Scratch space on DICE desktops and servers

We strongly advise that whether you are using your desktop or a server, you only store data on /disk/scratch that is transient or easily reproducible. It should not be used as a storage space for data that you may wish to use again at a later date.

Staff and PhD desktops

If you have chosen to have a DICE desktop, you will find a partition on your machine called:

/disk/scratch

The size of the partition will depend on the age of your machine. The data on /disk/scratch is not backed up so this partition should only be used for data that is either of a temporary nature or is easily reproducible.

It is not exported so is only available on your local machine.

DICE servers

Many DICE servers also contain /disk/scratch partitions. As for desktops, this data is not backed up nor is it exported so is only accessible locally. If the data has been created by students as part of a course, the data will be routinely removed after the course has ended. Should the scratch space fill up on any of these servers, then data that has not been accessed for a given period of time may be deleted without warning to allow other users access to space.

Student lab machines

As the lab machines are a shared resource, this partition is not available for general use on these machines.