Andrew File System (AFS)
IT Services provides each member of the university having a valid Iowa State Net-ID 24x7 access to 1GB of IT Services-subsidized personal storage space (HOMEDIR) on a distributed file system called the Andrew File System (AFS). The space is used for storing and sharing files and folders, and it is backed up nightly. It is used to store university email using the Kerberized POP (KPop) and WebMail email systems. The space also serves the User/Locker Served HTML Document Service (i.e., public web pages).
In addition to the subsidized personal storage space, other no-charge AFS allocations are available for official coursework (CLASS) web pages, official online ISU (INFO) web pages, and student organization websites.
Additional space beyond the subsidized space allocations are available for a fee. Moreover, fee-based AFS allocations for departments, work units, and special projects are also available through Accounts and Services on the Web (ASW). As of July 1, 2005, the rate for disk space rental is 5.6 cents per GB per day. Charges are based on actual use, not the defined quota. Rental charges can be billed to a University bill or to an authorized fund account. Setting up a fund account may be accomplished by filling out an online authorization form, and returning it to the Solution Center. There is a $1.00 per month minimum charge to any university bill.
AFS space for USER, CLASS, and GENERAL file systems is backed-up on a nightly basis for the purposes of IT Services disaster recovery. Restoration of the previous night's backup is available at no charge. The restoration is not guaranteed to occur by any particular time or that it will be successful. Restoration of particular files or email messages is not available. Restoration of an available older backup entails a $10 restoration fee. AFS space data restoration requests may be processed through ASW.
Accessing and managing AFS space may be accomplished via the ASW Manage Files interface, an FTP client such as Filezilla, or a mounted network drive on a Macintosh or PC workstation using OpenAFS, an AFS client available from Scout.
Related FAQs
How can I purchase additional space, and how much will it cost?
How do I access a class locker on the AFS servers?
How do I access our student organization webspace?
