Storage & Backup

Digital Research Computing has a wide variety of data storage solutions that can meet the needs of the research community across the Mass General Brigham (MGB) system. There are a number of options available, providing various levels of high performance, high density and high availability. Digital Research Computing will gladly assist you with finding the right solution to meet your price and usage requirements. 

All of the data storage solutions that Digital Research Computing provides are approved for internal data flows that have PHI, based on MGB InfoSecurity and data privacy guidelines and policies. If there are specific requirements built into an external DUA or contract, then additional consultation may be needed to determine the best solution.

HELP! What type of storage do I need?

Quick Comparison Chart

Digital Research Computing provides a number of different storage and backup solutions for the Research communities at Mass General Brigham

An additional Storage Solutions FAQ outlines various data scenarios that may also help you decide what storage solutions are right for you. 

Quick Compare

 

Service Overview Cost & Limits
General Use
SFA Suitable for: General Use
Use Case: Data Accessed on a routine Basis
Key Features/Backup: Cloud Replication, backup
Access: Network Shared; Replicated across datacenters
Certifications:
- GDPR;
- FIPS 140-2 Certified
- NIST 800-171 Certified
$2,406.40/TB (one-time cost)
New RFA Suitable for: General Use
Use Case: Data Accessed on a Routine Basis
Key Features/Backup: Sub-folder permissions, Pay-as-you-go billing, Backup via snapshots, No offiste replication
Access: Network Shared Drive (NFS, SMB protocols
Certifications:
- GDPR;
- FIPS 140-2 Certified
- NIST 800-171 Certified
Available January 2026, Pay-as-you-go
BRIEFCASE Suitable For: High-Speed Processing
Use Case: Data needing high-speed cluster processing.
Key Features/Backup: Optimized for high-performance compute cluster environment.
No backups. Snapshots enabled by request.
Access: ERISTwo HPC Cluster.
Certifications:
GDPR
NIST 800-171
FIPS 140-2
$15.36/TB/Month; scales from 200GB to 50+TB; also available for one-time up front purchase
MAD3 Suitable For: “Cool” Archival
Use Case: Data that does not get accessed frequently.
Key Features/Backup: Long-term storage; replicated across datacenters; high availability; snapshots. 
Access: SMB and NFS protocols.
Certifications:
TBD
$6.86/TB/Month
Azure Archive
(Q2FY26)
Suitable For: “Cold” Archival
Use Case: Data that needs to be stored for long term (years)
Key Features/Backup: Cheap storage for Long term.
Access: Network Drive
Certifications:
GDPR 
NIST 800-171 
FIPS 140-2
$0.00099/GB/Month (Pay-as-you-go); !! Retrieval Cost $0.022/GB !!
DRUVA Suitable For: Desktop Backup
Use Case: Automated Desktop & VM Configuration Backup. 
Key Features/Backup: Cloud replication and automated backup.
Access: Desktop and Laptop Computers
Certifications: 
GDPR
$10/TB/Month
KITEWORKS Suitable For: Transfer
Use Case: Secure internal and external data transfer. 
Key Features/Backup: Secure file transfer platform; up to 100GB combined size for all files/folders. 
Access: Web-based interface.
Certifications:
GDPR
No Charge (Indirects); accounts deleted after 60 days of inactivity.
MGB Dropbox Business Suitable For: File Storage & Collaboration
Use Case: External collaboration and NIST 800-171 CUI data. 
Key Features/Backup: Cloud replication and backup; shareable across devices, internal and external collaborators; versioning. 
Access: Web download, replicated to desktop folders. 
Certifications: 
Cleared for NIH Controlled-Access Data; 
NIST 800-171 certified; 
Fully dbGaP compliant
No Charge (Indirects); 1TB Limit
MICROSOFT ONEDRIVE Use Case: File storage for office documents and internal/external collaboration.
Device backup (Mac, Windows)
Key Features/Backup: Cloud replication and backup; shareable across devices, internal and external collaborators; versioning.
Access: Web download, replicated to desktop folders.
Certifications:
FIPS 140-2 certified; 
NIST 800-171 assessment in progress (as of May 2025).
No Charge (Indirects); 5TB* Limit
 

Info Button

At this time, these services have limited availability for proof-of-concept, pilot use cases. Please email rcc@partners.org if you are interested in participating in the pilot.

$ Fees listed on the CORE page

General Purpose

Network file shares for access from the Mass General Brigham network

Archival Storage

Online backup and long-term archive for large data sets

Cluster Attached Storage

Two file-based storage options are available for data that is analyzed using ERISTwo Linux Cluster or Windows Analysis Servers

NSBackup Service

Secure backup for work-related data (system files are excluded) for Mac, Windows or Linux desktop or laptop computers.

Rubrik Backup

Server Backup Solution

Rubrik Enterprise Backup

Capabilities:

  • Able to take snapshots of any VM regardless of OS.
  • Able to mount an VM to have near instant access to the last snapshot of the VM.
  • Able to perform file level backups without snapshots.
  • Able to perform both SQL and Oracle DBs backups.
  • Able to restore any VM regardless of OS in place to any date available via snapshot.

Physical Servers:

  • All physical servers (non VM) will be scan and grab.
  • Rubrik will scan all local file systems, create a TOC of the data sets and then backup all data.
  • Rubrik will perform one full and then incremental after the first full backup is completed.

SLA:

  • All SLAs hold data for 1 year with a daily 7 day retention.

Retention:

  • All data is held for 1 year. Anything outside of 1 year is defined as data retention and not data recovery. The Rubrik platform is for DR only.

Standards:

  • Only MGB managed servers will have access to the Rubrik platform
  • Selected MGB affiliates will have access to the Rubrik platform
  • No users accounts will be created unless the user has direct need to perform backups/restores.
  • The Rubrik platform should not be utilized as a refresh platform for various DBs and other applications.
  • There is no restoring data from Rubrik to any external device, i.e. USB stick.
  • All Rubrik accounts are managed within Rubrik and have no attachments to AD.
  • MFA is enabled and enforced for every Rubrik account.

Escalation: 

Contact the Digital Service Desk to have a ticket assigned to the tsm - phs assignment group.

 

KB0043180