restore, and the NCS Operations Supervisor will run your restore for you. During
off-hours, the On-Duty NCS Operator will page the Operations Supervisor on call to perform your
restore.
Please see the Restores section later for further details.
Futures
NCS is always investigating new backup technologies in an effort to meet customer needs,
backup windows, and to make better use of the resources available. NCS is working to provide a
redundant backup system to ease recoverability and serviceability.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 3 3
Chargeback and Pricing
McGill University Managed Backup Requests
For more information, contact NCS via email for any inquiries or requests of service. The
Manager of Research Computing Services (514-398-5480) is the liaison between our clients and
NCS.
McGill University Managed Backup Tiers
NCS offers three standard backup tiers with varying prices and features. The following table
summarizes the difference in the three offerings. The initial purchase will cover the cost of the
NetBackup client license. There is no client license charge for any additional increments of
backup for clients already being backed up, unless advanced licenses like a database agent are
desired/required NCS also offers customized backups to meet client needs that do not fall under
the above standard backup tiers. Please contact NCS for this service.
Classification Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Server type Production Development Research
Full backup retention 5 weeks 3 months 1 year
Full backup frequency Once a week Once a month Once
Incremental backup method Differential Cumulative Differential
and
Differential
Incremental backup retention 5 weeks 5 weeks 1 year
Incremental backup frequency Daily Weekly and Daily
Daily
Full backup offsite copy Included Optional Optional
Cost per TB $35,508 $8,456 $8,251
SAN backup agent Call Call Call
Backup database agent Call Call Call
FlashBackup agent Call Call Call
Figure 2 – Backup Tiers Comparison
(Pricing as of Jan 5, 2007)
McGill University Managed Backup Service 4 4
Chargeback
The client will be charged for the full amount when the work begins.
Equipment Life Expectancy
The equipment is expected to have a 6 to 7 year life expectancy. The various vendors have yet to
set an end of life date for their products. After the initial 3 year TCO, NCS will continue to
purchase annual maintenance from the vendors until NCS has deemed the annual maintenance
too expensive or the products have reached end of life. When this date arrives, NCS will need to
repurchase equipment to replace the existing equipment. At that time, the client will be required
to repurchase their backup needs as per the new pricing model. NCS will consult with the client
prior to repurchasing the equipment.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 5 5
Service Level Agreement
General
The McGill University Managed Backup Service is managed as a shared resource for all clients.
The shared resources include policies, tapes, and all equipment. Client backups with similar
backup characteristics are grouped and run together. This is done to get the best utilization
possible out of the shared resources and thus offer to the client the lowest possible cost for
backups. For example, backups of similar characteristics may be written to the same tape.
If required by law, provision can be made to have the client’s backup data written to tapes used
exclusively by the client. In all other cases, the client’s backup data will be put onto tapes shared
with other clients.
Certification
The client machine’s operating system must be supported by and compatible with the backup
software, Veritas’ NetBackup Enterprise Server. Veritas publishes a compatibility list regularly.
NCS may require the client to upgrade their client machine’s operating system as the vendor
discontinues support for older operating systems. NCS may also require the client to postpone
client machine operating system upgrades until backup software support can be secured. In both
cases, NCS will announce discontinued or added operating system support as it is announced by
Veritas.
NCS may be able to support some flavors of Linux not on the vendor compatibility list if they
support the Linux 2.4 kernel compatibility libraries which the Veritas NetBackup RedHat2.4 Linux
client can use. In these cases, the client must accept that NCS cannot get formal support from
the vendor, but NCS will make every effort to get support from the vendor should a problem arise.
The client must contact NCS at least three months in advance of any planned upgrade to their
operating environment in order to obtain backup support and compatibility.
Components
Servers
The McGill University Managed Backup Service is intended for server class machines. A server
class machine is defined as any machine which serves data to users and does not function as a
desktop machine. At this time, desktop backup service is not offered.
NCS recommends a minimum of a gigabit network connection for client machines requesting
backup services by the McGill University Managed Backup Service.
NCS requires the client machine to have a gigabit network connection that allows for backups if it
has 100GB or more of data storage.
