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Getting started on the IU Research Database Complex

On this page:

Introduction

The Research Database Complex (RDC) is dedicated to research-related databases and data-intensive applications that require a database. Oracle and MySQL databases are supported, and the default database size is 15MB. The RDC also provides an environment for database-driven web applications with a research focus. This system, rdcweb.uits.iu.edu, runs Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. User home directories reside on the IBM N5500 NAS storage device, with disk storage of 10GB per user. This space is shared by your Big Red and Quarry accounts, if you have accounts on those systems.

The RDC is strictly devoted to supporting research; it is not an instructional or classroom environment. If you need to use Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server in an instructional environment, please see Instructional resources: Database and web server access for instruction.

Requesting an account

Access to the RDC is available to all Indiana University graduate students, faculty, and staff. Undergraduates and non-IU collaborators must have IU faculty sponsors. For information about user responsibilities and security issues, see Research Database Complex (RDC) usage policies.

  • IU researchers: To obtain an account on the RDC, visit the Account Management Service at: https://itaccounts.iu.edu/

    After you log in (using your Network ID), click create more accounts. Follow the instructions to create your RDC account.

  • Non-IU researchers: Affiliate accounts on the research systems are available for non-IU researchers. For more, see About sponsored computing accounts for IU affiliates.

Note: Accounts remain valid only while the account holder is a registered IU student, or an IU faculty or staff member. On Big Red, Quarry, and the Research Database Complex, accounts are disabled during the semester following the account holder's departure from IU, and then are purged within six months. To exempt a research systems account from disabling, email a request to the Support Center's Academic Accounts team ( valid@indiana.edu ). If the request is approved, the account will remain activated for one calendar year beyond the user's departure from IU. Then, at the end of the year, the account will be purged. Extensions beyond one year for research accounts are granted only for accounts involved in funded research and having an IU faculty sponsor, or with approval of the Dean or Director of Research and Academic Computing.

Your database login

If you don't have an account on the RDC, visit the Account Management Service (AMS) to request one:

https://itaccounts.iu.edu/

See How do I get my first computing accounts at IU? If you don't see RDC as an option on the AMS web page, email High Performance Systems (HPS).

If you already have an account on the RDC, email HPS to request an Oracle or MySQL database. After UITS staff create your database, you will receive a Welcome letter via email that contains information about your database username and password.

If you have an account on the RDC and an Oracle or MySQL database login but don't recall the database password, refer to the database Welcome letter that was emailed to you. If you need help, email HPS.

Connecting to your database

Oracle

For instructions on how to connect to your Oracle database on the RDC, see:

MySQL

For instructions on how to connect to your Oracle database on the RDC, see:

Storing data

Your home directory resides on the IBM N5500 NAS storage device. You have a 10GB disk quota that is shared with Big Red and Quarry, if you have accounts on those systems.

Scratch file systems are available, but are not backed up to tape. Any data purged from the scratch file systems cannot be recovered. You are responsible for making your own data backups in case of disk failure or purging to free disk space. No disk quotas are enforced on these scratch file systems:

  • Local scratch: Scratch disk space is available locally on each node in /tmp (1GB), and an additional large scratch file system named /scr (10GB). Files in /tmp are automatically deleted when they are 24 hours old. Files in /scr are deleted when they are 30 days old.

  • Shared scratch: Shared scratch space is hosted on the Data Capacitor. The path to your scratch space is /N/dc/scratch/username (replace username with your username). Files older than 60 days are periodically purged, following user notification.

Support

The UITS High Performance Systems (HPS) group supports and administers the RDC; if you have questions about the system, email HPS. If you have questions about compilers, programming, scientific or numerical libraries, or debuggers, email the UITS High Performance Applications team. If you have questions about statistical and mathematical software, email the UITS Stat/Math Center.

Documentation

Oracle

For further documentation, see the Oracle Database Documentation Library, 10g Release 2 (10.2) and the following online guides:

MySQL

For further documentation, see the MySQL Reference Manual.

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Last modified on November 23, 2011.

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