Part laboratory, part repository, the Edinburgh International Data Facility (EIDF) provides computational and storage services to support data-driven innovation for the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland region and beyond. Data science services: the laboratory The EIDF Data Service Cloud is designed to support data scientists, and data scientists are not (exclusively) programmers. The Data Service Cloud has to support a wide set of users, from the casual data browser to the hard-core machine-learning researcher. It also has to be flexible: tools for data science can and will change all the time. The Data Service Cloud provides a self-service catalogue for users to select their base virtual machine(s) and customise them with standard data science and engineering tools. It supports: Browser-based access. From Jupyter-notebook-style dynamic webpages to full virtual desktop interfaces – a computer desktop running inside your web browser Command-line access: Traditional secure-shell login access for those comfortable with the Linux command line API access: Direct programmatic access to openly accessible data GPU hardware: Specialised processors for machine learning workloads.data hosting and preservation services Data hosting and preservation services: the repository EIDF works with partners from the DDI Programme and beyond to store, preserve and make available digital data assets of all kinds. To guard against data loss, EIDF follows the 3-2-1 principle, with a layered approach to its data architecture and a redundancy-by-replication approach to data durability. EIDF maintains multiple copies of data objects as follows. Data Lake: two copies, one primary, one secondary Onsite backup: one copy Offsite backup: at least one copy (see below). Safe Haven services EIDF provides Safe Haven services to health and government users, following best practice in independent governance and supporting the linkage of complex personal data for public benefit research and policy-making under national and regional safeguards. Safe haven services can also be created for organisations wishing to host and govern access to their data assets in a highly secure environment. Our Governance and Security section gives more information. Service catalogue and roadmap Standard services Availability Data Science Cloud Pre-configured analytics VMs Q3 2021 High-performance Spark cluster Q4 2021 High-performance R Studio cluster Q4 2021 High-performance Jupyter cluster Q4 2021 OpenStack IaaS 2022 Safe Haven Services Safe Haven cloud environment Q4 2021 Protected data access cloud environment Q4 2021 Data Access & Discovery Data catalogue Q2 2021 Analytics-ready datasets Q2 2021 Data Hosting Long-term data hosting 2022 High-Performance Computing Ultra2 large memory service Q2 2021 Cerebras CS-1 service Q2 2021 Archer2 UK Tier 1 service available Cirrus Tier 2 service available Bespoke Development & Project Services Data science development available Applications development available Systems development available Co-designed services In production National Safe Haven Trusted research environment for approved public benefit research, operated on behalf of Public Health Scotland. https://www.isdscotland.org Administrative Data Research Centre Secure data hosting, linkage and analysis environment operated on behalf of the Scottish Government. https://www.scadr.ac.uk Scottish Covid-19 Research Database Secure data hosting, linkage and analysis environment supporting covid-19 research across Scotland and the UK. ISARIC4C research service Secure data hosting, linkage and HPC environment supporting covid-19 genetic research by the ISARIC4C consortium. https://isaric4c.net Scottish Genome Partnership research service Data hosting and HPC re-processing environment. www.scottishgenomespartnership.org Early-adopter interim service programme 2021 In pre-production: co-designed services in operation, supported by projects Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence Secure data hosting and analysis environment. www.globalopenfinance.com ScotGov SPACe Analytics workbench and confidential data workbench environments; public data hosting service. iCAIRD research service Secure data hosting and dissemination service for digital pathology research data. https://icaird.com Data SlipStream Satellite and EO data ingest, processing, hosting and dissemination services. In development Active projects for future services IoT data service Data ingest and hosting services for the DDI Programme Internet of Things data network. http://iot.ed.ac.uk National Collection of Aerial Photography Data ingest and processing, data hosting and data dissemination services for Historic Environment Scotland. https://ncap.org.uk The DataLoch Secure data hosting and analysis environments for SE Scotland health and social care data. www.ed.ac.uk/usher/dataloch In planning Future services Research Data Scotland Scottish public sector research data catalogue; open and secure data hosting services. https://researchdata.scot SCONe Scottish Ophthalmology Network data hosting and analysis services. http://www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-sciences/ophthalmology/scone HDDI Secure data hosting and analysis environment for the Human Dignity Data Institute. CMVM Data Consolidation Data hosting and discoverability across the University’s College of Medicine and Vet Medicine. www.ed.ac.uk/medicine-vet-medicine Links 3-2-1 principle This article was published on 2023-11-24