A client machine with a 10Mbps network connection requesting backup services will not be
accepted.
NCS recommends that backups for client machines with 250GB or more of SAN storage (i.e.
connected to the McGill University Managed Storage Service) be done over the SAN instead of
the IP network.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 6 6
Backups
The client is required to fill in and return the Backup Details form included in Appendix F before
work begins to implement the backup for the client machine.
Then, NCS will work with the client and complete all work necessary to configure and install all
components required to start backing up the client machine. A maximum of 5 working days is
required to complete this task.
Backup Policy
The backup policy implements most of the details from the Backup Details form including the
backup window, backup schedules, and backup retention. Common backup policies are used for
client machines of similar backup characteristics.
Scheduling
Typically, backups are run on systems when there is the least amount of user activity which is
usually overnight. NCS recommends a backup window between 7PM and 6AM. The size of the
backup window is dictated by the speed at which the backup runs and the amount of data that
must be backed up.
Backups can be scheduled either automatically by a backup server or initiated from the client
machine. In most cases, clients are scheduled automatically by a backup server. If the client so
chooses to initiate the backup from the client machine, it is the client’s responsibility to manage
this process.
Excludes
There are a number of files on each different type of operating system which do not need to be
backed up, like temporary files. NCS deploys a set of exclude lists for their clients which can be
customized for the client. NCS requires client signoff for the exclude list before deployment and if
any changes are requested or required at a later date. NCS has supplied their starter exclude
lists for well known operating systems in Appendix G.
Agents
Databases and other application programs that use structured data require the data be in a
consistent state when backed up for recovery purposes. There are two choices available to the
client: the client purchases the Veritas NetBackup Enterprise Server agent license and support if
available, or the client uses the database or application program dump method to dump the
structured data to a flat file. If the latter method is chosen, the dump must complete prior to the
backup starting, and it is the client’s responsibility to manage the dump files and procedure, and
restore the database from a restored dump file. NCS has supplied the dump procedures for
some well know databases. If the client purchases the NetBackup database agent and support,
the agent coordinates the backup and restore with the NetBackup backup system and
database(s) directly. The client is required to configure the database agent components for
backup and restore initially and again if any change is made to the database that would affect the
existing setup.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 7 7
Multiplexing and Multistreaming
Multistreaming is a technique deployed on servers with more than one volume and controller that
allows multiple volumes to be backed up at the same time. This technique would shorten the
backup time by backing up the various servers’ volumes or partitions at the same time. NCS
recommends multistreaming on client machines with 250GB or more of data.
Multiplexing is a technique deployed to keep tape drives writing data to tapes at optimum speed.
Tape drive and tape technology dictate that this is a best practice and every effort is made by
NCS to abide by this best practice. NCS will multiplex the backups of slow client machines (i.e.
client backups that do not backup their data at tape write speed) to one tape to get optimum
speed.
Special backup requests
NCS is prepared to service special backups requested by the client should the need arise. For
example, the client requires a long term backup of data that will be deleted from the client
machine after the backup is successfully completed or an upgrade or migration. These requests
must be submitted to the Operations Supervisor via email before the job is started. Also the client
must agree to pay for any out of pocket expenses, including any tapes used for this job, prior to
NCS starting the work.
Audit
NCS will audit the backup system annually to verify the client is not backing up more than
charged. If more data is being backed up, the client will be required to pay a supplemental cost
for the duration of the client's contract.
Restores
NCS requests that restores be coordinated and run by the NCS Operations Supervisor whom can
be contacted through NCS Operations at NCSOperations@campus.mcgill.ca or 398-3699. They
are best equipped to perform this operation in a timely fashion and understand what resources
are available and might be required. The client is required to fill in and return the Restore Request
form before the restore is started.
The client can do their own restores if so desired, but is still required to contact NCS Operations
at 398-3699 before starting a restore. NCS Operations can inform you of any upcoming work or
service which might interfere with your restore or resource availability for your restore, and can
contact you should your restore fail.
Normal Priority
All requests for restores to be carried out by NCS Operations must be sent by email and must be
listed in the Contacts information on the Backup Details form for the client machine.
During regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays)
restores from a single source (backup tape) will normally be started within three hours from the
receipt of the request, barring system or equipment problems and scheduled outages.
After regular business hours, restores will be completed with an eight hour response between the
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (evenings, weekends and holidays) e.g. a request for a restore
at 10:00 p.m. will only be measured from 9:00 a.m. the next morning and will be completed by
5:00 p.m.
Heightened Priority
McGill University Managed Backup Service 8 8
During normal business hours, restores to be carried out by NCS Operations will be done on a
priority basis and will normally be started within one hour. To initiate these requests, the System
Administrator must call NCS Operations at 398-3699. This must be followed up with an email to
NCSOperations@campus.mcgill.ca giving the restore details as per the Restore Request form
before the restore is started. The hour will be measured from the receipt of the email.
Special “Bulk” Restores (e.g. client system upgrades)
These restores are usually done when a machine is being upgraded and may require a great deal
of time to set up. In order to ensure the successful completion of these requests, a minimum of
one week’s notice is required. This time will be used to set up and test the appropriate restore
parameters.
Vaulting
Every effort is made to get the offsite copy made as soon as possible. If for some reason your
offsite copy cannot be made, the client will be notified by the documented method for backup
notification in the Backup Details form.
Backup Announcements and Errors
There are two methods to notify the client automatically as to the state of their client machine’s
backups. The first method is done automatically at the end of each backup job. The backup
program has the capability of sending a brief notice about the success or failure of the backup
with a status code as soon as the backup completes. If the client has completed the Email
addresses for notification of problems field on the Backup Details form, then the client will receive
this brief note after each backup. However, most clients feel this note is too brief. The second
method preferred by most clients is to have daily email notification of full information of each
backup job emailed to them. This is a scheduled task run by the backup server and it runs
independent of any backup jobs. NCS attempts to have this emailed to the client first thing in the
morning.
Backups are scheduled to run in the window requested by the client. If there was a backup error
or the backup did not complete in the client backup window, the client will be notified according to
the Backup Details form client contact information usually by 9:00 a.m. of the following morning
barring any problems with the McGill email system. NCS will work with the client to resolve the
problem and resubmit the backup if necessary.
Major Backup System and equipment problems
We make every effort to keep the components running smoothly. However, we may encounter
equipment problems. Problem reports are sent to the NBU-NEWS@campus.mcgill.ca, updated
every three hours during normal working hours. Status reports are also emailed for the
installation of priority and security patches.
Purchasing
NCS will act as the sole Backup equipment supplier for the client.
Pricing
The price charged to clients for backups is based on two items: backup infrastructure cost and out of pocket
expenses for the client. The backup infrastructure is composed of backup servers, tape libraries,
connectivity, and disk staging space. NCS charges the client a backup infrastructure cost based on what it
takes to back up the client's machines. The out of pocket expenses charged to the client include the backup
client license(s) cost and the cost of the tapes to backup the client's data. All clients are required to pay the
McGill University Managed Backup Service 9 9
out of pocket expenses. A detailed list of what is being provided to the client for backups is given in
Appendix H - McGill University Managed Backup Service Description of the backups provided to the
client.
Maintenance Window
NCS will require backup system maintenance windows.
A maintenance window affecting the backup system of duration longer than 4 hours is
required every Wednesday from 10am until 6pm. Major upgrades would be done during
this maintenance window.
A maintenance window affecting the backup system of duration up to 4 hours is required
every day any time between 10am and 4pm.
In most cases, maintenance will be performed when no backups or restores are submitted or
running. Every effort will be made to work around any special scheduling for backups or restores
during any maintenance. NCS may ask for the client’s permission to submit the backup or
restore after the maintenance. Any urgent backup or restore will take precedence and if possible,
NCS will back off, postpone or interrupt the maintenance to allow the backup or restore to be
completed.
Major security threats and emergency maintenance may require work to be done outside of these
hours. All efforts will be made to do this work in the maintenance window but circumstances may
dictate otherwise.
