{"id":4,"date":"2013-06-26T10:13:52","date_gmt":"2013-06-26T10:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/?page_id=4"},"modified":"2026-03-05T09:50:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:50:29","slug":"overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/","title":{"rendered":"RDS Service Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Accessing from Off-Campus<\/h2>\n<div class=\"hint\">\n<strong>Working from home \/ off campus:<\/strong> storage is accessible once you&#8217;ve signed into the GlobalProtect VPN. Please read our <a href=\"\/wfh\">Working from Home<\/a> documentation for how to access the CSF (and friends) and storage (RDS) from off-campus.<\/p>\n<p>This page also addresses some common problems when GlobalProtect is running.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>Quick link &#8211; accessing your storage<\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve been allocated an area of <code>\\\\nasr.man.ac.uk\\<\/code> Research Data Storage, and want to access it &#8211; please see the <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\/using-storage\/\">Accessing RDS<\/a> instructions.<\/p>\n<h2>What is Research Data Storage (RDS)?<\/h2>\n<p>IT Services provides centrally-hosted and administered data storage for use by research staff and research students \u2014 the <em>Research Data Storage Service<\/em>. Some storage will be available to each academic-led research project at no charge. Further storage will be <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\/storage-charges\/\">charged for<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Who can apply for storage?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Please note: Students (including PhD candidates) should <em>not<\/em> apply for Research Data Storage and are <em>not<\/em> entitled to any free allocation of RDS.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The PI of a research project should apply for storage for that project, and access to the storage can then be given to PhD candidates working on the project.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Where can the storage be accessed from?<\/h3>\n<p>The storage provided by this service is accessible from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Desktop and laptops on campus, or off-campus by <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\/using-storage#offcampus\">using the VPN<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OR <\/strong> from on-campus research computing systems (including <a href=\"http:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/csf\">the CSF<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/icsf\">the iCSF<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Please consider where you want to access your storage from. If wanting to access it on the central compute platforms (the CSF and iCSF), then please specify this when applying for storage (otherwise the wrong type of storage for these platforms may be allocated.)<\/p>\n<h3>Is my storage backed up?<\/h3>\n<p>In short, yes. Files stored on this service can be considered secure. For example, files corrupted or accidentally deleted can be recovered (by you) for up to 35 days. Please note: files are <em>not<\/em> encrypted by the RDS system.<\/p>\n<p>The University <em>very strongly discourages<\/em> the use of local storage devices (e.g., USB disks) and in-house data storage platforms (e.g., local NAS servers). We call these &#8220;point storage solutions&#8221;. Further <a href=\"http:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/policies\/\">details on this policy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h3>Some terminology<\/h3>\n<p>You&#8217;ll come across the following terms in this documentation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The storage system that provides Research Data Storage is commonly referred to as &#8220;<em>Isilon<\/em>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li>An area of storage allocated to your research project, accessible by you and your research staff\/students is commonly referred to as a storage &#8220;<em>share<\/em>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li>The act of making the RDS storage visible on your PC\/laptop &#8211; typically as a new drive (e.g., R: or S: on Windows) or at a folder location (e.g., <code>\/mnt\/<em>some_project<\/em><\/code>) is called &#8220;mapping&#8221; or &#8220;mounting&#8221; a share.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>RDS vs Shared Areas<\/h3>\n<p>Please note: The &#8220;Isilon&#8221; storage system used to provide &#8220;Research Data Storage&#8221; is <em>not<\/em> the same as the &#8220;Novell&#8221; storage system that provides, what have traditionally been called, &#8220;Shared Areas.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>For any requests concerning &#8220;Isilon&#8221; Research Data Storage (where your storage begins with <code>\\\\nasr.man.ac.uk\\<\/code> or is on the CSF\/iCSF compute platforms), please search for &#8220;RDS&#8221; in the Connect Portal &#8211; or go directly to the <a href=\"\/rds\/apply\">RDS Support Form here<\/a>. We, the Research IT team, support this type of storage.<\/p>\n<p>For any requests concerning &#8220;Novell&#8221; storage &#8220;Shared Areas&#8221; (where your storage begins with something like <code>\\\\ss7.ds.man.ac.uk\\VOL<\/code>), please use the <a href=\"https:\/\/connect.manchester.ac.uk\/esc?id=sc_cat_item&#038;table=sc_cat_item&#038;sys_id=69117e821ba50a10e4db8557d34bcbeb&#038;searchTerm=shared%20areas\">Shared Areas Form<\/a> in the Connect Portal. Our colleagues in IT Services will assist you.<\/p>\n<h3>Charging Model<\/h3>\n<p>Some storage will be available to each academic-led research project at no charge. Further storage will be <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\/storage-charges\/\">charged for<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Research Data Management &amp; Data Classification<\/h2>\n<p>From 1st September 2013, the University of Manchester Research Data Management (RDM) policy requirements on the storage of data became mandatory. That requirement is to store data centrally or in a funder-compliant repository.