1.4. Which type of account should I register for?

There are five different types of HFS account:

Desktop/laptop
Desktop/laptop accounts represent the most common type of backup account. They can only be accessed via a direct connection to the university network or via eduroam wireless - not via OWL-VPN or outside the university. There are automatic weekly backups one night per week, but it is not necessary to use these: you can also run a manual backup at any time. Choose this type of account if your machine is regularly connected to the Oxford network, either just in term-time or throughout the year, and then you will able to back up in university departments, colleges and libraries.
Desktop/laptop VPN-based backup
Desktop/laptop VPN-based backup accounts are intended for users who need to back up from outside the university network on a regular basis (because they work from home), or for extended periods (e.g. because they are away on fieldwork) and who want to back up fairly small amounts of data. Such accounts may be accessed from anywhere in the world, provided that you have OUCS VPN software running, and also on the university network with or without VPN. They are intended for backups of small amounts of data because backing up from outside the university will need to be done via broadband, and will therefore be slow. There are no automatic backup schedules, so you need to remember to back up. Choose this type of account if you will be away on field work or if your machine is only very rarely connected to the Oxford network. For more details on the limitations of this type of account see our page on VPN-based backups.
Server
Server accounts are intended for departmental and college servers which themselves provide services, software and/or storage space for other systems. You need to be IT Support Staff to register this type, so if that is not the case then ask your IT to register it for you, with your e-mail address as the contact for the account. The daily limit is higher than that for desktop/laptop accounts, and automatic scheduled backups run six days a week (every weekday and once at weekends). Before registering for this type of account, please also read our page on server node registration requirements.
Large server
Large server accounts are intended for machines that provide services and which have over 1.5TB to back up on their first backup and which may regularly experience daily incremental data change rates greater than 300GB. These figures are guidelines only and potential users of this service, who again must be IT staff, are asked to register an interest in this service on the registration pages. Registration for this service is thus not automatic. The daily limit is higher than that for server accounts, and again automatic scheduled backups run six days a week. Before registering for this type of account, please also read our page on server node registration requirements.
Archive
Archive accounts are for the long-term storage of data which is considered to be of value to the university. Potential users of this service are asked to register an interest in this service via a web form - please see further our pages on the HFS archive service.

All accounts are available for backup and restore 24/7. For the limits on how much data you can send for the different accounts please see 9.11. How much data can I back up?.

Please note that it is possible for us to change one account type into another but that the process is not simple. If you register for the wrong type of account please do not de-register and then re-register, as this will schedule both your old and new accounts for deletion - instead please contact the HFS Team on hfs@ox.ac.uk.

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