Last updated on August 6, 2024
Research Object Storage (S3) is an object file storage solution for eligible researchers and their research group members. It is hosted on premise by UW–Madison and is not a public cloud application, such as Amazon Web Services (although it is based on the AWS S3 protocol).
Our equipment is spread across three UW–Madison data centers, making it highly redundant and highly fault tolerant. We could lose one full site and there would be little to no impact on the service.
Object storage is a great option for backups and reducing costs for archives. In addition, many applications that have been designed for the cloud natively work with the S3 protocol, such as IoT (Internet of Things). It can also be used to host static web content.
Any permanent UW–Madison staff member is eligible to receive a Research Object Storage (S3) account. However, only specific groups are eligible for the no cost subsidy. Anyone not eligible for the subsidy will be given a fully billed account and will pay for any storage used.
This service is currently not approved for restricted data.
Benefits
- Great for backups and archives.
- Cheaper than most cloud-based S3 options. No I/O charges!
- Local support staff to help with setup and problems.
- Highly redundant and highly available.
- Many applications that have been designed for the cloud natively work with the S3 protocol.
Requirements
- Eligiblity Requirements See: https://kb.wisc.edu/researchdata/138794
- This service is currently not approved for restricted data.
Getting started
Your local IT support will be an important resource as you begin using Research Object Storage (S3). We encourage you to work with your local IT support, but if needed you can also sign up at: Account Request Form
Documentation
- Getting Started
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Eligibility requirements for no-cost allocations on Research Object Storage.
Terms of use
For terms of service see: https://kb.wisc.edu/researchdata/138894
Pricing
- 50 TB of storage provided to each eligible researchers at no cost.
- $60/TB per year for additional storage space eligible researchers who need more than 50 TB (billed to DoIT number).
| Tier | FY24 Price |
|---|---|
| No Cost Storage | 50 TB |
| Price (additional storage) | $60/TB/year |
Available to
- Administrators
- Departments
- Faculty
- Instructors
- IT staff
- Researchers