FAQ

FAQ

In this article, we collect Frequently Asked Questions. Please create a ticket on this website or mail us at support@mydre.zohodesk.eu in case your question is not in this list, and you think it should be.

The myDRE platform and anDREa

What is anDREa?

In 2016, Radboudumc started developing a platform which would be the very beginning of the platform we know today. To make it more scalable for other organizations to join, a consortium was founded together with Utrecht UMC and Erasmus MC in 2019. This is the anDREa consortium which stands for accessible network Digital Research Environment alliance. In 2021, anDREa has become its own entity (Ltd. or BV in Dutch) but it is still owned by the three founding fathers. The services of anDREa are delivered to organizations and users through the myDRE platform.

From where do I have access to the myDRE platform? 

The myDRE portal is accessible from anywhere, provided you have internet access. Simply navigate to https://mydre.org/ and log in with your mydre account. If you experience problems with accessing the workspace, please contact your Core Support Team (CST) member via a ticket or look at this help article: I cannot see my workspaces.

Where is the myDRE platform hosted? 

The myDRE platform is built on Microsoft Azure. For now, the platform just uses a single cloud provider and is hosted on Europe West Azure datacenters in the Netherlands. Read more about the locations of Azure datacenters.

Who is the owner of the data? And do I upload the data to anDREa?

When an organization joins anDREa, the organization is supported and guided by anDREa in the creation of their own organizational Microsoft Azure subscription. The data will not leave the subscription and will always be in your possession. Moreover, by creating an organizational subscription it will adhere to your country's data privacy regulations. Read more articles about this topic in the anDREa - Organization section.

How lasting and durable is the myDRE platform? 

The anDREa consortium has been set up to ensure further development of myDRE, so that it is a sustainable solution for researchers. In 2021, valorisation has taken place and anDREa has become its own entity but still owned by the three largest University Medical Centers (UMCs; Radboudumc, Utrecht UMC and Erasmus MC). This will also ensure that even if anDREa as a company falls, the platform will still continue to provide its services.

Is there a commercial goal for the myDRE platform? 

No, the goal is to upscale collaboration in research and to lower the development and running costs for participants. However, commercial companies will still be able to use the platform.

What is the pricing model of the myDRE platform? 

The pricing model for myDRE platform can be viewed from two different perspectives: organizational level and user level.

For organizations that are interested in joining anDREa, there is a tiered licensing model available. To learn more about pricing and how to join anDREa, please contact us.

For individual users falling under a license-holding organization, the pricing is based on the consumption of Microsoft services. This means that users only pay for the amount of time they use their virtual machines, storage, and other Azure resources. To estimate the costs of a myDRE workspace, users can utilize the estimator tool provided. The pricing for myDRE follows the standard Azure pricing model, and it's important to note that the prices do not include VAT or any additional discounts that users or organisations may have on their Azure billing account. If you need more information about pricing or any other related issues, please contact your local support team member.

Legal services are not part of the platform itself. Please contact your local research support. 

How does the myDRE platform comply to the GDPR? 

Multiple articles have been dedicated to compliance. Please visit our Compliance section and click on GDPR to read everything in full detail.

Can the myDRE platform be used outside the EU? 

In short, yes. We have dedicated a full article about the possibilities. Read all the details in Can MyDRE be used outside the EU?

How can I get support and how does it work? 

Organizations that are associated with anDREa provide at least one support member. The support members of Radboudumc, Utrecht UMC, Erasmus MC and Amsterdam UMC form a combined support team, which we call the Core Support Team (CST). CST members share the same support permissions and can take over each others tasks as backup. Next to CST, some organizations might opt for a Support Team (ST) that just supports their own organization. Both CST and ST are able to create new workspaces. When submitting a support ticket, choose your organization and your ticket will be automatically assigned to a CST or ST member of the same organization.

Data in myDRE workspaces

How can I access my data in the myDRE platform? 

Data that is uploaded via the myDRE portal is stored on the workspace fileshare, also known as the data drive. From within the virtual machine you will have access to this fileshare by going to the File Explorer and finding the data drive on the left hand side. From the myDRE portal only the filenames and some metadata are visible, files cannot be opened from there.

Do I have internet access inside the myDRE workspace? 

To maintain a high security level there is no standard internet access. Internet access is available to user-specified websites and services through the External Access functionality, but the workspace would no longer be regarded as being at a high level of confidentiality. 

Can I share my data with other myDRE workspaces? 

Unfortunately this is not possible yet. As a temporary solution, data can be copied to another workspace via the approval flow. Alternatively, if two or more workspaces work on overlapping data but do not want to give access to the other data in the respective workspaces, a common file share drive can be requested. 

Can I integrate electronic medical records? 

This is usually not possible, unless there are specific integration tools available. For example, Radboud UMC developed and manages a tool that makes it possible to integrate directly with EPIC (CliniQuest). 

Is it possible to archive my data in myDRE? 

Workspace data can be archived in the DRE. Virtual machines cannot be archived, and will be permanently deleted upon workspace archiving. This also means that all data that was stored locally on the virtual machines (as opposed to on the data drive of the workspace) will be irrevocably deleted. Please check with your organization's data management policy whether you can archive your data in myDRE.

