This page provide an implementation guide for institutions that are planning to employ an institutional instance of Research Drive. It describes all necessary steps to successfully implement the use and administration of the instance in your institution.
Downloadable PDF versions of this guide are available at the bottom of the page.
Institutional instance:
- For all research projects and groups
- Central overview of projects, users and quotas
- Dashboard for administrators and Project Folder Owners
- Options for on/off external storage and own storage
- Retention period of trash: 15/30/90 days or longer
- Own logo & name (branded)
- Ability to add tags or conditional rules to files and folders
- Rights for group management
Community instance:
- Decreased costs per research group (minimum of 3TB)
- Retention period of recycle bin: 15 days
- SURF logo & name
- Default configuration, no options
Page contents
Preparation
The implementation of the Research Drive service starts with a good preparation.
Please consider the following points:
- Assemble a project group or team: which co-workers and departments are involved with the implementation?
- Gather use cases and needs from researchers
- Get informed: presentation & demo of Research Drive
- Use the possibility to test functionality in the test environment of Research Drive (project group on community instance, limited storage, max 2 months, no administrator rights)
- Draft a budget: for the Research Drive service, the time allocation of Project Folder Owner(s) and administrator, for support and communication
Design choices
The following choices and options are applicable for an institutional instance:
Main options:
- Choice: get your own institutional instance or use the community instance?
- Authentication method:
- Federated (SURFconext) plus local accounts
- Optional: SURFconext with attributes
- Local accounts only
- Federated (SURFconext) plus local accounts
- Two factor authentication with SURFsecureID (default = UIT)
- Data storage volume (from 10 TB)
Other options:
- Retention period of files in the trash bin:
(default = 30 days, options: 30/60/90 days of longer) - Coupling with external storage or cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox
(default = OFF, option ON) - Coupling met Jupyter Notebook
(default = ON, option OFF) - Online collaboration in Office documents
(default = ON, option OFF)
File name | Size | Use |
favicon.png | 16 x 16 pixels | Icon in browser tab |
favicon-touch.png | 64 x 64 pixels | Icon for tablets & telefoons |
logo-header.png | 250 x 70 pixels | Logo in application banner |
logo.png | 250 x 120 pixels | Logo on login page |
logo-mail.gif | 120 x 65 pixels | Logo used in emails (notifications) |
Optionally, you can provide a background image for the login page.
Will personal or other sensitive data be stored on Research Drive?
In that case a processor agreement is required.
More information: overview of all configuration options.
Realisation of an institutional instance
What steps are needed to create an institutional environment?
Formal steps:
- Requesting a quotation from SURF
- Verifying that Research Drive's security measures conform to your institution's information security policy
- Signing the offer
- Signing the processing agreement if sensitive data is put on Research Drive
Technical steps:
- Establishing a link with SURFconext if a federated login method is selected
For your own corporate identity:
- Select 2 colours for the login page (gradient)
- Select a background colour for the login screen
- Provision the icons and logos
- It is possible to add a background image on the login page
- More information: delivering the corporate identity
As soon as we have all the required information, we will proceed with the installation and configuration of your institutional environment at SURF.
The turnaround time is up to 5 weeks, depending on the planning.
Organisation
Organising the internal processes requires attention from several actors.
- Division of responsibilities and division of tasks:
- Role of dashboard manager
- Role of contract manager
- Role of Project Folder Owner
- Appointing a contact person for SURF
- Embedding the service in (RDM) data storage policies or guidelines
- Setting up support:
- Application procedure for Research Drive for the researcher
- Establishment of an information point or contact point for first line support
- Procedure for first-line (registration, monitoring, evaluation) and second-line support (SURF)
- Bundling of requests from investigators
- Embedding the service in the research chain or cycle:
- Before or at the start of the research project: setting up a project environment for the research group
At the end of the research project: closure of the project environment, archiving and/or publishing the research data and associated products.
Role of dashboard manager:
- Management of contracts:
- Creation or removal of contracts
- Allocation of contract managers
Role of contract manager:
- Managing project leaflets under certain contract:
- Creation or removal of project folders
- Allocation of Project Folder Owners for project folders
- Allocation of storage quotas to project folders
Role of Project Folder Owner:
- Creation of a project structure within the project folder:
- Managing access to project folder
- Setting rights to folders for groups and/or users
- Management of user groups:
- Creation of user group(s) for the project environment
- Adding or removing users to the user group(s)
Education & training
There are several ways to get started properly:
- Instructions for administrators are available in this page. User guidelines for Project Folder Owners and Research Drive members are available here.
- A workshop for administrators and Project Folder Owners is available on request
- For end users and researchers there is a visual tour available within Research Drive that explains the functionality
- A user manual is available on request and can be adapted to your own house style and configuration
Research Drive service roll-out
How will you roll out the service after implementation?
- Choice: start with a few research groups and gradually expand, or opt for a large roll-out
- Choice: only new research projects, or also research projects that have already started
- Define roles per project (e.g. project leader, researcher, student, external) and determine access level per role
- Reach out to researchers:
- Communication of the services: via website / intranet / newsletters / conversations
- Data policy: rules and guidelines on storage of research data
- Involve the grant office, with grant applications, be involved with RDM paragraphs and plans
- Employ enthusiastic researchers as ambassadors
Knowledge exchange & development
- Research Drive is in use at multiple institutions. Inquire with these other institutes and learn from each other.
- Do you want to know which institutions are currently using an institutional instance? Ask SURF.
- Share your working methods with others
- Gather wishes, needs and use cases of researchers. Bundle request for the continual development of Research Drive.
- Apply for the Research Drive user group via servicedesk@surf.nl
Downloadable guides
In the Implementation guide SURF Research Drive you can read about all steps and choices involved in the implementation of Research Drive. A Dutch version is also available.
English | Nederlands |
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