File Access and Management

In order to accomodate our users with large datasets, the StatLab tries to provide several options for accessing, moving and managing file spaces. We offer access to hardware solutions like CDR, Zip, and USB connectors as well as network based solutions including our own space and the Pantheon. All machine use is governed by the StatLab Appropriate Use Policy. Pantheon space also has policies regarding use, backups, quotas and other information.

*Speak with a CA about permissions and permanency of files on Cluster Machines (or see http://www.yale.edu/css/)
**Desktop Publishing Machines in Dunham have Zip drives. All Apple Mac towers have zip drives. All new iMacs in Dunham, CCL and Connecticut Hall have CDRW burners. PC's with CDRW are in CTHall and the desktop publishing areas of CCL and Dunham. Consult with a CA about drive sizes and accessibility.
***The Libraries and clusters map pantheon space to different drive letters than the StatLab.

Removable Media

For all of the media mentioned above, we strongly recommend that you work with a local copy of your files (copied to your desktop or the c:\temp) and back up your data on a regular basis. When leaving StatLab facilities, you can copy the data back to its media. User files are deleted from StatLab hard drives weekly on Monday nights.

The StatLab provides CDRW drives in our main classroom and, beginning in the summer, in the Brewster classroom. The upper CD tray is a CDRW drive, the lower CD tray is a CD-ROM (read-only) drive. See our Help with CDR page for more information on using the CDR/CDRW drives at the StatLab.

If you are using a data file on a remote server and there is a network problem, the data file will probably be corrupted. Because of their relative unreliability, The StatLab does not recommend the use of zip or floppy disks for critical data.

Moving Data Back and Forth

Newer ways to carry data around involve using the USB port. We recommend the purchase of hard drives with USB connectors or solid state USB Drives (aka keychain storage). There are also USB devices that read Compact Flash formats frequently used by digital cameras and digital music players. (discounts available through the Yale e-portal).

The easiest way to move small data from one machine to another is to email the data file to yourself or, preferably, use your personal Pantheon Space (Y: drive). You can access this space by clicking on the "Secure FTP Pantheon Access" icon located in the Start Menu/Programs/Internet Tools folder of StatLab machines. See http://pantheon.yale.edu/help/ssh/ for instructions on how to access Pantheon servers elsewhere. If your file size exceeds your personal quota space, the Pantheon scratch space is available for temporary storage. See http://pantheon.yale.edu/help/scratch.html for policies and conditions.

The StatLab T: drive is available for temporary use. The T: drive is erased periodically throughout the semester. It is esecially helpful if you need to transfer files from a Zip Drive to a CDRW (or vice-versa):
  Log into one of the machines that has a Zip drive,
  Copy the data to the T: drive,
  Logoff,
  Log into a machine with a CDRW and
  Copy the data file down.
Warning: by its very nature, any user can delete any file off of the T: drive independent of StatLab maintenance.

More Space

If more space is still needed, we recommend you contact your department to see if they have any departmental storage place. Also, consider investing in local storage media such as CDRs or additional hard drive space. (discounts available through the Yale e-portal).

Description of drive letters:

v: StatLab Shared Applications (read only)
i: StatLab Classes shared space (ready only)
t: StatLab Temporary storage
h: StatLab Data (read only, includes SSDA data)
q: Research Insight Data (read only)
g: ESRI Data (read only)
y: Pantheon User Space (\\capitoline\NetID)

©2007 Yale University Social Science Statistical Laboratory Certifying Authority: Themba Flowers lm: Mon May 05 10:41:00 EDT 2003