Service SDS@hd – Scientific Data Storage

State service for storing scientific data

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SDS @ hd is a central service for securely storing scientific data (Scientific Data Storage). The service is provided as a state service to researchers of higher education institutions of Baden-Württemberg. It is intended to be used for data that is frequently accessed ('hot data').

Target group

  • Researchers

Use

Researchers

  • The service enables you to securely store scientific data that is frequently accessed ('hot data').

Access and requirements

Due to the federated identity management system bwIDM implemented in Baden Württemberg, researchers at state higher education institutions can use this service with their institutional accounts. At Heidelberg University, this is your Uni ID.

Storage resources are managed in terms of "Speichervorhaben“ (SV) (data storage projects), which can be requested for projects or working groups, for example. Each SV will be assigned a dedicated storage area that can be accessed by all users who belong to the SV.

New SVs can only be opened by bwIDM members who have the 'sds-hd-sv' entitlement from their home university. This entitlement may have to be applied for individually at the home organisation. Employees of Heidelberg University receive this entitlement automatically.

No entitlement is required for participation in an existing SV. All bwIDM members can participate in existing SVs. In addition, persons whose organisation belongs to DFN-AAI or eduGAIN can also participate in existing SVs with their home account. This is the recommended way to collaborate with researchers outside the bwIDM federation. In addition, it is also possible for people with an ORCID account to collaborate in existing SVs.

The registration steps for opening a new storage project and for collaborating on an existing storage project can be found on the SDS@hd pages in the bwHPC wiki.

Technical information

The data will be stored on the LSDF storage system, the Large Scale Data Facility. The LSDF system is funded by the Ministry for Sciences, Research and Arts of Baden-Württemberg (MWK) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). It is part of Baden Württemberg's implementation concept bwDATA for data intensive services at higher education institutions in the state of Baden Württemberg.

Cost

There are charges associated with using this service. More detailed information about the cost model can be found on SDS @ hd-Management.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Which bwIDM entitlements are required to access SDS@hd?

 

A bwIDM Entitlement is used for the SDS@hd service. The criteria for awarding the entitlement to a user are entirely up to the respective home organization.

SV Entitlement 'sds-hd-sv':
This entitlement allows a user to apply for a new SV. Within the scope of this SV, the applicant assumes responsibility for all data stored in this SV, as well as for any costs incurred as a result. Likewise, regular reports are required for this SV.

Recommendation: The SV entitlement should be assigned to state users who may require their own storage projects.

How should the use of the service SDS@hd be documented in publications?

The use of the service SDS@hd is accompanied by the obligation to adequately document its use. Therefore, all publications that were created with the involvement of the storage service SDS@hd should include the following statement:

The authors gratefully acknowledge the data storage service SDS@hd supported by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg (MWK) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) through grant INST 35/1503-1 FUGG.

In regard to reporting, please include all SDS@hd related research projects and corresponding publications (see related note in SDS@hd-management.)  In addition, please send references to theses, publications, scientific posters and information on third-party funded projects for which the service was used to sds-hd-support@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

How can I stay informed about the latest news regarding the storage service SDS@hd?
In addition to referring to the information found on this page, you can subscribe to the CF-DIC email list and participate in the Data-Intensive Computing (DIC) community forum. News and other announcements about the SDS@hd storage service and other DIC services are communicated through these channels. All users registered to the SDS@hd service are also kept informed of the latest news through the automated user list SDS-HD-USER.
Can the service SDS@hd be used as an archive or backup for my data?
No. The LSDF system and the service SDS@hd is solely for the storage of scientific data that is frequently accessed, in other words, data that is still being handled or analyzed ("hot data"). If you require archiving or backup services, please contact the IT Service.
How do I access my stored data?
At this time, access takes place using the protocols SMB (from Version 2.x), NFSv4 as well as SSHFS/SFTP. More detailed information about access can be found on the SDS@hd Management Tool under "My SVs".

Additional information

Community Forum Data-Intensive Computing

The Community Forum Data-Intensive Computing (DIC) is an exchange and information meeting for current and future users of DIC services of Heidelberg University.

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