Service catalogue

Our Service Catalogue is a list of services provided by IT Services to members of the University of Sussex and certain categories of visitors.

Each service within the catalogue typically includes a brief description of the service and how to access it, who is entitled to use/request the service, details of availability and service maintenance, and links to further information. This is intended to help improve knowledge within the University of the range of services we currently provide and to help users get more out of them. The range of services offered is reviewed annually with the University IT Consultative Group.

Information and Support
Applications and Tools
Student Workstations
Teaching and Learning
Staff Services
Business Services
Research
Network and Storage

Managed Filestore

Service ID

2

Summary

Provides registered users with secure, resilient file storage for their data, which may be accessed through client systems from University and user-managed devices via the University data network and via the Internet.  

Permitted users

  1. Members of the University

Gaining access

  1. Access to the service requires authentication. This is issued as part of the enrolment/employment process.
  2. Each person is allocated a default amount of file space for their work. Additional space can be requested, supported by academic or business case, with confirmation by course tutor for undergraduates, and supervisor for postgraduates http://www.sussex.ac.uk/its/help/faq202

Hours of operation

This service is accessible 24 hours a day.

Supported period

Normal working days.

Change control

The usual IT Service Change Control process applies.  Changes will be advertised in the normal ways.

ITS Responsibilities

  1. To provide file space.
  2. To backup file space.
  3. To respond to requests for additional file space.

Service user responsibilities

  1. To use file space for their University work.
  2. To manage their files and delete files no longer required before requesting additional file space.

Service dependencies

Data Network (#1). 

Detailed service description

Provides centrally-managed storage of data used by desktop-supported systems (and by some laptop systems).  This typically provides the ‘home directory’ (Documents folder) for file storage by end-users.

In addition to ‘home directory’ storage, the service provides high volumes of data storage for researchers. (#29)

Much of this storage is provided by a FalconStor SAN.  This stores more than 200TB of data which is accessed through fibre channel attached file servers (mostly running NFS).  The SAN provides two major classes of storage, one class is replicated between IT Services’ two data centres, and the other class is only stored in one data centre;  all the SAN storage is held in RAID format.

The service offers varying backup regimes to match the use of the data: some data are backed up every day (at least), some once per quarter and some not at all (data which can easily be recreated or obtained from elsewhere are suited to this category.)  The business systems data are held in the SAN on the best quality storage, with daily backups. 

The “home directory” storage is not a part of the SAN; it is replicated between the data centres and backed up daily (with more frequent snapshots being made); there is 70TB of disk storage attached to each of the replicated servers.

Data is backed up using the EMC Legato product.  Backups are held in robotic tape system located in the third data centre.  

Links to ITS documentation

Definitions

Normal working days
These are defined for all ITS services as Monday – Friday inclusive, but excluding Bank Holidays and University Minimum Service Days.
Scheduled Maintenance
IT username and password
These are the login credentials, issued by IT Services to registered students and current staff of the University of Sussex, enabling access to email, workstations and other services requiring authentication.

New and changed services

Information about changes to services including any scheduled maintenance, are posted on the IT Services website and distributed by the IT Services Facebook, Twitter and RSS feed. Current service status traffic light information is also displayed on the IT Services website.

If the service you are enquiring about is not described below, please get in touch.

User responsibilities

All service users are expected to abide by the rules and regulations described in Regulations for the use of Information and Communication Technology and to report faults, as they arise, to IT Services.

Updated on 21 October 2013