RDF-Active Summary
The Research Data Facility (RDF) Active is a new central service for storing large volumes of research data. The RDF-Active will be gradually replacing the Research Data Store Project spaces. The key features are:
- Ease of use - accessible as a fast network drive across the college network, with Globus endpoints for fast transfer to other systems.
- Dual copy - all data on the RDF-Active is stored in two physically separate locations.
Can my files be stored on the RDF-Active?
The RDF-Active is considered suitable for storing data which is classified as public and unrestricted. If your data is classified as confidential, restricted or requires a certified environment, it cannot generally be stored on the RDF-Active (see Saving my files for alternative locations). If the data you wish to store is (likely) to be classified as confidential or restricted, we strongly recommend you discuss this with your faculty information governance team; you should also consider completing an entry in Data Asset Registration Tool (DART).
It is the ongoing responsibility of all users of the RDF-Active to ensure that they adhere to these Information Governance recommendations.
Storage Allocations
Storage allocations on the RDF-Active are grouped under research groups and can be used as either shared spaces or for specific research projects. Storage allocations are assigned their own dedicated quota and access group, which can be managed using the Research Computing Access Portal (RECAP).
Charges for the RDF-Active may be found on the RDF-Active tab of Charging structure.
Documentation
The RDF-Active documentation is located on the RCS ReadtheDocs site.
Current Status
Updated: April 2026
The RDF-Active is now fully in production and we contacting RDS Project owners to discuss migrating their RDS Projects to the RDF-Active. If you have not yet been contacted and are interested in migrating, please raise a ticket with us (see Raise a ticket and contact us and raise a general query).