Central Research Storage (CRS) Solution

The University of Texas at El Paso offers an on-premise Central Research Storage (CRS) solution that meets research storage needs. This cluster solution supports Windows shares, Linux shares, and GPFS storage for High Performance Computing (HPC). It utilizes a Distributed Filesystem (DFS) to provide high availability access, avoiding downtime typically associated with traditional single file servers during updates. It is managed and supported by central IT, researchers can request storage space at a rate of $155.00 per terabyte every 5 years, which includes backup services. Storage costs can be billed upfront to grants or start-up packages.

Distributed Filesystem (DFS)

- Provides high availability access.
- Provides a single namespace to access shares.
- Avoids downtime typically associated with traditional single file servers during updates.

Management and Support

- Managed and supported by central IT.
- Hardware is refreshed and patched by Central IT.

PI Benefits

- Researchers may continue to access and modify their data at no additional cost after their contract ends. However, the available storage will be limited to the amount of space their data occupies at the time the contract concludes, rather than the full capacity originally purchased.
- Each PI/faculty can use between 1 TB and 20 TB of free research storage for collaborative projects. (Restrictions Apply*)

Access

- Data is accessible from anywhere on campus when connected to the university’s wired network.
- A VPN connection is required when using campus Wi‑Fi or accessing the system from off campus.

Billing

- Storage costs can be billed upfront to grants or start-up packages.