IT Solutions

The University WorkPlace (UWP) is a Windows-based desktop environment equipped with a wide range of software, access to network printers, and integrated storage via the X: and Y: drives. It runs on Windows 10 and can be accessed either through physical machines at UG-managed workplaces or remotely via an internet browser.

A variant of the UWP is the User Managed WorkPlace, which runs on physical machines and provides users with administrative rights over their system. Please note that this variant does not include technical support.

Cost

Free for UG staff and students.

Max. storage size

X: drive: standard 30GB, can be extended to 300GB upon request.
Y: drive: standard 30GB, can be extended to 1TB upon request, and expanded further with LowCost storage.

Sharing and collaboration

X: drive
The X: drive is a personal storage space. It is intended for individual use only and cannot be shared with others.

Y: drive
The Y: drive is designed for collaboration and file sharing within a group. Users are granted access to specific group folders by the folder owner. Access rights are managed using the NT File System (NTFS) and can be set to either:

• Read: view-only access.

• Modify: read and write access.

Backup and recovery

• Central backup only on weekdays.

• The last 7 versions of each existing file, and 5 versions of a deleted file, are retained for up to 90 days.

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting the CIT Service Desk via the restore request form.

Get started

Access the virtual UWP via browser for remote access.

LowCost Storage is intended for bulk data that is not frequently accessed, such as archived or infrequently used files, which may also apply to data on the Y: drive. This storage is accessible via the Y: drive and can be requested through your demand manager.

Cost

Free for UG researchers.

Max. storage size

1TB in addition to the regular Y: drive.

Sharing and collaboration

It is accessible via the Y: drive. The group owner of the LowCost folder determines which group members are granted access and assigns their permissions (read or write).

Backup and recovery

• Central backup only on weekdays.

• The last 2 versions of each existing file, and one version of a deleted file, are retained for up to 60 days.

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting the CIT Service Desk via the restore request form.

Get started

To request LowCost storage for your group, please contact your faculty’s demand manager.

The Linux Workplace (LWP) is a standardized university workstation that runs a Linux operating system and includes a wide range of licensed applications (e.g., MATLAB and SPSS). Anyone with a P, S, F, or G account can log in to the LWP, either on a managed workstation or remotely through a web browser.

The Linux Workplace (LWP) provides each user with access to two main types of storage:

• Home Drive: This is your personal storage space, automatically available to every University of Groningen student or employee using the LWP. It is comparable to the X: drive on the Windows Workplace and is intended for individual files, settings, and research data.

• Project Directory: This is shared storage, available upon request, and intended for collaborative use within research groups. A project directory can be created to enable multiple users to jointly store, manage, and access research data. This functions similarly to the Y: drive on the Windows Workplace.

Cost

Free for UG staff and students.

Max. storage size

Home Drive: 60GB

Sharing and collaboration

Files and directories can be shared with other UG members.

Backup and recovery

Backups are made every night of both the /home and /project directories:

• Over the last 30 days, a backup of every day is restorable.

• A backup of every week is restorable from 30 days ago to 60 days ago.

• One backup is kept available for a maximum of 90 days

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore via the request form in the Self-Service portal IRIS. 

Get started

Access the virtual LWP remotely via your browser.

The Virtual Research Workspace (VRW) is a virtual desktop environment where researchers can collaborate on sensitive data in a secure setting. All necessary applications are available within the VRW. To ensure data security, the environment is fully isolated: there is no internet access or connection to local hard drives. Only designated data managers are permitted to upload or download data to and from the VRW.

Cost

Basic and Premium configurations are available free of charge for UG staff. Custom configurations are possible upon request and may incur additional costs. Refer to the service description for more details.

Max. storage size

Each user is allocated 1 GB of storage on their personal (home) drive and 100 GB for group storage. Additional storage can be requested if needed. A fair use policy applies for exceeding these limits.

Sharing and collaboration

Only UG employees can request for creating a study environment in the VRW. Other members of the workgroup may include staff from other Dutch universities or guests. User accounts and roles are managed by CIT.

Backup and recover

• Daily backup.

• Retention period of 30 days. 

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting the DCC.

Get started

Request access to the VRW by contacting the DCC.

The RDMS provides a wide range of functionalities for managing research data. Within this system, researchers and research groups can collaborate and securely store, share, organize, and archive research data. Additionally, data can be enriched with metadata to enhance findability. All data is securely stored in the UG's data cloud and easily accessible from HPC, LWP, UWP, Unishare, and the Snellius supercomputer.

RDMS functionalities:

• Data sharing within the UG.

• Automated policy implementation.

• Data storage in personal and group environments

• Metadata management: Users can add and customize metadata to their data sets.

• Data query: Users can perform advanced data queries to search and find their data within the RDMS. The search results can also be saved and exported.

• Different user roles and permissions.

Cost

Free for UG researchers.

Max. storage size

Home Drive: 1TB.

Team Drive: 20 TB, expandable upon request.