NCS will notify the client of any scheduled downtime and NCS will provide the client with detailed
information about the change by Friday at 17:00 preceding the requested date.
The backup system uses the McGill University Managed Storage Service (SAN) for connectivity
between the backup servers and the tape libraries. Therefore, the backup system will require
downtime when maintenance is scheduled for the McGill University Managed Storage Service
(SAN).
Client Machine maintenance/downtime/changes
NCS must be informed of any of the following issues which might affect the backups on the client
machine and their duration:
upgrades or patching
For Windows machines, this applies to version or service pack upgrades.
For UNIX machines, this applies to versions, updates, kernels, and any libc packages.
installation of any new application program that has special backup requirements (e.g.
databases, portal services, etc)
machine failure
downtime
addition of disk space
The client will be required to pay a supplement backup charge for the extra data backed up
according to the cost at the time of the assessment, pro-rated to the contract termination.
disk layout changes which could affect multistream jobs
It is strongly suggested that the client try to schedule any server upgrade to follow the regularly
scheduled full backup for their server.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 10 10
Backup software
Upgrades and patches
Upgrades and patches become available from the backup software vendor to include new
functionality or to fix problems. There are two components to the backup software, the backup
server software and the backup client software. NCS will keep the backup software as up-to-date
as possible depending on reliability and testing of the latest software version, and functionality or
new client support required by the client.
NCS will upgrade the backup server software before any of the backup client software. NCS will
work with the client to upgrade the backup client software when required.
Major software upgrades usually happen once a year.
Minor software upgrades usually happen every quarter.
License and software ownership
The client backup software license is transferable to another operating system should the client
change operating system platforms. This does not apply to specialized backup software agents
as NCS’ cost changes depending on platform and machine size.
NCS maintains multiple copies of the backup software should the client require re-installation.
The client may obtain a copy of the client backup software from NCS if required.
Policies
The McGill University Managed Backup Service Access Policy Agreement (Appendix B)
describes the rules governing access to the equipment.
The McGill University Managed Backup Service Security Policy Agreement (Appendix C)
describes the responsibilities of the client and their users of the Backup facilities.
Amendment and Distribution Policy
This Service Level Agreement can be amended to at any time when both the NCS and the client
agree to the amendment.
This Service Level Agreement must be signed by at least one person responsible for the client
services. A paper copy of this agreement will be kept by NCS.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 11 11
Contract Termination
Either NCS or the client under the terms of this agreement may terminate the agreement after the
initial one-year period. Written notice must be provided to NCS sixty (60) days prior to
termination. NCS will provide notice of termination of the agreement to university and client
management.
Should a client wish to withdraw its Backup service participation, NCS will reimburse the client for
the equipment purchased by the client based on the equipment depreciation schedule as
documented in the McGill University Managed Backup Service Buyback Agreement (Appendix
D).
All out of pocket costs paid for by the client are not reimbursable.
The client may terminate the contract without cause after the initial year of service.
NCS may terminate the contract if it is unable to provide the level of service required or fulfill the
client’s ongoing backup needs, or the client has not fulfilled other obligations as detailed in the
Service Level Agreement.
Communications Plan
All Backup service problems should be reported to NCS Operations at 398-3699 or via email at
NCSOperations@campus.mcgill.ca.
The client will contact NCS Server Hosting via email at NCSServerHosting@campus.mcgill.ca for
any new or additional Backup services.
The NCS Enterprise Systems group, reachable via email at enterprise.ncs@mcgill.ca, acts as the
NCS Backup Service administrators and can be contacted for any technical Backup service
inquiries.
NCS has created a mailing list, NBU-NEWS@campus.mcgill.ca, for backup system
announcements where NCS post downtimes and various other items of general interest to our
backup community.
During the process of adding the client machine to NCS’ backup system, NCS will add all client
contact email addresses provided in the Backup Details form to this mailing list.
The client must provide NCS 9x5 workday contact information.
The client may provide NCS 24x7x365 contact information.
The client must also provide escalation contact information.
NCS will act as the sole Backup service contact for the client.
NCS will work with the client to resolve backup related issues.
