Science Datastore FAQs

Will SxDS interfere with my FACS instrument or its data collection?

No.  SxDS runs on the computer you use for data collection but is completely separate.  After you collect your data, you click the SxDS icon, indicate which data files you want to store, and identify yourself as the person storing the data.  SxDS will then put your data and any accompanying files into a tamper-proof wrapper and send a copy of this dataset to the server as soon as possible.  When your data are safely stored, SxDS will shut down and wait for the next person to transfer data.

Can my data get lost?  

No.  Even after sending your dataset to the server, the SxDS client will hold a copy until the server records its arrival, indexes it, and sends you an email with a link you can use to call the data for analysis.  The SxDS client will not remove its copy until the server signals that a copy of the dataset has been written to DVD, assuring in this way that at least two copies of the dataset exist at all times.  

Will I still have to wait while I export my data from DiVa to the computer desktop?

Yes.  DiVa does not currently provide a way for SxDS to directly obtain the datasets DiVa has collected. Users must first export the data and then tell the SxDS client to send them to the storage server.  (Cooperation between ScienceXperts and the DiVa team could easily make export and storage a one-click process.)

Who has access to my data on the server?

Only you, the SxDS administrator, and people you put on the list to receive the confirmation email that the server sends once the dataset has been recorded and indexed.  Your SxDS password will give you access to the index for your own experiments and allow you to download data directly from the server. You can give other people access to individual experiments by sending them copies of the launch links in the confirmation email.  We recommend that you do not share your password with anyone.

Can I, or someone else, alter my files once SxDS writes them to its archive?

No, not without you knowing it.  As soon as the SxDS client receives your files, they are wrapped in a tamper-proof package that will reveal any alteration made to the file.  Within hours or days at most, your files in their tamper-proof wrapper are co pied to non-volatile write-once media (CD, DVD, or BlueRay) where they cannot be directly altered. Several copies of each archive disk are made and should be stored at separate locations to protect them physically and prevent any attempts to counterfeit them with alterations.  Should someone succeed in making such alterations, the tamper-proof wrapper will reveal the security breach.   

Can SxDS be hacked or infected with viruses or worms?

No, not with any currently known technology.  Built with unique protection against intrusion, SxDS accepts only files that originate from SxDS clients. These must be file types we have specifically configured your SxDS to accept, such as yourfile.fcs.  And the file format must match the declared file type.  No one, not even your SxDS administrator, can write content directly to the SxDS archive.

How much care does the SxDS server need?

Once the server and its clients are installed, they should continue to run with very little attention.  Periodic backups are useful for “disaster recovery” and should be done by a competent IT technician.  However, other than these backups, the server requires only that DVDs and CDs be written when it signals the need to do so.  It writes these automatically to disks once an attendant verifies that the robotic disk writer is in operation and is loaded with blank disks ready for writing. 

One click is required to verify that everything is in place and to send the robot on its way.  Later, someone has to pick up the disks, which have been written and clearly labelled with their contents, and put these in their appropriate places. 

At Stanford, three disks are written:  one is kept next to the server; one is kept in a local office; and one is placed in an offsite vault.