Hello
I am currently working with colleagues at the University of Reading on a business case for a research data repository and we wanted to define some cost parameters for our archive storage requirement over the next five years. I am interested
to know if anybody has attempted to model expected archive storage volumes over a 3-5 period, or, where services have already been established, if anyone can share data about year-on-year growth in storage volumes.
To be clear: this is the storage requirement specifically for archiving/publishing data supporting published outputs in compliance with EPSRC and other public funders’ policies, where suitable external data centres cannot be used. Our business
case will recommend implementing a service integrating EPrints and Arkivum, and we hope to begin implementation in early 2015. We are expecting to begin with a narrow compliance-focused data collection policy and that during the first year or two we will effectively
be in a pilot phase with relatively low usage. It is assumed that as the service becomes more established the collection policy may broaden to include data arising from other research not funded by the big public funders and data from unfunded research.
I therefore assumed in years 1 and 2 a requirement for maybe 1-5 TB storage, with a more steeply rising curve in years 3-5 to <100TB by year 5. The general view of my colleagues is that this is far too low. But I’m willing to throw it in
as a reference point to get things started…
I realise there are so many variables in the mix that any meaningful numbers or comparisons between organisations are probably not possible, but I would be interested at least to have a sense of the scales of actual/projected storage others
are working with. Does anybody out there have any relevant information they would be willing to share?
I should greatly appreciate any help!
Thank you
Robert
Dr Robert Darby
Research Data Management Project Manager
Research and Enterprise Development
The University of Reading
Whiteknights
Reading RG6 6AH
Tel: 0118 378 6161