How big is the storage size in a myDRE workspace? 

The fileshare of a workspace has a maximum capacity of 100 TiB. Keep in mind that the fileshare storage is different from the C: drive on the virtual machine. The latter is limited in size and is not backed up, and should therefore not be used for data storage.

What are the writing and reading speeds of the myDRE storage? 

The fileshare in the workspace is a standard Azure fileshare. According to Azure, 'they provide reliable performance for IO workloads that are less sensitive to performance variability'. Keep in mind that displaying the data in real time depends on several factors, such as the internet connection bandwith, latency and the number of active users. 

Software in myDRE workspaces

Can I install software myself in myDRE? 

Admin users (Accountable, Privileged and Advanced members) in the workspaces can self-service install applications, other members cannot (see Roles in myDRE workspace for more information about roles and privileges). If you have an installation file (e.g., .exe or .msi), you can install them yourself by uploading the appropriate installation file to the fileshare. Several institutes offer customized virtual machine templates that include a software installer program offering a range of (licensed and unlicensed) software that can be installed with one click.

How can I get software packages into myDRE (e.g. for R or Python)? 

Using the External Access functionality, domains can be allowlisted to access the necessary repositories to install packages.

Can I run software in myDRE, for which a specific license is needed? 

Licensed software can often be used in myDRE, yet this is not possible for all software. Some organizations offer a range of (licensed and unlicensed) software that can be installed with one click through a software installer pre-installed on your virtual machine. If license validation requires an internet connection, this can be arranged using the External Access functionality.

Do I need to pay for software licenses? 

As long as the software is available on the standard image or can be installed via the software installation tool, the license fee is payed by your institute. License costs for other software that will be installed has to be paid for by the workspace user/owner. 

Can I run Castor in myDRE? 

Yes, either by directly accessing the website data.castoredc.com (after allowlisting castoredc.com through the External Access functionality) or by using the Castoredc R package.

Users in myDRE workspaces

What is an Accountable and how do I determine who that is?

You might have noticed that when you submit certain tickets that you need approval of an Accountable. The Accountable is someone who is mandated by your organization to make decisions for instance about costs. Therefore, the Accountable is usually a department head or Principal Investigator (PI). However, please note that we require some active involvement from the Accountable, e.g. to perform access reviews twice per year.

Can there be more than one user entitled as Privileged member of a myDRE workspace? 

Yes, it is possible to assign multiple users as Privileged member of a workspace. There can, however, only be one Accountable. Both roles have similar functional privileges in the workspace (see also Roles in myDRE workspace).

Can users have restricted access to specific virtual machines on myDRE? 

Not at the current moment, but a solution to this may be implemented in the future. The current access management implementation does allow for users to be added without access to any virtual machines. These users can for example only request to download files or also upload their own data. see Roles in myDRE workspace for more information about roles and privileges.

Can users have restricted access to specific folders/files on myDRE?

Similar to the question above, this is not possible currently. A solution might be implemented in the future. Take into consideration the following: if users are not allowed to see certain data, are they then allowed in your workspace? If you really need to restrict access to certain files or folders, you might want to either consider requesting a new workspace and add the appropriate users or look into software tools that can restrict access such as Bitlocker or VeraCrypt.

How can I invite users to my workspace?

First of all, a user will need to have an @mydre.org account to be able to log in to the myDRE portal. Anyone could request an account by creating a ticket. However, only the users in the Accountable or Privileged role can add/invite users to their workspace. It is the responsibility of the Accountable and Privileged members who is invited to their workspace. After an account is created, it has to be activated (see Activating your account). Owners of workspaces will then be able to add the provided username to their workspace in the desired role (see Self-service adding users, removing users and changing roles).

Virtual Machines in myDRE workspaces

Which Operating Systems and Virtual Machine sizes are offered? 

At the moment, the myDRE platform offers Virtual Machines with Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Linux Ubuntu 20 and Linux Ubuntu 22. In principle, all virtual machine types offered by Microsoft Azure in the region West Europe are available for use in myDRE, given their availability. For a list of sizes, visit Virtual Machine series. By default, we offer a subset of these machine types within myDRE. If you need a machine type that is not available by default, please request it via a ticket.

How many users can use a virtual machine simultaneously in myDRE? 

Because of standard Windows limitations, only one user can connect with a Windows virtual machine at the same time. For linux virtual machines, a maximum of 10 concurrent users applies. However, be aware that the machine's resource capacity is then shared among users, possibly causing slowing of the machine.

How many virtual machines can I add to a myDRE workspace? 

A maximum of 11 virtual machines can be added to a workspace. Learn here how to self-service create Virtual Machines: Adding VMs.

Can I switch off a virtual machine when it is not used? 

Yes, you can. Moreover, all virtual machines have an auto-shutdown setting, which is by default set to 19:00 (UTC+1, Amsterdam time zone). If this is unwanted, you can find here how to customize the autoshutdown setting to your own preference: Adjusting the autoshutdown.

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