At IU, what is the Research File System (RFS)?

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General information

At Indiana University, the Research File System (RFS) is a centralized storage area designed to support IU researchers. RFS is based on OpenAFS, compatible with all major operating systems, and accessible using various methods from on and off campus. RFS data are regularly backed up, and reside in physically secure environments on the IU Bloomington and IUPUI campuses.

IU researchers can get 100 GB of disk storage at no charge. In addition to individual user directories, RFS offers project areas for collaborative projects (e.g., research teams). All users in a project area group have access to that area, and can therefore exchange files and collaborate. Group account owners can tailor access rights for individual users within their projects. For more, see In RFS, what are projects?

RFS is HIPAA-aligned (see About IU's research systems and services and HIPAA compliance). However, RFS does not encrypt stored data, so you must encrypt electronic protected health information (ePHI) before storing it on RFS.

Accessing RFS

You can access RFS from your personal computer using several methods; choose the method that best fits your work habits, operating system, and location:

Samba: The Samba interface is popular with Windows and Mac OS X users, because it lets you map (or mount) RFS on your desktop (like any other disk drive or a portable storage device). Via Samba, your RFS area appears as a desktop window filled with your folders and files. See At IU, how do I map or mount my RFS account to my workstation?
SFTP: If you routinely copy files that are 1 GB or larger, use SFTP, a fast, secure tool specialized for file transfer. SFTP is commonly used from the command line, but graphical SFTP clients are also available. See At IU, can I use FTP or SFTP to access my RFS space?
RFSWeb: RFSWeb is a secure web site that lets you navigate to your RFS storage area using your web browser. It's accessible from on and off campus, and compatible with most operating systems. See At IU, what is RFSWeb and how do I use it?
OpenAFS client: The OpenAFS client is a somewhat advanced tool that works best under Linux, but Windows and Mac OS X versions are also available. The OpenAFS client displays your RFS storage area as part of your computer's local directory structure, and is well-suited for high-volume, high-intensity work. Installing the client on your computer can be challenging, and it's helpful to have experience with the finer details of your operating system. See At IU, how do I install and configure OpenAFS on my workstation for use with the RFS?
If you have an account on Big Red or Quarry, the OpenAFS client is already installed. Your RFS storage area will appear as part of the cluster's directory structure.

Creating an account

To create an RFS account, use the IU Account Management Service:

For individual accounts, see At IU, if I already have some computing accounts, how do I get others?
For group accounts, see At IU, how can my group or department request a computing account?

Best uses for RFS

RFS is primarily a file system, and not intended as archival storage. Archival storage for IU researchers is available on the Scholarly Data Archive (SDA).

RFS is best suited for:

Storing relatively small files
Storing files that are updated frequently
Note: Your applications can open files on RFS directly if you use Samba or the OpenAFS client to access your RFS space.
Storing frequently accessed files
Storing files that need to be shared, especially group project work

Do not use RFS for:

Backup storage; RFS is intended as working space, use the SDA to store backups
Storing concurrently updated files (e.g., Access databases)
Storing relational database (e.g., MySQL or Postgre SQL databases)

If you have questions, email Research Storage.

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Last modified on March 02, 2012.