Maruleng Local Municipality
BACKUP POLICY 2
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Version Date Author(s) Details
BACKUP POLICY 3 Table contents 1. Introduction 2. Scope 3. Definitions 4. Timings 5. Data backed up 6. Excluded extensions 7. Procedures 8. Tape Storage 9. Tape drive cleaning 10. Responsibilities 11. Data backed up 12. Restorations
BACKUP POLICY 4
1. Introduction
Computer information systems and electronic data are valuable assets to
Department of Local Government and Housing (Maruleng Local Municipality) and a substantial investment in human and financial resources has been made to create these systems and information and, as such, a formalized policy has been implemented to:
Safeguard the risk of losing data
Safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of information contained within these systems
Ensure availability of critical data so that information can be utilized as the valuable asset that it is
Reduce business and legal risk.
Departmental critical data and non-departmental critical data are stored on File-servers, Exchange-servers (mail-box data) and Application-servers. This data can be categorized as:
Personal User data Business Unit data Shared data
Databases
Application / System data
2. Scope
The goal for IT SECTION: User Support division is to ensure that departmental data can be recovered within required and agreed business timescales. IT SECTION: User Support division is responsible for backing up File-servers, Exchange-servers and Application-servers, according to agreed cycles, and storing these backups in a secure designated area.
In addition to backing up departmental data, IT SECTION: User Support division shall perform regular disk capacity management on all data servers and have the right to delete all non-departmental related data after consultation with involved employees.
If the disposal of old or damaged tapes is required, such tapes will be destroyed to prevent the recovery of data from the media.
Ownership of all electronic information residing on any departmental computer system vests in Maruleng Local Municipality and Management may peruse, monitor and take copies of any information or communication made or received utilizing any of the aforementioned systems. Therefore, IT SECTION requires
BACKUP POLICY 5 that all requests to restore an employees user data, residing on File-servers or Exchange-servers (mail-box data), not requested by the employee or without the permission of such employee, must be authorized by a Senior Manager and may be assessed by the General Manager: IT SECTION.
This policy defines the backup strategy for servers and data within Maruleng Local Municipality.
3. Definitions
3.1 Backup – is the process of copying active files from online disk to tape so that files may be restored to a disk in the event of equipment failure, damage to or loss of data.
3.2 Archive – is the process of moving inactive files form online disk to a tape, i.e. deleting the files from copying them, in order to release online storage for reuse.
3.3 Restore - The process of bringing off line storage data back from the offline media and putting it on an online storage system such as a file server.
4. Timings
A grandfather -father-son rotation scheme is operated; incremental backups run overnight from Monday to Thursday (daily backup) and full backup (i.e weekly backup) run on Fridays are rotated on three weeks basis. One full backup each month (ie Monthly backup) will be made.
5. Data Backed up
5.1 Data to be backed up include the following
5.1.1 Users data stored on the home directories (“My Documents”) 5.1.2 System state of all servers
5.1.3 Systems to be backup include: 5.1.3.1 Exchange Information Store 5.1.3.2 Mailboxes
5.1.3.3
6. Excluded extensions
On home directories folders (“My Documents”) not all files will be backed up; the following are extensions that will be omitted:
BACKUP POLICY 6 Mpeg Mpa Mp2 Mp3 Mp4 Exe Vob Wsf Wma Wav 7. Procedures
Incremental backups will be performed daily from Monday to Thursday. The tape will be add-on with new information created.
A full systems and data backup will be performed weekly. Weekly backups will run on Fridays and the tapes will be rotated 3 times in the month.
Monthly backups will be made on the last Friday of each month and stored for a minimum period of 5 (five) years there after it will be handed to Provincial Archives and archived where required under the classification system as in use by the Limpopo Government Administration.
BACKUP POLICY 7
Data backup name Type of backup Scheduling of backup Time backup starts
Overwrite/append period
Media set name Barcode number on tape Backup strategy Exchange Information Store Server name Mailboxes Server System state Server User home directories Server Retired user data(archiving) Miscellaneous old user data
Data backed to file and then to tapes using Ntbackup
Data backup name Type of backup Scheduling of backup Time backup starts
Overwrite/append period
Media set name Path to folder
Backup strategy
System state Server
Full Every Saturday None/none Sysvol
Server
Full Every Saturday System state
Server
Presently not backed up
BACKUP POLICY 8
Sysvol Server
Full Every Saturday Weekly full DHCP
Server
Full Every Saturday Weekly full System state
Server
Full Every 2nd Saturday Weekly full System state
Server
Full Every 2nd Saturday Weekly full Full
BACKUP POLICY 9
8. Tape Storage
All weekly and monthly tapes must be stored on the fire proof safe at Maruleng Local Municipality site building. The list as in Annexure A will be maintained that indicates the date of tape creation and the unique identification of the tape.
9. Tape drive cleaning
Tape drive shall be cleaned monthly and the cleaning tape shall be replaced every second month.
10. Responsibility
8.1 IT SECTION
The Department User Support manager shall delegate a member of the User Support division to perform regular backups. The delegated person shall develop a procedure for testing backups and test the ability to restore data from backups on a monthly basis. The designated person will take weekly and monthly tapes to offsite storage.
8.2 The Employee
All business critical data on local computer and notebook hard drives must be copied or moved to a “My Documents” share on a file server, where it will be backed up. Where such an action is not possible, as in cases where it is done away from access to Maruleng Local Municipality network, the data must be copied over on the first available opportunity. It will be the sole responsibility of the
employee, under all circumstances, to backup and maintain security regarding personal data.
In addition to workstations, employees have been allocated space per user, secured per user logon ID, on the File-servers. The onus is on the employee to ensure that the server space allocated is utilized to the optimum.
11. Restorations
Users that need files restored must submit a request to the IT help desk by completing IT SECTION – Data Restore Request Form.
Information regarding the request where possible must include the file creation date, the name of the file, the last time it was changed, and the date and time it was deleted or destroyed.
