This web site describes the AFS facility and provides a process for units to lease an AFS volume.

If you are in a hurry and just want the procedure for leasing an AFS volume, do the following:

• Click Here to Lease Departmental AFS Space
• After payment is received, a Memorandum of Understanding will be executed between lessee and UTO.

Description of AFS

AFS is a multiple platform file service which provides large AFS disk volumes for use on a fee-for-service lease basis.

Note: AFS is the recommended file system for a mixed computing environment (UNIX, Linux, Mac, and Windows). CIFS is available for a Windows-only computing environment.

The primary advantage of using AFS is the data protection which it provides. The hardware is raided and has double parity error correction which reduces potential data loss due to hardware failure. Each AFS volume is backed up daily. Additionally, support staff provide 24x7 on-call coverage. And, unlike CIFS, the disk space used for AFS backups does not come out of your quota.

Pricing, Terms and Conditions

Pricing and Size of Volume

For requests submitted on or after June 8, 2008, the pricing is $2000 per TB for a 5-year term or $1000 per TB for a 1-year term. The fee is due as a single payment at the beginning of the term. Units/groups wanting fractional TB quotas should combine their resources with other units/groups so that whole TB quotas are purchased.

(For requests submitted on or before June 7, 2008, the pricing is $3000 per TB for a 5-year term or $1000 per TB for a 1-year term.)

Payment Information

Payments are by Purchase Order (PO) made payable to "COMPUTING". Email the PO Number to AFS.REQUEST@asu.edu, indicating the purpose of the payment. Payments should be received at least 2 business days prior to the date the disk volume is to be leased, renewed, or have a service call performed. Exceptions may be made for emergency service calls.

Availability

Every Friday evening from 6 PM to midnight is reserved for system maintenance if necessary. During this period, the AFS facility may not be available.

Volume Lease or Renewal

Renewals

AFS volume agreements are renewed automatically at the end of each term using the then-current rates. A bill for payment due will be sent to the owner in advance of the renewal date. No action is needed if you do not intend to renew (though we would appreciate being informed). If payment is not received by the renewal date, access will be suspended. After 30 days of non-payment, the data is deleted.

Volume Lease

Various information is needed in order to lease a new AFS volume. Enter the information on the form that is displayed when you click on the link below.

• Click Here to Lease Departmental AFS Space
• After payment is received, a Memorandum of Understanding will be executed between lessee and UTO.

Backups

There is a backup directory created each night shortly after midnight, that contains readonly copies of your files as they existed at the time the backup directory is populated. In other words, it contains yesterday's files. You can recover any file as it existed yesterday by copying it out of the Backup directory and into your AFS space. This is a self-service function.

The TSM backup facility is used to create daily backups, which are kept for approximately 30 days. Contact the Help Desk to request file restoration from TSM. UTO will perform the restoration.

Disaster Recovery Backup

An AFS utility is used nightly to create disaster recovery backups, which are kept separate from TSM backups. If restoration from the disaster recovery facility becomes necessary, UTO will perform the restoration.

Problems

To report problems or request help regarding AFS, phone the Help Desk at 480-965-6500 to create a problem ticket.