Regional University Computing Center Kaiserslautern-Landau

RPTU-DataHUB

for research data

Description

RPTU DataHUB is a GitLab-based platform for managing and sharing FAIR research data (i.e. findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable).

Research data in DataHUB is stored as an Annotated Research Context (ARC). Within the system, ARCs are referred to as projects.

Directly to the platform: https://datahub.rz.rptu.de

Most important functions of the DataHUB:

  • Data management and version control:
    Full Git support, including Git Large File Storage (LFS) for large files

  • Collaboration:
    Researchers can control visibility and invite collaborators.

  • Metadata registry:
    Metadata associated with ARCs is automatically registered, making data discoverable in public ARCs, personal ARCs and collaborative ARCs.

  • Search and query:
    Researchers can query the registry to find ARCs using specific metadata terms.

 

Planned:
  • Development and integration of RPTU RDR:
    Direct publication of research data from the RPTU DataHUB in the institutional research data repository (RDR) at RPTU based on InvenioRDM

  • Integration with High Performance Computing (HPC):
    Enabling interaction with computing environments

  • Integration with archive:
    Long-term storage of research data.

Access to the RPTU-DataHUB

To apply for your own project area (group) on the RPTU DataHUB, you need a valid user account of one of the RARP organizations(Rechenzentrumsallianz Rheinland-Pfalz). All state universities and colleges in Rhineland-Palatinate are members of RARP.
External partners can be added as members of such a group at any time, but do not receive their own area.

Login instructions

  1. Open datahub.rz.rptu.de.
  2. Click on "Shibboleth" to authenticate yourself via Shibboleth.
  3. Follow the instructions to log in with your access data from your home institution.

Create groups

Groups are currently used to manage one or more related projects.

After you have successfully logged in, please contact rz-support@rptu.de to request the creation of a group.

Using the RPTU-DataHUB

There are several ways to interact with the RPTU DataHUB, including:

  • Graphical user interface: ARCitect
  • Command line tool: ARC Commander
  • DataHUB web application: For making small changes to ARCs using standard Git routines

 

Advantages of ARCitect & ARC Commander

The use of ARCitect or ARC Commander offers several advantages:

  • Automatic creation of ARC directory structures.
  • Metadata and file links are processed automatically.
    • No need to remember where to store metadata files.
  • Full support for Git Large File Storage (LFS).
    • No need to remember a multitude of Git and Git LFS commands.