SLAC AFS Space Request Form

	SLAC AFS Space Request	UNIX at SLAC AFS Users' Guide UNIX Disk Space
	Updated: 24 Oct 2011

New! Use the new AFS Self Service Form to change the quota(s) for your personal AFS volume(s).

Use this form to request an increase in the amount of disk space you are allowed to have in AFS (the AFS quota). You can also use this form to request group space or anonymous FTP space. You may find the information in the SLAC AFS Users' Guide useful in managing your space, and the information in the UNIX Disk Space web page useful in determining the type of space you need.

You will also need to collect some information before starting:

The current AFS quota. Go to the directory (your AFS home directory if you are requesting an increase in your personal quota) and enter the command
fs listquota and note the amount under 'Quota'. This number is in kilobytes; divide by 1000 to get megabytes.
Your estimate of how much more disk space you need.
Decide whether you need an increase in the quota of an existing volume, or a new subvolume. If this is a new project, a new volume with its own quota may be most appropriate. Computing Division guidelines discourage allocations of more than 10-20 gigabytes in total for a user's home directory since that is often an indication that the space would be better allocated in a group area. (Note that the form uses MB, not GB.)
Group space volumes can be significantly larger than home directory volumes; however, Computing Division's current guidelines discourage backed-up volumes larger than 50 GB. We also request that groups organize their space around a number of smaller volumes rather than a few very large volumes ⁽¹⁾ when this can be done in a natural way. For example, if a group needs about 10 GB each for three independent projects, the best practice is to request a separate 10 GB volume for each project rather than a quota increase of 30 GB for the top level group directory volume.
If you want a new volume, specify a new subdirectory of your directory that will become the mount point of a new AFS 'volume' (but don't create this directory yourself -- an AFS volume cannot be mounted on top of an existing directory). This volume will have its own quota, but otherwise will look like a normal subdirectory. You might also want to do this if you do not want the space needs of a project filling up your top level home directory and possibly interfering with functions such as reading mail.

For more complicated requests, use the 'Additional Instructions' field below to write to us. For large projects, software package installations, group space, or situations where you know the disk space needs are going to grow substantially over time, please let us know of your plans in the "Planning Information" field. This helps us allocate the right kind of disk space for your needs, and helps us plan for future acquisitions of disk space.

Examples:

User smith finds from the fs listquota command that he has a current quota of 500 MB and is using 400 MB. He needs 200 MB to build a new program and have a comfortable amount of space to work. He requests a new quota of 600 MB. Please note that the figure you enter in the "New Quota requested" box should be the total quota, in MB, that you expect to have for "Mountpoint" after this request is processed.
New! Or for your home directory, you can use the new AFS Self Service Form to change the quota(s) for your personal AFS volume(s).
User jones finds from the fs listquota command that she has a current quota of 1.6 GB (1600 MB) and is using 1.5 GB. She needs 1 GB for a large project. She requests a 1 GB volume to be mounted at ~jones/simulation. Her home directory quota will remain unchanged, and she will have a new subdirectory with an independent quota of 1 GB.
User higgs would like to make a few small files available to the world via anonymous FTP. He checks 'Anonymous FTP - outgoing' in the form, and enters '50' in the quota requested for that directory. The default directory name of /afs/slac.stanford.edu/public/users/higgs will be assigned.
User Benton needs 500 MB for simulation studies for a new project named 'XYZ', but she's unsure where it should be allocated in group space. She checks 'Group Directory' in the form, enters '500' in the quota field, leaves the "Mount point (subdirectory)" field empty, and gives a brief description of the project and its initial space needs in the "Planning Information" field. In a case like this, Computing Division might recommend that two new volumes be allocated:
- A top-level "stub" volume for the XYZ project with a small quota (5 MB, say) to be mounted at /afs/slac/g/xyz; and,
- A 500 MB volume for simulation work, to be mounted at /afs/slac/g/xyz/simulation.
As the project evolves and requires space for other purposes, additional subvolumes can mounted under /afs/slac/g/xyz/.

Your full name:

Phone Extension

EMail address
(for response to this request)

UNIX username

Action requested

Increase Quota	Anonymous FTP Space - outgoing ⁽²⁾
New Subvolume	Anonymous FTP Space - incoming ⁽²⁾
Group Directory

New Quota requested

in MB, i.e. the TOTAL quota (not the increase) you want assigned to the mountpoint below.

Mount point (subdirectory)

Define the mount point if this is a new volume or if the mount point is _not_ your home directory as defined by ~userid or $HOME.

Planning Information
Planned use of this space, future needs if known

Additional Instructions

⁽¹⁾ Large volumes can make it more difficult for us to manage the space efficiently and transparently.

⁽²⁾ For security reasons, outgoing and incoming anonymous ftp volumes must be kept separate. However, you may submit two requests if you need both kinds of space.

Page owner: Len Moss