NCS is solely responsible for Backup service vendor/provider relationships and the service
agreements with these parties.
NCS will keep the client informed of any updates or changes and will hold an annual review
meeting with the client.
The client will keep NCS informed of any proposed changes, upgrades or downtime to any
backup-connected equipment.
Monitoring Services
NCS continuously monitors the various Backup service components. NCS Operations is alerted
to error conditions and will notify the client and the NCS support person on-call. MRTG is used to
McGill University Managed Backup Service 12 12
monitor IP and SAN network utilization. Past usage statistics are available at
http://mrtg.ncs.mcgill.ca
McGill University Managed Backup Service 13 13
Change Requests
All requests for changes must be sent to NCS Backup Service administrators via email at
enterprise.ncs@mcgill.ca.
All change requests will be responded to within one day and processed within one week of
receipt of the email. A maximum of 5 working days is required to add a new client to the backup
system. Most other requests should be completed within 3 working days.
Problem Support Services
All problems must be reported to NCS Operations at 398-3699.
The client establishes the problem severity.
Nature of the Severity Description
request level
Problem 1 – High System down, data loss
Problem 2 - Medium Backup or restore problem
Change request 3 - Low Reconfiguration or addition
Figure 3 - Default Support Severity Levels
NCS support personnel response time to problem after client contact with NCS:
Period Severity level 1 Severity level 2 Severity level 3
Business hours 1 hour* 4 hours* Next business day
Off hours 2 hours* 8 hours* Next business day
Figure 4 - Support Response Time
The client will be notified when the NCS support person has arrived onsite. NCS will provide the
client with hourly updates on the progress of the problem resolution.
Notes:
Service agreements with Backup Service suppliers:
o SUN service agreement is 24x7x365 SUN will be onsite within 4 hours.
o Quantum service agreement is 24x7x365 Quantum will be onsite within 4 hours.
o StorageTek service agreement is 24x7x365 Storagetek will be onsite within 4
hours.
o Service agreements with McGill NCS Voice Technologies and NCS Network
Operations Centre for network related services applies.
o Service agreements with McGill University Managed Storage service applies.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 14 14
Escalation
The escalation process for any scheduled or unscheduled problem is detailed below.
NCS Operations will act as the single point of contact for problem reporting, progress and follow-
up, problem resolution, and escalation.
NCS Computer Operator, 24x7x365, 514-398-3699
If the call is urgent service, inform the operator when making the call.
The operator will contact the NCS support person on-call.
The operator will escalate the problem to a higher level upon your request.
Internal escalation process:
Level 1 NCS Computer Operator
Level 2 NCS Enterprise Systems, Systems Engineering, Manager
Level 3 NCS Associate Director, Systems Engineering
Level 4 NCS Director
Level 5 McGill University Chief Information Officer
McGill University Managed Backup Service 15 15
Appendix A – Contact Information
Administrative Contact
Contact Name
Title
Address
Telephone
Pager
Cell
E-mail address
Technical Contact
Contact Name
Title
Address
Telephone
Pager
Cell
E-mail address
Technical Contact
Contact Name
Title
Address
Telephone
Pager
Cell
E-mail address
McGill University Managed Backup Service 16 16
Appendix B – McGill University Managed Backup
Service Access Policy
Only authorized NCS personnel, NCS Backup Service administrators and Operations staff, will
access the Backup Service equipment in either NCS or the client’s facilities.
The client cannot refuse access to the client’s facilities, for the purpose of Backup Service
maintenance and repair, should it be requested by NCS Backup Service administrators.
NCS Backup Service administrators will not enter into the client’s premises unless prior consent
was given by the client.
The client must be present in their facilities while the NCS Backup Service administrator is
present unless agreed to by the client.
The client must notify NCS Backup Service administrator prior to powering off the service.
In all cases, client premises access is requested for the purpose of installation, upgrade, or
problem determination and troubleshooting.
NCS exclusively manages the Backup Service to maintain the shared integrity and security of this
environment. The client will not be given management access to the Backup Service. Any
breech of this agreement will be dealt with by ISTsecurity immediately.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 17 17
Appendix C – McGill University Backup Service Security
Policy
NCS will monitor any changes in the Backup Service environment and notify the client of any
change or problems.
