Storing data

Windows

In Windows, H:\ is mapped to your home directory on the file server which is reliable and does backups. The Desktop is mapped onto H:\Documents, but many other Windows app directories are copied back and forth from/to the file server when you login/out.

Linux

Under our Linux systems there are four ways to save data. Some of them are only intended for temporary storage and should not be used for data which is critical.

$HOME (same as ~/)

This is your home directory. It is the only place to store data which you wish to keep. Your home directory is saved by the backup system every night, but you have a limited amount which can be saved here. (To see how much you have saved and how much you are allowed to save, use the quota(1M) command. For more information, see below.)

/scratch

Scratch uses the data area which remains on the hard disk of the local machine after after all other necessary items are installed on the disk. It is the right place to store large quantities of data which have been downloaded from the Web, or temporary files which are produced during the solution of a laboratory exercise.

The scratch area is not backed up, and its contents will be erased automatically when it begins to become full.

/pub/anarchy

This area may be called a shared scratch. Use this area when you need to save something which should be accessible from a different computer from that which you are using right now; for example, if you want to install a somewhat larger program which does not fit in your home directory.

/tmp and /var/tmp

These are the wrong places to save large quantities of temporary data. This space is used by applications to save temporary data; if it becomes full these applications will function poorly or not at all. Therefore, do not use this area for other purposes than quick storage of smaller amounts of temporary data. This directory is emptied with each boot of the machine and older files are purged automatically while the system is running.

Accessing your data from remote

You can access your files when away from the department, see https://webapps.cs.umu.se/files/.

Space in your home directory

The space which a student is allocated in the home directory is based upon the number of courses which that student is currently enrolled in.

At this moment, the following limits apply.

• A base quota of 1.1GB (1100MB)
• Addional 250MB quota per course
• Maximum quota is 8GB (8000MB)

For example:

• A new student which hasn't registered on any course gets 1100MB quota.
• A student who is on his/her 2nd year and has taken approx. 8 courses gets 1100MB + 8*250MB = 3100MB.
• A student who has taken 30 courses will get 1100MB + 30*250MB = 8600MB, but as the maximum quota is 8GB the student will have 8000MB quota.

For employees: Quotas are mainly used as a practical measure to protected against runaway programs which would otherwise fill the disk with garbage.
If you run out of space, speak with a system administrator to solve the problem.