System requirements for a remote solution

TILDA needs to provide data within a virtual desktop infrastructure to researchers who have had their applications approved. The virtual desktop is a Windows desktop that is accessed via the cloud Client. The Client allows access to the desktop, hosted in TCD, by two factor authentication – the combination of username and password and authenticator code. 

The requirement is to develop a remote desktop access solution to provide a more safe and reliable environment for external TILDA researchers to access TILDA data that is hosted in TILDA servers and located Trinity College Dublin.  The aim is to provide a secure remote access solution that keeps TILDA data within the university environment and allows authorised users to remotely access their profiles on hot desk machines.

The ives are to

1. Develop a remote Desktop solution and ensure that no data will leave the secure environment.

2. Provide the Data Controller (Trinity) full control over monitoring access and data usage.

High-level user requirements 

This section describes the overall aim of the hot desk remote solution

Support external researchers and collaborators to access TILDA data remotely and securely

A. To give researchers an option to log onto the university network using an enterprise remote access gateway

B. The datasets available from cohorts cannot be removed from the virtual desktops

C. A researcher working from a remote location uses an online gateway to access TILDA data. 

Technical architecture

To have a Cloud and on-premise environment. In the cloud environment, TILDA will need to have virtual desktop services, workspace and gateway service. Hot desk users will be provided with a virtual desktop to access computer applications such as Microsoft Office and other statistical software. On premise environment, TILDA hosts the hot desk server and have a “cloud connecter” installed to create secure outbound connections to those cloud services i.e