Update hpc_policies.md

mkdocs/docs/HPC/sites/hpc_policies.md

@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 # HPC Policies
 
 {% if site == gent %}
+
+## Access
 Everyone can get access and use the HPC-UGent supercomputing infrastructure and services.
 The conditions that apply depend on your affiliation.
 
-## Access for staff and academics
+### Access for staff and academics
 
-### Researchers and staff affiliated with Flemish university associations
+#### Researchers and staff affiliated with Flemish university associations
 
 -   Includes externally funded researchers registered in the
     personnel database (FWO, SBO, VIB, IMEC, etc.).
@@ -20,15 +22,13 @@ The conditions that apply depend on your affiliation.
 
 -   See [Getting a HPC Account](../../account).
 
-### Researchers and staff affiliated with other Flemish or federal research institutes
-
--   Includes researchers from e.g. INBO, ILVO, RBINS, etc.
+#### Researchers and staff affiliated with other Flemish or federal research institutes
 
 -   HPC-UGent promotes using the [Tier1 services of the VSC](https://www.vscentrum.be/compute).
 
 -   HPC-UGent can act as a liason.
 
-### Students
+#### Students
 
 -   Students can also use HPC-UGent (Bachelor or Master,
     enrolled in an institute mentioned above).
@@ -37,20 +37,71 @@ The conditions that apply depend on your affiliation.
 
 -   Use your university account credentials to request a VSC-id and connect.
 
-## Access for industry
+### Access for industry
 
 Researchers and developers from industry can use the services and infrastructure tailored to industry from VSC.
 
-### Our offer
+#### Our offer
 
 -   [VSC has a dedicated service geared towards industry](https://www.vscentrum.be/getaccess).
 
 -   HPC-UGent can act as a liason to the VSC services.
 
-### Research partnership:
+#### Research partnership:
 
 -   Interested in collaborating in supercomputing with a UGent research group?
 
 -   We can help you look for a collaborative partner. Contact {{ hpcinfo }}.
 
+
+
+## Data access retention
+
+Users are advised to strictly adhere to the [Ghent University policy framework on research data](https://codex.ugent.be?regid=REG000092&lang=en)
+and invest in [Research Data Management](https://www.ugent.be/en/research/openscience/datamanagement) throughout the life time of their scientific project.
+
+Researchers, students, staff, ... that no longer have a valid contract ('statuut') with Ghent University will lose access to the data of their VSC account.
+
+### Actions to take before leaving university
+
+**WELL BEFORE** leaving university, users should offload their data.
+Users are requested to:
+
+- delete files that are no longer relevant from all storage locations in their account
+    - this includes $VSC_HOME, $VSC_DATA, $VSC_SCRATCH, $VSC_DATA_VO and $VSC_SCRATCH_VO directories, ...
+- transfer data to coworkers and/or promotor
+    - make sure to provide sufficient metadata, explaining how to use/interpret data etc.
+- take personal backups if needed
+
+**All user data will no longer be accessible after a user has left university.**
+
+
+### Possible actions after a user left university
+
+When a user does not offload data before leaving university, user data might remain on HPC storage locations without a direct owner.
+If access to this data is for some reason still needed (by the former user, promotor, ...), the following actions could be possible:
+
+#### Request access as voluntary employee
+
+A former user, in accord with the promotor, can request to become a
+[voluntary employee or unpaid postdoctoral staff member](https://ugentbe.sharepoint.com/:u:/r/sites/intranet-personeelszaken/SitePages/en/Vrijwillig-medewerker-en-postdoctoraal-onbezoldigd-medewerker.aspx).
+
+Please note that the budget holder will be charged an annual fee for every voluntary employee.
+Once the voluntary employee contract is in order, HPC staff can then reinstate the VSC account and restore access to remaining data.
+
+#### Data transfer by HPC staff
+
+As a very last resort measure, HPC staff can perform a data transfer to another VSC account when requested by a VO moderator or promotor.
+If the former user was member of a VO, we will assume all the data is owned by the VO moderator or promotor (including $VSC_HOME and $VSC_DATA directories).
+
+Please be aware that such a data transfer is a non-trivial operation for HPC-UGent staff:
+
+- it is an entirely manual process
+- it is error-prone
+- it has risks for the storage integrity (since file actions are performed as root)
+- it is very time consuming
+
+Hence, it should be prevented at all times.
+If any of the above-mentioned alternative scenarios are still viable, they will be considered first.
+
 {% endif %}

scripts/link_checker/whitelist.txt

@@ -54,3 +54,6 @@ https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-linux-linuxfoundationx-lfs101x-0
 
 # gone?
 http://www.straightrunning.com/XmingNotes/
+
+# 404 only accessible from UGent network
+https://ugentbe.sharepoint.com/:u:/r/sites/intranet-personeelszaken/SitePages/en/Vrijwillig-medewerker-en-postdoctoraal-onbezoldigd-medewerker.aspx