Source: Own illustration
With DataArchive.nrw, North Rhine-Westphalia is launching a new service for the long-term archiving of large volumes of research data. Designed to complement DataStorage.nrw, the new system will enable the storage of so-called “cold” research data in the future. In this article, you’ll learn about the technology behind it and the role DataArchive.nrw will play in research data management (RDM).
DataArchive.nrw – Archiving of Research Data
DataArchive.nrw is a tape storage system being set up at RWTH Aachen University and the University of Cologne. With a capacity of up to approximately 35 petabytes per location, it provides additional storage space for research data. Redundant storage at geographically separate locations ensures a high level of data security and guarantees the long-term availability of the archived data.
As the system’s name suggests, DataArchive.nrw is intended to store “cold” research data. “Cold” research data refers to data that is generally no longer modified or accessed, or is accessed only very rarely. The system therefore offers researchers an excellent way to archive large volumes of research data.
Technical Background
To enable the long-term storage of large amounts of data in a cost- and energy-efficient manner, DataArchive.nrw uses a tape storage system based on LTO-10 technology. The research data is stored on special magnetic tapes housed in cartridges. Unlike hard drives or SSDs, where data is accessed directly via electronic memory chips, the magnetic tapes must first be inserted into an appropriate drive and rewound to the correct position before they can be accessed. As a result, data retrieval takes longer than with conventional storage systems. However, the technology offers high storage capacity with comparatively low energy consumption, as the tapes can be stored without the drive being in operation. It is therefore particularly well-suited for research data that needs to be preserved long-term but is rarely accessed or modified.
Unlike with S3 storage, the data cannot be accessed immediately. The retrieval time depends on the size of the requested data, its distribution across the storage media, and the current system load. This does not pose a challenge for archived research data, as no immediate or time-sensitive processing of the data is required.
Outlook
The setup and commissioning of DataArchive.nrw are currently in full swing. Once these are complete, acceptance tests will be conducted to verify the system’s functionality.
In addition, the Coscine team is currently developing the processes surrounding the research data workflow leading up to storage in DataArchive.nrw. The goal is to make the process easy for researchers to understand and, as with DataStorage.nrw, to enable FAIR storage of research data. Requests for storage space –
including for archiving research data – will continue to be submitted via the review process in Coscine-JARDS. The exact details of the process, as well as what researchers need to know and keep in mind, are currently being worked out.
Learn More
We will be reporting on the latest news – particularly the launch of DataArchive.nrw – via the RDM Blog, the Coscine Newsletter, and the Coscine website.
If you have any questions about Coscine, DataStorage.nrw, DataArchive.nrw, or research data management in general, the RDM Team is happy to assist you at any time.
Responsible for the content of this article are Katja Jansen and Arlinda Ujkani.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.