Research Drive

• University-managed storage service for research data and creative works.
• Approved for use with internal and sensitive data, in compliance with the Research Data Management Policy and guidance.
• Files or data are synchronously replicated across two parity-enabled, NZ-based data centres.
• Backups are performed nightly, and deleted files are restorable within 180 days, and file changes can be reverted within 30 days.
• Access can be shared with University staff and students, and external collaborators.
• Accessible on and off-campus.

To compare with other University storage options, see: Choosing data storage.

Research data storage is provided on a project-by-project basis in alignment with the University's Research Data Management Policy.

The request form is accessible to staff and doctoral candidates and asks for the following:

• Project metadata, including title, abstract, end date, and field of research codes
• Data classification (e.g. ethics, security) requirements
• Access requirements
• Estimated storage space
• Other postgraduate students or collaborators need the principal investigator or supervisor (University staff member) to request storage access on their behalf.

A Research Drive is ideal for storing data that is active or being worked on. Those with read/write (edit) access to the Research Drive will be able to add files and create subfolders.

Each Research Drive is set up with "Vault" and "Archive" subfolders. Use these subfolders when files and data become less active as part of an efficient and sustainable approach to data storage. Files in both subfolders can be slower to access, depending on their number and size.

• The "Vault" folder is connected to object storage and costs the University less to provide than disk storage. It is ideal for data that you need to keep but want to access only occasionally.
• The "Archive" folder is connected to tape storage. This is ideal for data that is no longer active or being worked on, but needs to be retained long-term. Files moved into this folder and have not been accessed for 21 days will be migrated to tape storage and will not count against the Research Drive's quota.

Research Drive roles

When requesting storage services, you must nominate one person for each of the following project roles.

Project owner

The owner of the project, usually the principal investigator, must be a member of staff at the University. This role makes or authorises changes to the project storage.

Postgraduate research students, including doctoral candidates, must nominate their supervisor as the project owner. This responsibility for the project and data management aligns with supervision and ethics approval processes but is not associated with ownership of the data or intellectual property.

Data owner

A person who owns the data, commonly the project owner or their delegate. Postgraduate research students, including doctoral candidates, are usually data owners for their thesis projects. This role can be held by more than one person. Refer to the Intellectual Property Created by Staff and Student Policy. 

Data contact

A person, in addition to the roles above, who the University will contact regarding this service or project (e.g. annual review and survey), commonly the project owner or their delegate. This role can be held by more than one person.

Other roles

• Project member: A person that the project owner requests or gives approval to be granted access to the project. This role can be held by more than one person.

• Former project member: A role assigned to any member of the project that has had access revoked. This role is for internal purposes only and is not publicly viewable.

Different levels of access within a Research Drive

All files and subfolders within a specific Research Drive will be accessible by all members of that Research Drive.

When requesting research storage services, you must define the following access levels or permissions for each project member.

• "Read-only" means a person may view (read) files, and download a copy, but they cannot edit, create or delete files within the drive.

or

• "Read and write" means a person may view, download, copy, edit, create and delete files within the drive.

Map a Research Drive

Research Drive storage needs to be connected (or mapped) to your computer to view or access it.

Instructions for mapping to:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux VM

Access a Research Drive from off-campus

You will need to:

• Set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
• Install and configure VPN software
• Map the Research Drive to your computer

If you receive an error when mapping the drive, you may need to log off and log back in for drive permissions to be updated on your machine.

Change who has access to a Research Drive

Complete the Request or update storage form.

• Provide the name of the Research Drive
• Select ‘Change access’
• Provide details of request - name, username (e.g. jdoe007), access level

Requests must be authorised by the project owner of the specific Research Drive.

Arrange access to a Research Drive for external collaborators

Follow these steps to arrange access for external collaborators:

• Complete the University’s process for arranging IT access for an external collaborator.
• Once the external collaborator has been provided with a username and password, use the Request or update storage form.

Transfer data in and out of a Research Drive

Research Drives can be connected to via Globus. If you need to transfer data from another NZ research institution into your Research Drive, you may be able to use Globus if the institution has an established endpoint.

For questions about transferring data from external providers to a Research Drive, contact your business relationship manager.

By using Centre for eResearch (CeR) services, you agree to:

• Only use these services for the purpose of undertaking research*, commonly in association with a specific research project or programme
• Undertake security maintenance on specific services where appropriate (e.g. patching on Nectar Cloud Virtual Machines)
• Work with CeR to review service settings (e.g. virtual machine allocation or storage option) each year, or as required by a particular service, to ensure efficient and sustainable use
• Participate in an annual user survey and provide details of research outputs supported by your use of CeR services
• Comply with the University’s IT Acceptable Use Policy and IT Security Policy

*Projects that have a commercial component may have to be hosted on a separately licensed service.

Application

The CeR acceptable use applies to:

• All members of the University community whether at the University or elsewhere
• Services that CeR provides, directly or indirectly through internal partners (e.g. Connect) and external partners (e.g. NeSI)

Eligibility

CeR services are available to doctoral students and University staff for the purposes of undertaking research, commonly a specific research project.

Suspension or Withdrawal of Services

Service users should expect email correspondence from CeR regarding specific requirements of acceptable use (e.g. service review or need for security maintenance). Failure to abide by these terms and specific requirements may result in a suspension of service followed by a withdrawal of service.

Research Data Support Services
Email: researchdata@auckland.ac.nz