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Research storage solution

Overview

The research file storage solution is optimized to provide groups (research labs, departments, schools) and individuals the ability to store and share large quantities of data (minimum of 500 GB, no theoretical maximum) to any Windows, Mac, or Linux computer connected to the Yale network. The service utilizes enterprise class network attached storage in a highly reliable and redundant deployment. The research file storage service is a low cost alternative to buying a server or managing your own lab/department/school-based server.

There are three main functions of this service:

• Access: Allows access to your data for individual and multiple users from multiple locations on and off campus. Off-campus users must connect via the VPN.
• Mirroring: Files, directories, and sub-directories are mirrored, allowing for their recovery in the event of complete appliance failure or physical disaster in one data center. The data is replicated between the two devices and no archival back-up data is retained. This means a copy of current files will exist on the second device (located in the ITS data center), but previous versions of files will not be kept.  
• Security: You control access by specifying the NetIDs (only users with valid Yale NetIDs can be specified) of those who can gain access to any particular “folder” of data.  The service is approved for regulated data such as ePHI.

The research file storage service is complimentary to the existing Central File Service but is optimized for larger quantities of data. The research file storage service is part of a family of related services. See the file storage comparison matrix for other options.

Research storage is not appropriate for some uses

• The service is intended to provide a file storage location, not a place from which to run applications.  It is not appropriate for computational and/or transaction-intensive use like databases or streaming video.
• It is intended for large storage needs of 500GB or more.  For needs smaller than this, please check out the ITS Central File Service.
• While data is protected through hardware redundancy and replication, it is not backed up.  Previous versions of data cannot be retrieved in the event of deletion or corruption.  The service is not intended to provide a backup for data.
• The service is certified and appropriate for “3-lock data” (medical records, social security numbers, or other sensitive data).

Why use research storage solution?

Here are some key reasons why users should use the research file storage facility:

• Research file service is secure. The systems are isolated from the Internet on the campus network at Yale but accessible through the VPN from off campus.
• Allows one person to access files from multiple locations on-campus, or off-campus through Yale’s VPN services.
• Allows multiple people to share files in a private and secure location.
• Can be accessed from any Windows, Linux, or Macintosh computer.
• Access to data can be restricted by person or group, allowing some people to have read-only permissions and others full control to edit and delete.  Access is maintained by the share owner/administrator.
• The infrastructure is located in secure data centers on robust, redundant, and fault tolerant hardware making it much more reliable than stand-alone equipment.
• Data is replicated/mirrored to second storage array in a separate data center every hour to provide a level of recovery in the event of a disaster at the primary data center. 

Research storage tips

These are general tips for using research file storage services. These tips can help you use the service more efficiently.

Using the service from off-campus

You can access your files from any off-campus location. The service is secure, your computer must appear to be on the campus network in order to access files. Setup a VPN connection and follow the same procedure to access your centralized file server share space as you would when you are on-campus.

Data files only

Research file service is optimized and intended for data file storage only. It is not intended to provide traditional tape backup and restore service for your data. We do not recommend using this service to host any applications or play back any streaming audio/video files.

Never give out your ID or password

Don’t be tempted to give out your ID and password to others to access this service. The central file service uses the same ID and password as your NETID. If you give this information to someone, you are also giving them the access to see highly confidential information, such as the view of your W-2 form, and other benefits information.

Eligibility

As a first step in determining whether this is an appropriate solution for your file storage needs, please consult with your local IT support provider.

Any Yale staff or faculty member can arrange to have the service provisioned for their lab.  Any person with a valid Yale NetID can be authorized access to named shares.

Support

ITS will provide support for the system during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Monday – Friday).

ITS will run the service with a 99.9% or greater availability level and provide continuous system monitoring to ensure proper functioning of the servers located in the data centers.

If you have any questions, contact your local support provider or the Help Desk at 432-9000 or email helpdesk@yale.edu or your local support person.

Cost

Billing is monthly.

Visit the ITS rates page for rate information.

Order or change service

To order or delete a share or to change the share’s size, the share owner may send an email to research.storage@yale.edu including:

Org Number: 
Org Name:  
Share Name:  [up to 49 characters, no special characters]
Owner Net ID: 
Contact email address:  [for messages such as quota warnings]
PTAEO : 
NetIDs of ReadOnly Users:
NetIDs of ReadWrite Users: 
Initial Amount of storage:  [500GB minimum]

Department billing information form

File storage service policies

Account retention

It is deemed that if an individual (primary account owner) subscribes to a research file server share, and more than one individual has access to it, if no explicit action was taken by the primary account holder upon their departure, ITS will contact the business office and determine if the ownership should be transferred. 

Annually, ITS will send the primary faculty or staff contact a list of people who have access. The share owners will review the list for accuracy.

Persons leaving the University

The process described above will also be implemented in the case of a person whose role at the University is terminated in the HR records. In this case, if the primary account owner is the only person on the access list, the account will be locked 14 days after the notification and then deleted after the mandatory period of 90 days.