The client must report any security issues detected to ISTsecurity immediately via NCS
Operations.
The client and their user base are forbidden from using the Backup Service for any commercial
activities. Any violations must be reported to ISTsecurity immediately via NCS Operations.
The client may be given access to the restore facilities within the Backup Service.
NCS exclusively manages the Backup Service to maintain the shared integrity and security of this
environment. The client will not be given management access to the Backup Service. Any
breech of this agreement will be dealt with by ISTsecurity immediately.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 18 18
Appendix D – McGill University Managed Backup
Service Buyback Agreement
Should a client wish to withdraw its Backup Service participation, NCS will reimburse the client for
the equipment purchased by the client based on the equipment depreciation schedule described
below.
The equipment will amortize over three years: 40% the first year, 35% the second year and 25%
the third year.
For example, on a $100,000 prepayment: after year one, $60,000 is returned to the client, after
year two, $25,000 is returned to the client, after year three, no funds are returned to the client.
Client may cancel the contract only after year one or year two anniversary, with thirty days written
notice.
NCS will not charge the client any cancellation or disconnect fees.
All out of pocket costs paid for by the client are not reimbursable.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 19 19
Appendix E – McGill University Managed Backup
Service Basic Criteria for Backups
The McGill University Managed Backup Service is meant to back up server class machines.
NCS does not have the facilities or functionality to backup desktops.
NCS recommends that client machines be physically located in the Burnside Hall machine room
in close proximity to the backup system. This arrangement provides the least amount of network
latency during backups and restores, and 24x7 monitoring.
NCS will not refuse to back up a client machine in a location different from Burnside Hall unless
the client machine does not meet the basic criteria for backups.
NCS recommends a minimum of a gigabit network connection for client machines requesting
backup services by the McGill University Managed Backup Service.
NCS requires the client machine to have a gigabit network connection that allows for backups if it
has 100GB or more of data storage.
A client machine with a 10Mbps network connection requesting backup services will not be
accepted.
NCS recommends that backups for client machines with 250GB or more of SAN storage (i.e.
connected to the McGill University Managed Storage Service) be done over the SAN instead of
the IP network.
The client may be required to increase the network connection of the client’s machine or be
asked to deploy other improvements at the client’s expense if the backup window cannot be met
due to the inability of the client machine to deliver the data to the backup servers within the
backup window constraint dictated by the client.
In order for NCS to provide a preliminary quote for services required, the following information
should be provided by the client:
Number of machines to back up, operating system each machine runs, and network
connectivity for each machine
Amount of disk space to back up
What is the daily rate of change of the data
How long does the backed up data have to be kept
Are there any databases running on any of the machines
McGill University Managed Backup Service 20 20
Appendix F – McGill University Managed Backup Service
Backup Details form (Sample)
Client information for backups
Backup Description
We suggest a backup cycle is one week.
We would do one full backup one day of the week and differential backups on the other days of the week.
A differential backup is a backup of only the data that has changed since the last backup.
We also would collect true image restore information with move detection.
This process collects move and deletion information in case you would like to restore to a point in time.
The true image restore is a choice in the restore process.
Normally, we restore from a normal backup and not from a true image backup.
Please fill in the following information for our records.
General purpose of machine
Production, Development or Test machine _Production_
This helps us suggest a backup policy appropriate for the machine.