<\/p>\n<p>The RDS system by Research IT is the central storage recommended by the RDM Service (part of Researcher Services in the University of Manchester Library). Full details on the RDM Service are available on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.manchester.ac.uk\/researchdata\">Library&#8217;s RDM Service site<\/a>. As part of RDM and using RDS you will need to be familiar with the <a href=\"http:\/\/documents.manchester.ac.uk\/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=29971\">Information security classification, ownership and secure information handling SOP<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Requesting Storage and Getting Started<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1041\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-forms-red.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1041\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1041\" src=\"\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-forms-red-300x294.png\" alt=\"Research Data Storage request form\" width=\"300\" height=\"294\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1041\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click on image to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!--\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_1041\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-appy-red.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1041\" src=\"\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-appy-red-300x187.png\" alt=\"Research Data Storage request form\" width=\"300\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-appy-red-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-appy-red-1024x638.png 1024w, https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-appy-red-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-content\/uploads\/rds-appy-red.png 1244w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a> Click on image to enlarge[\/caption]\n\n--><strong>To request storage from the IT Services RDS service, please use the <a href=\"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/apply\/\">Research IT &#8211; Research Data Storage Service (Request new storage)<\/a> helpdesk form <em>and pay close attention to all the notes below when filling it in<\/em>:<\/strong> <!--https:\/\/manchester.saasiteu.com\/Modules\/SelfService\/#serviceCatalog\/request\/E9A4B9A25BE94CC28EF5A39FE1A54892--><\/p>\n<ul class=\"gaplist\">\n<li>Select &#8220;<strong>Request new storage<\/strong>&#8221; from the drop-down menu and complete the form that appears.<\/li>\n<li>Those new to this service should read the <a href=\"\/rds\/getting-started\">Getting Started<\/a> guide.<\/li>\n<li>For lots more information, including how to access your allocated storage, how to recover deleted files and answers to many frequently asked questions, please read the <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\">User FAQ<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Usually, storage is assigned to a project, and sometimes a research group. Application should be made by, or on behalf of, the PI(s) of the project or group (not, for example, by individual postgraduate students within the group).<\/li>\n<li>Please ensure you comply with University policy regarding <a href=\"http:\/\/www.library.manchester.ac.uk\/using-the-library\/staff\/research\/services\/research-data-management\/planning\/\">Research Data Management planning<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>If you need access to your storage on the iCSF or CSF<\/em><\/strong> please ensure you note this in the form otherwise the wrong type may be issued and then have to be reallocated which can be time consuming for all.<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>If the storage is to be used by multiple people on iCSF or CSF please ensure that they already have an account<\/em> <\/strong>on the relevant system. Requests for access to those services can be made via the <a href=\"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/hpc-help\">HPC Help form .<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"warning\">Please note: Students (including PhD candidates) may not apply for Research Data Storage and are not entitled to any free allocation of RDS . We cannot used the associated P code to allocate RDS. The PI\/supervisor can request access to one of their related project shares for PhD students.<\/div>\n<h2>Backups and The RDS<\/h2>\n<p>The default type of storage allocated is said to be <em>replicated<\/em> and <em>snapped<\/em>: these storage <em>shares<\/em> can be considered &#8220;backed up&#8221; &#8211; each file is held in two data-centres and if damaged or deleted by accident, can be recovered for up to 35 days. There is usually no need to make additional backups of files kept on the RDS.<\/p>\n<p>The RDS should not be used for making backups of your local PC or storage device. A better configuration is to use The RDS as your primary storage.<\/p>\n<h2>Requesting changes to or help with an existing RDS Share<\/h2>\n<p><strong>If you need to increase the quota, add users to your share, or need advice on using an existing share please use the <a href=\"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/help\/\">Research Data Storage (Amend or get help with an existing share)<\/a> helpdesk form<\/strong><br \/>\n<!-- https:\/\/manchester.saasiteu.com\/Modules\/SelfService\/#serviceCatalog\/request\/E9A4B9A25BE94CC28EF5A39FE1A54892 --><\/p>\n<h2>Using your Storage (and other questions)<\/h2>\n<p>For lots more information, including <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\/using-storage\/\">how to access your allocated storage<\/a>, <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\/file-recovery\/\">how to recover deleted files<\/a> and answers to many frequently asked questions, please read the <a href=\"\/rds\/user-faq\">User FAQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Restrictions<\/h2>\n<p>All research staff and students at the University are entitled to data storage as described above. Collaborators from other institutions must be registered with IT Services as visitors before accessing the storage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accessing from Off-Campus Working from home \/ off campus: storage is accessible once you&#8217;ve signed into the GlobalProtect VPN. Please read our Working from Home documentation for how to access the CSF (and friends) and storage (RDS) from off-campus. This page also addresses some common problems when GlobalProtect is running. Quick link &#8211; accessing your storage If you&#8217;ve been allocated an area of \\\\nasr.man.ac.uk\\ Research Data Storage, and want to access it &#8211; please see.. <a href=\"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1175,"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4\/revisions\/1175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ri.itservices.manchester.ac.uk\/rds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}