How GRIT storage and automounts work

Storage of data is saved in manageable bite-sized pieces for easier backup and relocation. These are typically done in this hierarchy:

• Research Group
  • Users
    • user1       <-- automount   =  /home/user1
    • user2       <-- automount   =  /home/user2
    • etc.          <-- automount   =  /home/otheruser
  • Projects
    • project1       <-- automount   =  /home/project1
    • project2       <-- automount   =  /home/project2
    • etc.              <-- automount   =  /home/otherproject
  • Data
    • dataset1       <-- automount   =  /home/dataset1
    • dataset2       <-- automount   =  /home/dataset1
    • etc.               <-- automount   =  /home/otherdataset

The deepest level (ex. user1 or project1) are filesystems (meaning they are only navigable down from that level.  You cannot navigate from project 1 up to the main Projects folder.  This is true with the Users and Data folder as well.

The deepest levels of this tree are made into automounts (essentially shortcuts) that are accessible from any server on the GRIT ecosystem, with a path that looks like this: /home/user1   or  /home/project1  even though the actual path would be something like:
servername.grit.ucsb.edu/storage-area/backup-level/group-name/Users/user1

From the automount level down, the path is completely navigable and folders can be made by the users 
(ex. user1/my-personal-files/my-maps). 

• Research Group
  • Users
    • user1       <-- automount   =  /home/user1
      • my-personal-files             (user editable & navigable)
        • my-maps                     (user editable & navigable)
          • california                 (user editable & navigable)
            • santa_barbara    (user editable & navigable)

We do not create access to the User, Project, or Data level because these can grow to unmanageable sizes and make relocating or backing up unwieldy. This also give us the ability for groups to share dataset or projects with other groups, or for users to be migrated from one group to another (ex. Grad student graduating from one group and becoming a Postdoc in another group).

For additional information on how our backups work:
https://bookstack.grit.ucsb.edu/books/grit-menu-of-services/page/storage-and-backups