A risk analysis of disk backup or repository maintenance

Abstract

We discuss a simple model of disk backups and other maintenance processes that include change to computer data. We determine optimal strategies for scheduling such processes. A maximum entropy model of random change provides a simple and intuitive guide to the process of sector based disk change and leads to an easily computable optimum time for backup that is robust to changes in the model. We conclude with some theoretical considerations about strategies for organizing backup information. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.