Overview

Background

Across CMVM there is a significant variation in the adoption of supported storage services. Storage solutions are understood to potentially include unsupported and third-party storage technologies.  Some of these may be putting data at risk of loss and potentially breach, and may not be backed-up, which is contrary to best practice and guidance.

It is not currently clear the full range of storage solutions that are in use, and the level of risk which is therefore inherent to the researchers.

Scope

This project will seek to:

Identify at a high-level the range of storage solutions that are in use.

Develop a strategy for sustainable data storage practice and service across CMVM.  The output of the strategy will signpost what good practice looks like.  It will document the recommended College approach for the use of storage services, and suggest how to move from the existing storage solutions to the recommended approach.

The recommendations are intended to encourage best practice and inform people about what they need to do to achieve and maintain effective data storage practices.  

It will create a process to help move data from higher risk storage to the recommended approach.

As part of the proposals for research grant applications these will be reviewed, and potentially amended, to include the provision for information managements, data planning and storage requirements. 

Appropriate governance bodies will be identified to review, approve and recommend the strategies.

Out of Scope

Provision of College-funded storage services. Data storage within specialised devices. Any users or groups that do not meet the criteria for inclusion in CMVM provided technology.  The administration of the move scheme.  The move of storage users and groups to supported storage. End-user training. Non-research data storage.  Non-Research Document Management.

Objectives & Deliverables

Benefits

• Improve engagement with research groups across the college
• Improvement in data curation and awareness of data storage and archiving requirements
• Aligns technology decision making with data policies and governance
• Simplify the use of integrated data storage services for CMVM researchers
• Reduce the CMVM total cost of ownership (TCO) for data storage provisioning, support and maintenance
• Improve the sustainability of storage services
• Reduce the risk of data loss, corruption, theft, and associated reputational risk
• Improved data storage utilisation
• Sharing of best practice
• Improve availability of information on cost effective storage options for research community
• In areas where policy is not necessary and where best practice is followed,  a reduction in risk profile with actual behavioural change 

Success Criteria

• Increase in the number of grant/project proposals that include well-estimated data storage costs
• Increase of utilisation of recommended storage services
• If recommendations are followed, a significant reduction in the use of higher risk storage solutions
• Future storage workloads and capacity demand understood at project outset

Project Milestones