mass-storage/mass-storage-quota.md

@@ -4,33 +4,91 @@
 
 # Quota purpose
 
-Storage space is finite and expensive. For this reason, space allocated to each research team, platform and user is limited by a quota.  
+Storage space is finite and expensive and the mass storage is shared by several 
+teams and users. For this reason, space allocated to each research team, platform and user is limited by a quota.
+Quotas are also needed for safety reasons, mostly to prevent a user from filling the whole 
+disk space (for example with an infinite loop in a script) and so blocking the whole system.
 
-Quota are also needed to prevent a user to fill the whole disk space, for example with an uncontrolled loop in a script, and to block the whole system.
+**IMPORTANT**: Once the quota of a folder is reached, users stop being able to write in it. 
+If this happen while saving files, it may lead to data corruption and loss of data. 
+Some tools will give a warning or an error message but others will not. 
+**It is the user's responsibility to make sure there is enough space to write in the folder.**
+Quotas can be adapted to the needs of the different teams and users as long as 
+the request is reasonable and that there is enough free space on the mass storage. 
+
+**NB: quotas have no influence on the billing process** which is based 
+on the actual disk usage and not on the quota set on each team's folder (see [billing page](mass-storage/mass-storage-billing) for more information).
 
-**WARNING**: Once the quota of a folder is reached, users stop being able to write in it. If this happen while saving files, it may lead to data corruption and lost of data. Some tools will give a warning or an error message but others won't. **It's the user's responsibility to make sure there is enough space to write in the folder.**
 
 
 # Quota implementation
 
-Space in the **user personal home folder** is limited to **100 GB**. All files in the user's home folder and in all subfolders are included in this quota, but not files the user can reach through the "Research", "Platforms", "Administration" or "Resources" links in the ""\_SHARE\_" folder. Once this limit is reached, the user won't be able to create/save any file in their home. 
+## Quota applied on each type of folder
+
+
+1.  **User's personal `home` folder**
+
+The space is limited to **100 GB**. All files present in the user's home folder and all its sub-folders are included in this quota, with the exception of files in the links in the `\_SHARE\_` folder (`Research`, `Platforms`, `Administration` or `Resources`). 
+
+Once this limit is reached, the user will not be able to create/save any files in their `home`. 
+
+2. **Research units**
+
+By default, quotas of the Research Units are defined at the level of each team 
+(see [URT tree structure](mass-storage/mass-storage-URT)). 
+However, if several teams belonging to a same laboratory or unit share the same folders 
+on the mass storage, the quota can be set at the laboratory or unit level. 
+It is important to stress that in this case, if a member
+of one of the teams completely fills up the allocated space, the whole laboratory/unit will **not* be able 
+to write on the mass storage anymore until data are deleted or the quota increased.
+
+**NB**: Files transferred by the platforms to research teams via the 
+[platform-shared folders](mass-storage/mass-storage-structure-organisation#Platform-shared-folders) 
+are also included in the team's quota. 
 
-For Research Units, quotas are set at the level of **research laboratories** (see "Laboratories" column in the [URT tree structure](mass-storage/mass-storage-URT)). This means that these quotas are shared between teams belonging to the same laboratory. Files transferred by the platforms to research teams via the [platform-shared folders](mass-storage/mass-storage-structure-organisation#Platform-shared-folders) are also included in the laboratory's quota. Once a laboratory reaches its quota, it's not possible to write anything in any of the teams, SHARE, PLATFORMS and projects folders attached to that laboratory. 
+Once a team reaches its quota, it is not possible anymore to write anything in any of the projects, `SHARE` and `PLATFORMS` folders attached to that team. 
 
-For **Platforms**, quotas are set at the level of the teams (see "Teams" column in the [PTF tree structure](mass-storage/mass-storage-PTF)). Files transferred by the platforms to research teams via the [platform-shared folders](mass-storage/mass-storage-structure-organisation#Platform-shared-folders) are not included in the platform's quota but in the associated research laboratory's quota.
+3. **Platforms**
+
+Quotas are set at the level of the teams (see [PTF tree structure](mass-storage/mass-storage-PTF)) 
+unless there is no team and in this case, the quota is set on the Platforms main folder. 
+
+
+Files transferred by the platforms to research teams via the [platform-shared folders](mass-storage/mass-storage-structure-organisation#Platform-shared-folders) are not included in the platform's quota but in the associated research laboratory's quota.
+
+
+## Important recommendations
+
+- **Always check the space left** in a directory **before any transfer/writing of a large volume of data**. 
+If not done, it may lead to the loss or corruption of data .
+- Before starting a new project, you should estimate the space that the new data/analyses will require in order to check if it will be possible to store them on the mass storage and if needed adjust your quota in advance. 
+The bioinformatics team can help you to do this estimation.
+- Do not hesitate to contact the [Bioinformatics team](contacts.md) if you have any question 
+about quota implementation or the arborescence of your unit/lab/team folder on the mass storage.
 
 # Practical considerations
 
-* **How to find out how much space is left in a folder?**  
-  We are currently developing a tool that will allow each user to check the quota allocated to a given laboratory/platform/home folder, and the percentage of this quota currently used. 
-  In the meantime, for their home folder, users can check the disk usage and therefore calculate how much space is left before to reach 100GB. 
-  For laboratories and platforms quotas, users can contact the [Bioinformatics team](contacts).
+## How to find out how much space is available in a folder?  
+We are currently developing a tool that will allow each user to check the quota allocated to 
+a given laboratory/platform/home folder, and the percentage of this quota currently used. 
+In the meantime, for their home folder, users can check the disk usage and therefore calculate how much space remains before reaching 100GB. 
+For laboratories and platforms quotas, users can contact the [Bioinformatics team](contacts.md).
+
+## What to do if a folder is about to reach its quota?  
+1. Check that your increase in disk space usage is not coming from a script generating useless/unwanted files 
+2. Go through your data to delete all files and folders that are not needed anymore and compress data files when possible. 
+Several recommendations to reduce disk space usage can also be found in the [“Data maintenance”](mass-storage/mass-storage-management-practices) section. 
+If needed, the UDI GIGA-MED IT specialists or the bioinformatics team can help to find ways to further reduce disk space usage.
+3. If after tidying up your data, you still need more space, you can ask for an extension as described below.
+
 
-* **What to do if a folder is about to reach its quota?**  
-  The first thing to do is to go through the data to delete all files and folders that are not needed anymore and compress everything that can be compressed. Several recommendations to reduce disk space usage can also be found in the [“Data maintenance”](mass-storage/mass-storage-management-practices) section. If needed, the UDI GIGA-MED IT specialists or the bioinformatics team can help to find ways to further reduce disk space usage.
+## Modalities to require an extension
 
-* **Modalities to require an extension**  
-  If required for a specific project, the PI can contact the UDI GIGA-MED IT specialists to ask for an expansion of the storage space quota. This request of more storage space will have to be reasonable and justified. 
+If required for a specific project, the PI can contact the UDI GIGA-MED IT specialists 
+or the bioinformatics team (see [contacts](mass-storage/mass-storage-contacts) ) 
+to ask for an extension of the storage space quota. 
+This request for more storage space will have to be reasonable and justified. 
+Moreover, the acquisition of this extension will depend on the space left on the mass storage.