Sharing and collaboration

Data can be shared with the UG members.

Backup and recovery

• Daily backup.

• The retention period is 30 days.

• The number of active and deleted versions is 2.

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting the rdms-support rug.nl

Get started

Access the RDMS web interface via your web browser

Internally hosted GitLab platforms are offered by the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute and the Bernoulli Institute.  

• If you are a member of the Bernoulli Institute, you can sign in via the “Bernoulli/LWP” tab. Otherwise, you can create an account and sign in via the Standard tab of the LWP.
  
• If you are a member of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, sign in via the "Kapteyn" tab; otherwise, use the "Standard" tab.

Cost

Free for UG staff.

Max. storage size

These platforms are not meant for data storage but for storing and managing code.

Sharing and collaboration

Both platforms allow collaboration between selected collaborators and public repositories.

Get started

• Access the Bernouilli Gitlab instance

• Access the Kapteyn Gitlab instance

Cloud storage provided by SURF, and accessible from anywhere, anytime (smartphone, tablet, laptop).  It allows synchronization of files and folders with the desktop client.

Cost

Free for UG researchers.

Max. storage size

1TB per user. It is not possible to extend this quota.

Sharing and collaboration

It is possible to share files and folders with other SURFdrive users and external users.

Backup and recovery

• Daily backup.
• Backup & recovery of 30 days, availability of 99.5%.

• There is a trash bin and versioning functionality in the application. In case you accidentally remove data files, you can retrieve the deleted files through the web environment of SURFdrive.

Get started

Access the  SURFdrive with your UG credentials.

Hábrók allows users to:

• Run many computations in parallel, for example, exploring multiple model parameters simultaneously.

• Offload long-running calculations from your personal computer to free up local resources.

• Work with large volumes of data, whether in file size or number of items.

• Perform intensive computations across multiple CPU cores or nodes, achieving results not feasible on a laptop or desktop.

Cost

Free for UG researchers.

Max. storage size

Hábrók has three main directories: /home, /scratch, and /project. These directories are intended for short-term storage, where users can store and access data during analysis or simulations.

The /home directory has a quota of 50 GB, while both the /scratch and /project directories offer 250 GB of storage space.

Sharing and collaboration

Directly opening private folders to others is not allowed. To share data, you can either use restricted group storage or use a publicly accessible location.

For software sharing, /userapps is available for private or shared installations.

Backup and recovery

• /home and /projects drives are backed up daily.
• The retention period is 30 days.
• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting hpct rug.nl.

Get started

You can request an account through the IT Self-Service Portal IRIS.

With SURFfilesender, you can send files securely and encrypted. With SURFfilesender, you send large files, such as research data, securely. The files are stored in the Netherlands. Encryption offers extra security. With end-to-end encryption, it is technically impossible to access files from outside. You send a password to open files, for example, by phone or text message. This way, you decide who has access to the privacy-sensitive file.

Cost

Free for UG researchers.

Max. storage size

You can send files up to 1TB.

Sharing and collaboration

You can send files both to internal and external collaborators.

Backup and recovery

By default, your files are available up to 14 days after sending.

Get started

Login to SURFfilesender with your UG credentials.

File storage and sharing system hosted on UG premises and provided by the CIT.

Cost

Free for UG researchers.

Max. storage size

250GB Home Drive.

Sharing and collaboration

It is possible to share files and folders with other UG members and externals.

Backup and recovery

• Daily backup.

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting the CIT Service Desk via the restore request form.

Get started

Access the Unishare via your browser.

A virtual server is offered with a Windows or Linux operating system of your choice and is equipped with the necessary software. Database and data storage are also possible. Linux OS offers Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian distributions as standard options. Other distributions are possible in consultation. Currently, the CIT offers to following database options: MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft Access.

A proposal needs to be submitted to the CIT, where the technical, hardware, security, and use case details are described in detail.

Cost

These services are on demand. Costs depend on the configuration, hardware, and level of maintenance. Usually, a yearly fee is required.

Max. storage size

Depends on particular use case and costs.

Sharing and collaboration

Depends on the configuration and minimum security requirements by the CIT.

Maintenance

You can choose to manage the server yourself or outsource its management to the CIT. The CIT also ensures that the server meets all security requirements.

Google Drive is a temporary data storage, file sharing, and synchronization service that is part of Google Workspace. It supports features such as version control, file restoration, and collaboration

Cost

Free for UG employees.

Max. storage size

100GB for Shared Drive, currently no limit on personal My Drive.

Sharing and collaboration

Google Drive allows document sharing both at the individual and team level, with UG members as well as external collaborators.

Shared Drives offer flexible permission management: different access levels can be assigned to specific users or teams at the file and folder level. Additionally, folders can be shared publicly if needed.

• The retention period is 25 days.

• In case of accidental deletion or data loss, users can request a file restore by contacting the Self-Service portal IRIS, by providing the name of the Drive and how far back they’d like to restore the data.