Research computer infrastructure is concerned with managing data: its acquisition, transfer, processing, visualisation, interpretation, storage, retrieval, curation, and archival. This page will deal primarily with storage related issues.

Storage

For small amounts of storage, the Cabinet facility is available to give researchers access to data storage that is backed up.

Archive

The western Canada high performance computing consortium, WestGrid, provides facilities for long term storage of data through Silo.

Retention

Plans should be made for keeping research records from a project after the project has finished. University policy requires a minimum storage of 5 years, but some funding agencies may have more stringent requirements. While the data need not be accessible on-line, the choice of storage medium (or media) should include consideration of the availability of devices that will be able to read that medium at the end of the retention period.