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Frequently Asked Questions

Some common questions, errors, and problems are categorized below. Click the Expand Topics link in the upper right to see all entries at once. You can also use the search box above to search the user guide for any issues you are seeing.

About Data Depot

Frequently asked questions about Data Depot.

Can you remove me from the Data Depot mailing list?

Your subscription in the Data Depot mailing list is tied to your account on Data Depot. If you are no longer using your account on Data Depot, your account can be deleted from the My Accounts page. Hover over the resource you wish to remove yourself from and click the red 'X' button. Your account and mailing list subscription will be removed overnight. Be sure to make a copy of any data you wish to keep first.

What sort of performance should I expect to and from the Data Depot?

The Data Depot is designed to be a high-capacity, fast, reliable and secure data storage system for research data. During acceptance testing, a number of performance baselines were measured:
Access type Large file, reading Large file, writing Many small files, reading Many small files, writing
CIFS access, single client (GigE) 102.1 MB/sec 71.64 MB/sec 12.43 MB/sec 11.57 MB/sec

Is the Data Depot just a file server?

The Data Depot is a suite of file service tools, specifically targeted at the needs of an academic research lab. More than just the file service infrastructure and hardware, the Data Depot also encompasses self-service access management, permissions control, and file sharing with Globus.

Do I need to do anything to my firewall to access Data Depot?

No firewall changes are needed to access Data Depot. However, to access data through Network Drives (i.e., CIFS, "Z: Drive"), you must be on a Purdue campus network or connected through VPN.

What is the best way to mount Data Depot in my lab?

You can mount your Data Depot space via Network Drives / CIFS using your Purdue Career Account. NFS access may also be possible depending on your lab's environment. If you require NFS access, contact support.

How do Data Depot, Fortress, and PURR relate to each other?

The Data Depot, Fortress, and PURR, are complementary parts of Purdue's infrastructure for working with research data. The Data Depot is designed for large, actively-used, persistent research data; Fortress is intended for long-term, archival storage of data and results; and PURR is for management, curation, and long-term preservation of research data.

Data

Frequently asked questions about data and data management.

Can I store Export-controlled data on Data Depot?

The Data Depot is not approved for storing data requiring Export control including ITAR, FISMA, DFAR-7012, NIST 800-171. Please contact the Export Control Office to discuss technology control plans and data storage appropriate for export controlled projects.

Can I store HIPAA data on Data Depot?

The Data Depot is not approved for storing data covered by HIPAA. Please contact the HIPAA Compliance Office to discuss HIPAA-compliant data storage.

What do I need to do in order to store non-HIPAA human subjects data in the Data Depot?

Use the following IRB-approved text in your IRB documentation when describing your data safeguards, substituting the PI's name for "PROFESSORNAME":

Only individuals specifically approved by PROFESSORNAME may access project data in the Research Data Depot. All membership in the PROFESSORNAME group is authorized by the project PI(s) and/or designees. Purdue University has network firewalls and other security devices to protect the Research Data Depot infrastructure from outside the campus.

Purdue Career accounts have password security policies that enforce age and quality requirements.

Auditing is enabled on Research Data Depot fileservers to track login attempts, maintain logs, and generate reports of access attempts.

Can I share data with outside collaborators?

Yes! Globus allows convenient sharing of data with outside collaborators. Data can be shared with collaborators' personal computers or directly with many other computing resources at other institutions. See the Globus documentation on how to share data:

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