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Service Definition - Large Research Data Store (LaRDS) service

Access to LaRDS is currently provided on a case-by-case basis. For access contact Nicholas McPhee, Stephen Dart, Russell Keil or Earle Lawrence.

Services

LaRDS provides four grades of service:
  • On-line disk service, with off-site backup to tape
  • Local file system (e.g. 'c: drive') backup to LaRDS
  • 'Disk-like' near-line tape archive service
    ('Disk-like' means high probability that recently accessed files will still be in disk cache)
  • 'Near-line' tape archive service

Grades of service

All tape is maintained under active management in “near-line” automatic robot controlled tape library. No tape is physically removed from library. All tape services maintain duplicate copies at multiple sites. Tape backup services: Overnight backup (disk files unprotected until overnight backup runs).

Version control & rollback

Version control, journaling, audit trails and version rollback are the responsibility of the end-user or their specific higher-layer software environment, e.g. database or application environment, or directly by the end-user maintaining their own file naming and version management conventions.

Service interfaces

LaRDS is available from Windows and linux platforms (including the components of the Monash Campus Grid ) for Monash users and will provide a continuum of service interfaces to meet different researchers' needs:

  • Novell  [2]
  • CIFS/Samba  [1]
  • NFS  [1]
  • GridFTP
  • iFolder
  • SRB [3]
  • NetStorage
  • others by request (FTP, rsync, etc.) if sufficient demand

These services are available internal and external to the Monash Network, except:

[1] These service interfaces do not extend outside the Monash network
[2] This service extends outside the Monash network via VPN or NetStorage
[3] Support for this product has ceased from the supplier and its replacement iRods has not yet been released

Service availability & reliability

Services are replicated across Monash's two main data centres for improved availability.

All tape data is replicated across multiple sites.

Following major disaster data will not be lost, but rebuilding a fully operational service with all data fully accessible may take considerable time.

Space allocation

Standard space allocations are distributed to the faculty level by formula. Current allocations are listed here. These standard allocations grow exponentially over time in line with available funds and external market conditions.

In addition, additional space can be purchased upon payment of the currently prevailing marginal cost fees listed here. These additional purchased allocations remain available to the faculty indefinitely, and do not automatically grow over time.

Within the faculty, space allocation is managed by the faculty IT Manager (or equivalent or delegate) on advice from the faculty Associate Dean Research (or equivalent or delegate). Space allocations are co-ordinated across the university by the Director Monash e-Research Centre (or delegate).

Space allocation request process

The standard process for requesting access to LaRDS is available here.