The API integration between the SND documentation system DORIS and the cloud based storage from Sunet is now ready to use. All of the member HEIs in the SND network can connect to this service in order to store research data during active projects and to make the data accessible after the projects have ended.
Data are encrypted when they are stored in the cloud service, and they never physically leave Sweden, as the server halls are located within the country. Johan Fihn Marberg, Head of IT at SND, says that this storage solution has a number of definitive advantages.
The files in the cloud are allowed to contain personal data
—A very important feature is that the files that are stored in the Sunet cloud can contain personal data. It’s also possible to store very large files, and a great number of files. Furthermore, this solution means that the HEIs retain control of all of the files; they are not transferred to SND.
The integration between DORIS and the cloud solution (called STAAS) means that it will be possible to point to files at Sunet in order to publish them and make them accessible in the SND research data catalogue.
The API that SND has developed has two parts. One is a so-called specification that determines which calls are made to the storage area. This specification is solution independent, meaning that it should be possible to program an implementation to most storage solutions. The other part is an S3 implementation of the specification, which has been developed by Sunet. All HEIs that use an S3 based file system can use this implementation, regardless of whether they sign up for the Sunet cloud service or not. Karolinska Institutet is an example of an HEI that has S3 but doesn’t utilise Sunet for their storage.
DORIS and IT drop-in sessions to demonstrate the systems
The plan ahead is to convince the HEIs that use the Sunet cloud storage to use it together with DORIS and the API when they make their research data accessible.
—We have a DORIS drop-in session on 8 December, when we will go live in the system to demonstrate how the work is done. There will also be an opportunity to ask IT related technical questions in our IT drop-in session on 11 December. Before that, a demonstration film will be administrated through the SND network and the IT forum, says Johan Fihn Marberg.
You can find more information about and links to the drop-in sessions on our events page.
(Please note that these events are held in Swedish.)