HPC Storage Usage and Quota Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define appropriate use of the High-Performance Computing (HPC) storage systems and to ensure fair, efficient, and sustainable access to shared storage resources for all users.

HPC storage is a limited and costly shared resource intended to support active computational research workflows. This policy establishes usage expectations, quota management, and procedures for requesting additional storage.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all users of the institutional HPC environment, including:

• Faculty
• Staff
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Graduate and undergraduate students
• Sponsored or external collaborators

3. Intended Use of HPC Storage

HPC storage is designed for:

• Data actively used in current research projects
• Input, intermediate, and output files required for computational workflows
• Short to medium-term storage during the lifecycle of a project

HPC storage is not intended for:

• Long-term or permanent data archiving
• Retention of completed project data
• Backup storage for personal, lab, or departmental systems
• Storage of redundant or duplicate datasets

Users are expected to export or migrate data from completed projects to appropriate long-term or archival storage solutions in a timely manner.

4. Default Storage Quotas

To ensure equitable access to shared resources:

• New HPC users are assigned a default storage quota at account creation. (500GB as of November 1, 2025)
• Default quotas are designed to accommodate typical research workflows.
• Quotas may differ by user role or project type.

Quota values may be adjusted over time based on system capacity and usage patterns.

5. Quota Enforcement

• Storage quotas are actively enforced.
• Users are responsible for monitoring their storage usage.
• Exceeding a quota may result in:
  • Inability to write new data
  • Job failures due to insufficient storage
  • Administrative action if usage remains unresolved

Repeated or prolonged overuse may result in temporary suspension of write access until usage is reduced.

6. Requests for Additional Storage

Quota increases can be requested here: Request Additional High-Performance Computing (HPC) Storage

6.1 General Principles

Requests for additional storage are evaluated based on:

• Current storage usage
• Whether data is associated with active research
• Evidence that unnecessary or inactive data has been removed
• Availability of system capacity

Approval is not automatic and is subject to review.

6.2 Student Requests

• Requests for additional storage for students must be submitted by a faculty advisor.
• The faculty advisor is responsible for confirming:
  • The research need for additional storage
  • That existing storage has been reviewed and reduced where possible
  • That the requested increase supports an active project

6.3 Cleanup Requirement

Before additional storage is approved, users may be required to:

• Remove obsolete, intermediate, or duplicate files
• Export completed project data to external or archival storage
• Demonstrate that current storage is being used efficiently

Failure to perform reasonable cleanup may result in denial or deferral of the request.

6.4 Temporary vs. Long-Term Increases

• Some storage increases may be approved as temporary allocations tied to a specific project or time period.
• Temporary allocations may be reviewed and reduced after the project concludes.

7. Responsibilities

7.1 User Responsibilities

Users are responsible for:

• Managing their storage usage
• Cleaning up data from completed projects
• Ensuring compliance with this policy
• Planning data movement for long-term retention

7.2 Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty advisors are responsible for:

• Oversight of student storage usage
• Submitting storage requests on behalf of students
• Ensuring student compliance with storage policies

7.3 HPC Administration Responsibilities

HPC administrators are responsible for:

• Monitoring storage utilization
• Enforcing quotas and policy compliance
• Reviewing storage requests
• Communicating policy changes and best practices

8. Data Retention and Administrative Actions

To maintain system availability, HPC administrators reserve the right to:

• Require cleanup of inactive or unused data
• Set deadlines for data migration from completed projects
• Reduce quotas for inactive users
• Remove data after repeated non-compliance, with reasonable notice

9. Policy Acknowledgment

Use of the HPC system constitutes agreement with this policy. Failure to comply may result in restricted access to HPC storage resources.

10. Policy Review and Updates

This policy will be reviewed periodically and may be updated as system capacity, usage patterns, or institutional needs change.