Announcement for the Cloud system-HIVE

from the Imaging Core Facility at the First Core Labs

The need of image analysis is emerging with the development in the advanced microscopy and analysis tools. To fulfill the request, Imaging Core Facility sets up the Cloud system, HIVE, since 2021. HIVE is a workstation featuring powerful computational resource with large and secure data-storage. It not only improves the efficiency of data transfer, but also maximize the utility of bioimage analysis resources in Imaging Core Facility. Users can access and process their image data with the implemented tools on HIVE anytime, anywhere through the internet. HIVE provides the following services:

Data Cloud:

The Data Cloud is password protected, users must log in to access it. The storage space in Data Cloud consists of two types of folder: the Private folder and the Public Zone folder. Ensuring data privacy, we guarantee that each Private Folder only be accessed by accounts associated with the same laboratory. In other words, people from other labs cannot access your Private folder via their accounts.

The Public Zone folder is specifically for data transfer at higher speed inside of Imaging Core Facility. In a typical scenario for using Data Cloud, users obtain image data from microscopies and then directly store these data on Public Zone folder or the Private folder at Imaging Core facility. Afterward, the data be can downloaded to personal storage devices via VPN based remote-desktop connection (RDP) anywhere. With the help of the Data cloud, users can fetch data without spatial and temporal restrictions and repeated transferring, making the data transfer more efficient.

Process Resource Cloud:

In addition to serve as the Data Cloud, HIVE also plays as the role of a computing server with the implementation of many image analysis tools. Currently, users can process images by various tools such as Imaris, Huygens, Fiji, Zen, LASX and Python with the high-performance CPU& GPU resource.

If you have started using our image analysis resource, you can accelerate the data analysis by combining the Data Cloud with the Process Resource Cloud. For instance, you can store images on the cloud system right away after image acquisitioned quantify images on it afterward to enjoy the high-performance computation.

Please follow the steps below to activate your cloud account.

Instructions for cloud service:

1. This service is only open for researchers in NTU.
2. Fill out the online application form((https://forms.gle/kdSsrJNfzCgwm2Xk7)).
3. Each laboratory has up to two accounts--one PI account for valid data collection, and one lab account shared by laboratory members.
4. Two private folders will be created and named as the account names with different access right. The PI account can visit both private folders but the lab account can only visit the lab folder. The design makes it easier for PI to collect the valid quantification result from big raw data.
5. Define the PI account as the PI’s preference, whereas the Lab account should be defined as the following rules:

           For PI affiliated with National Taiwan University:

           Department Code + Underscore + Room number + Underscore + Telephone extension number of laboratory

   For example, the R912 lab from Biochemistry Institute (department code 4420), with extension number 12345, should name the lab account as 4420_R912_12345.

           For PI affiliated with National Taiwan University Hospital:

           NTUH + Underscore + Username of PI account + Underscore+"Lab"+ Telephone extension number of laboratory

     For example, Dr. Julius Michael Hibbert 's Lab, with extension number 12345, should name the lab account as NTUH_JMH_ lab_12345.

6. After the accounts are created, Imaging Core Facility will send the default password and the user guide to PI’s email. Please change the password after receiving the mail to make sure only your lab members can access your private folders.