HMS offers three types of active storage options: Active Compute, Active Collaboration, and Scratch
The Active storage space is intended for storing research data that is frequently accessed, modified, or computed against. Details are provided here.
Active Compute
Overview
The O2 cluster is a shared high-performance computing environment serving a large research community with diverse research requirements and workflows, including dedicated hardware available for high-memory and GPU-intensive tasks. Active Compute comprises shared group or project folders accessible when signed in to the O2 cluster or the transfer cluster. It is intended for active research data that is frequently accessed, modified, or computed against.
How to access
Eligibility
- Allocation amounts are dependent on lab needs and available resources.
- The O2 cluster is available to researchers at HMS and its affiliate hospitals. An HMS ID is required. Use of O2 CPUs and GPUs is free for labs in HMS Basic Science departments, and fee-based for affiliates. If ineligible, don't hesitate to contact HMS Research Computing to discuss further options.
Storage limit notifications
Storage limits are designed to allow researchers to continue to conduct research while optimizing the use and cost of your storage, and can be modified to accommodate changing research needs. When a folder grows above the pre-established limit, automatic email notifications are sent to the responsible party (often the PI) and the Lab Data Manager (if the PI has designated one), so they can work with lab members to manage the lab's storage usage. If you are the responsible party for more than one folder, you will receive individual emails with details about each folder. Storage limit notifications have been applied to all O2 folders.
Request storage
To request storage, complete the Active Compute Storage request form.
Contact
Contact Research Computing Consultants: rchelp@hms.harvard.edu
Resources
- New user guide to O2 and Slurm
- O2 documentation
- Two-factor authentication on O2
- Checking user and group quota usage
Active Collaborations (research.files)
Overview
Active Collaborations are shared group or project drives designed for active research data that is frequently accessed or modified. Active Collaborations allows individuals to share documents and files with colleagues, both within and outside their department.
How to access
Active Collaborations are shared group or project drives, generally accessed from desktops and laptops. Also available on the O2 cluster as /n/files.
Eligibility
Requires at least two co-owners who can add, edit, and remove files and grant additional user access. If you seek access to an existing collaboration, you need to have the manager or owner of the collaboration grant access. Allocation amount depended on lab needs and available resources.
Storage limit notifications
Storage limits are designed to allow researchers to continue to conduct research while optimizing the use and cost of your storage, and can be modified to accommodate changing research needs. When a folder grows above the pre-established limit, automatic email notifications are sent to the responsible party (often the principle investigator) and the Lab Data Manager (if the principle investigator has designated one) so they can work with lab members to manage the lab's storage usage. If you are the responsible party for more than one folder, you will receive individual emails with details about each folder. Storage limit notifications have been applied to all Active Collaboration folders over 1TiB in size.
Request storage
- To request storage, complete the Active Collaborations storage request form.
Contact
Contact Research Data Management: rdmhelp@hms.harvard.edu
Resources:
Scratch
Overview
Scratch space is available on O2, mounted at /n/scratch3/, and intended to be used as temporary storage (days to weeks) for data that can be easily regenerated. Should be utilized for temporary files during a single job on the HMS High-Performance Compute (HPC) Cluster.
Note – Non-temporary data should be stored elsewhere, as an automatic deletion process will take place, periodically removing files.
How to access
Create a user scratch directory
Eligibility
Allocation amounts are dependent on lab needs and available resources. 10TiB is provided per user. An O2 account must use the scratch storage space—additional information is provided in the resources below.
Request storage
Additional information about scratch storage is available on the Research Computing Confluence web pages.
Contact
Contact Research Computing Consultants: rchelp@hms.harvard.edu.