Machine specifications
Machine fully qualified machine name _.mcgill.ca_
Machine IP address _132.206.x.y_
Machine OS and patch level ____________________
Machine file system type(s) ____________________
Multiple NICs on machine _NO_ (YES or NO)
Multiple IP addresses on machine _NO_ (YES or NO)
IP address to use for backups _132.206.x.y_
Network connectivity
Firewall on machine _NO_ (YES or NO)
If so, which one (ipfil, ipchains, Windows) ____________________
Firewall allows access for backups ____________________ (YES or NO)
Router access list in place _YES_ (YES or NO)
Router access list allows access for backups _YES_ (YES or NO)
(NCS can take care of this for you)
DNS entry in place _YES_ (YES or NO)
(NCS can take care of this for you)
Machine known by multiple names _NO_ (YES or NO)
Fully qualified machine name to use for backups _.mcgill.ca_
McGill University Managed Backup Service 21 21
Backup requirements
What to back up _FULL SYSTEM_
(Full system or list all requiring backups)
Quantity of data to back up per week(OS) ________________
OS Full and Cumulative backup retention _5 WEEKS_
Quantity of data to back up per week (data) _________________
Data Full backup retention _NOT REQUIRED_
Data Cumulative backup retention _________________
Please describe the difference between OS and Data backups
This machine does not require a separate backup policy for the OS and data.
Cumulative or Differential backup _DIFFERENTIAL_
(CUMULATIVE or DIFFERENTIAL)
Oracle backups
Database is backed up daily by NBU policy=?
A full hot database backup is done daily on x
A differential hot database backup is done other days of the week.
We do not do cumulative or differential database backups.
Database archivelogs are backed up hourly by NBU policy=?
Backup window
Data backup
From what time ____________________________
To what time ____________________________
Preferred day for full backup ____________________________
OS backup
From what time ____________________________
To what time ____________________________
Preferred day for full backup ____________________________
Database backup
From what time ____________________________
To what time ____________________________
Preferred day for full backup ____________________________
Database archivelog backup
From what time _HOURLY_
To what time _______
Preferred day for full backup _EVERY DAY_
Vaulting (off site copies) _YES_ (YES or NO)
The client will pay for the extra tapes required for this functionality.
The client must change the backup pricing spreadsheet to include vaulting.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 22 22
Database
Is any type of database installed on this machine _NO_ (YES or NO)
If yes, which database and version is installed ___________
Do you require a backup of your database ___________ (YES or NO)
Do you intend to buy a backup agent for your database ___________ (YES or NO)
If no, would you be willing to export your database to a flat file prior to the backup
________ (YES or NO)
If another method of backing up your database in a consistent method is available,
please describe the process
__________________________________________________________________
Red Flags
There are a number of areas in backup systems that can be problematic when backing up a client. The
following criteria are used to assist NCS systems engineering in identifying backup clients which may
require further analysis to better meet the backup needs of the client.
NIC speed _1000Mbps_ (10/100/1000 Mbps)
Backup clients with a 10Mbps network connection should upgrade to 100Mbps.
Backup clients with 1Gbps network connection can deliver data faster to the backup system. Network
bandwidth may require analysis.
Data size > 250GB _NO_ (YES or NO)
Quantity of data to back up and disk speed are important backup criteria.
IDE disks with a large quantity of data may not be able to generate disk I/O fast enough to sustain
reasonable throughput to back up the data and meet the service level agreement requested by the client.
Number of files on system to back up > 500,000 _NO_ (YES or NO)
The number of files on the system to back up becomes an important criterion when a cumulative or
differential backup is performed. Each file on the system must be evaluated to determine whether it has
changed and requires backing up. This evaluation
can take substantial time. Although the quantity of data in the backup stream may be small, the evaluation
would take a long time and thus produce a very long backup runtime. This issue may need to be addressed
depending on the client’s service level agreement.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 23 23
Contacts information
Who is allowed to request backups and restores _______________________________
Email addresses for notification of problems _________________________________
This will be used for advanced notification when service is required to the backup system
Backup status reports
The above email address information will also be used to send automatic email notification for
any backup or restore action taken on the client. This functionality is a part of NetBackup itself
and it is not available for NetWare clients.
We offer further daily email notification of full information regarding the backup job.
Do you wish to receive daily email notification of full information regarding the backup job
_YES_ (YES or NO)
Contact info in case of emergency
We required a minimum of two people to contact in case of emergency.
(work phone number, cell phone number, pager numbers)
M-F 9AM-5PM
Whom to contact ________________________________
Method of contact ________________________________
M-F 5PM-9AM
Whom to contact ________________________________
Method of contact ________________________________
Weekends and Holidays
Whom to contact ________________________________
Method of contact ________________________________
Special Policies or Tasks
Have you defined any special policies or tasks that we should be aware of that would affect our ability to
perform any backup or restore activity on your behalf?
