Backup, recovery and archiving of files in a multi-access computing system

Abstract

General-purpose multi-access computing systems with files stored on random-access devices require that these files be protected. If the total on-line storage is inadequate there is a need for wellorganized off-line storage. This thesis discusses the management problems involved in handling backup and archive copies of files. In Part I we review what a number of systems, including the Edinburgh Multi-Access System (EMAS), have achieved. We also consider the influences of hardware and other forms of computing system. In Part II we return to EMAS and propose a design and an implementation to provide comprehensive facilities, for backup copies of files and recovery of them, and also for archive storage.