Data Backup and Restore

All data (i.e., files and folders) stored in your network home directory is backed up regularly throughout the day via periodic snapshots — point-in-time copies of your data. If you accidentally delete a file or need to recover an earlier version, these snapshots make it quick and easy to restore your work.

How to view and work with snapshots in your IAS home directory

A snapshot of your home directory is throughout the course of the day.

At a terminal prompt, type:

cd .snapshot

If you type:

ls 

You will see a list of directories:

./         hourly.1/  hourly.4/   nightly.1/  nightly.4/  weekly.1/

../        hourly.2/  hourly.5/   nightly.2/  nightly.5/  weekly.2/

hourly.0/  hourly.3/  nightly.0/  nightly.3/  weekly.0/

hourly.0 contains the most recent backup.

Search through the directory to find your lost or deleted file(s) or folder(s).

When you are finished, you can copy it to your current home directory by typing:

cp file /my/home/directory

How to recover deleted email messages

Contact the Math Computing Group if you need to retrieve previously deleted email messages from the IAS email server.