_NO_ (YES or NO)
If yes, please document below fully the details of these policies or tasks.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 24 24
Appendix G – McGill University Managed Backup
Service NCS starter Exclude Lists
NCS starter Exclude Lists
There are a number of files on each different type of operating system which do not need to be
backed up, like temporary files. NCS deploys a set of exclude lists for their clients which can be
customized for the client. NCS requires client signoff for the exclude list before deployment and if
any changes are requested or required at a later date. The following lists the NCS starter
Exclude Lists for well known operating systems. It can also be found on the McGill University
NCS web site at http://www.mcgill.ca/ncs/products/backup/
UNIX
The exclude list is created as the file /usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list on the client machine.
The following list constitutes Veritas’ recommendation for a UNIX client exclude list.
NCS will work with the client machine’s system administrator to tailor this list to the client’s needs.
Typically, the policy to back up client machine will back up ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES, so it is important that partitions, directories, and
files not required to be backed up be put in the exclude list.
#
# Exclude list for Unix machines
#
# No object files
#
*.o
#
# No core files
#
core
#
# No a.out files
#
a.out
#
# No checkpoint files
#
~*
#
# No tmp files
#
/tmp/*
/usr/tmp/*
/var/tmp/*
#
# No CDs
#
/cdrom/*
#
# System files that don't need a backup
#
/etc/mnttab
/proc
McGill University Managed Backup Service 25 25
Windows
The exclude list is stored in the registry on Windows machines, not in a flat file.
The following list constitutes Veritas’ recommendation and NCS’ customization for a Windows client exclude list.
NCS will work with the client machine’s system administrator to tailor this list to the client’s needs.
Typically, the policy to back up client machine will back up ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES, so it is important that partitions, directories, and
files not required to be backed up be put in the exclude list.
*:\pagefile.sys
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr0.dat
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr1.dat
C:\Windows\system32\ntmsdata (Removable Storage Management)
C:\Windows\system32\Perflib_Perfdata_*.dat (Perfmon realtime data)
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft Operations Manager\Central\EventCons
C:\Documents and Settings\*\Local Settings\Temp\*
C:\Inetpub\catalog.wci (only if running Context Indexing Service on IIS server)
C:\catalogs\intranet\catalog.wci (only if running Context Indexing Service on IIS server)
C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\SAVRT\*.TMP
McGill University Managed Backup Service 26 26
Appendix H – McGill University Managed Backup
Service Description of the backups provided to the
client (Sample)
This section details what the client has paid for in terms of the specifics of the backups being
provided to the client as part of this service level agreement. The backup specifics are tailored
for each client to their needs and requirements.
Your contract duration is 7 months with
Contract start date = November 1, 2007
Contract end date = May 31, 2008
The backup component assumptions are:
1. Includes NBU client license for 1 server prodiep.cc.mcgill.ca
2. NCS will provide file level backups only for the server prodiep.cc.mcgill.ca
3. NCS will provide backups for 20GB data on server prodiep.cc.mcgill.ca with an assumed
daily change rate of 3% per day
4. Only the full backup will be vaulted (i.e. a second copy of all backups is made with the same
retention as the original copy, and sent offsite)
5. Includes all costs for 3 years 24x7 maintenance per machine
6. Includes McGill's effective tax rate 6.19%
7. Backup amounts will be monitored and reviewed to verify stated amounts are in agreement
with payment. NCS will submit to the client a supplemental charge should the amount of
backup data increase.
The backup policy is architected as follows:
1. Backup cycle is 1 week
2. Full database backup is done once a week and retained for 5 weeks
3. Differential incremental database backups (i.e. changes since the last full or differential
backup) are done other days of week and retained for 5 weeks
Backup system definitions
A full backup backs up everything that exists on the area to be backed up.
A cumulative incremental backup backs up all changes since the last full backup.
A differential incremental backup backs up all changes since the last full, cumulative, or
differential backup.
McGill University Managed Backup Service 27 27
