Besides being a Sync & Share solution, Keeper also offers a variety of options on how to archive your data - one of our slogans is not without reason "archive the way you work".
No matter which option you choose, we guarantee to keep your data for at least 10 years* and you can be sure to fulfill the regulations of the Max Planck Society, as well as the German Research Foundation to ensure "Good Scientific Practice".
- Option 1: archive within Keeper
Pretty simple: as long as you don't delete your data, we will keep it for you. You can generate a Cared Data Certificate for your libraries and show it to anyone who might request evidence of archiving. We also won't delete anything in case you moved on from the Max Planck Society; your data stays where it is.
- Option 2: archive outside of Keeper
For those who would like to have their data in a Keeper-independant system, we offer the possiblity to store your data for at least 10 years within the Hierarchical Storage Management system HPSS at MPCDF. Your data will be stored in a ZIP-like container (TAR), which can be easily opened and accessed, even without Keeper.
Some limitations apply: option 2 is not available for encrypted libraries. Libraries can be archived up to five times, with a maximum size of up to 500 GB. Should your needs exceed those limitations, please contact Keeper Support.
So, how does it work?
This way of archiving data works for libraries (not for e.g. single files) and you can only archive libraries where you are the owner; therefore, anything under "My Libraries".
To archive, you can either use the "Archive Library" entry in the dropdown menu under "My libraries", or click on the library and press the "Archive" button at the top. In order to archive successfully, the archive-metadata.md file has to be filled out with valid data. This is needed so we can find your data again, in case we have to pull it from the archive. We archive the snapshot of the library at the time when you press the archive button, therefore please make sure the all the data is within the library in the state that you'd like it to be. It won't be possible to change it later within the archive.
Once your archive has been created (this may take a while, depending on the size), you will receive a notification and an additional email. Please keep this email, it also contains useful information to restore. The archived library can be found either via the sidebar on the left side of Keeper Web under Library Details, or from the project catalogue. You'll be directed to an overview page, which shows all your DOIs (if there are any ) and archives for that specific library. You'll be able to access your archived snapshot within Keeper, as long as you don't delete the library itself. This is in addition to the storage on HPSS.
Currently the process to restore your archive from HPSS is a manual process and can be requested from the Keeper Support. While you can't check your files on HPSS yourself, we've implemented so many checks, you can rest assured it's found its second home safely.
For the unlikely case something went wrong during archiving the process, you and the Keeper Support will be informed immediatly and we'll find a solution.
Q&A
- I've received an email with the title "Your library has been successfully archived" - is there anything else I need to do?
No, but we recommend to keep this email. It has some useful information attached, in case the archive needs to be restored from HPSS and also makes it easier for you to find the archive again years later.
- I've received a notfication/email stating archiving has failed - help!
The Keeper Support also received those notfications and is alerted. We will look into the issue and contact you. If you feel uneasy waiting or would like a status update, please don't hesitate to contact us.
- I don't have access anymore to Keeper or have deleted my library - how can I get access?
In case you you've archived via option 2, please send an email to keeper@mpdl.mpg.de and we will retrieve it for you. Best case, you still have the email we've sent you after archiving had been successfull - it has useful information for us to restore the archive.
- I'd like to archive more than 500GB!
Please get in touch with the Keeper Support. There's some technical limitation for libraries larger than 500GB, but we'll surely find a way. An easy workaround would be to simply split the library into two libraries.
- Can I archive encrypted libraries?
No. Out of technical limitations it is not possible to store encrypted libraries.
- Does option 2 mean option 1 is not sufficient for archiving my data?
No. Option 2 is an additional service we want to offer for users who'd like to have their data stored on a Keeper-independant system. This can be for multiple reasons, i.e. stricter rules the user needs to oblige, the possibility to restore the archive without access to Keeper, or simply to offer the possibility to store important data seperatly at a set milestone.
*subject to Keeper's and MPDL's ToS.