From time to time, when old computers get retired, or reconfigured for another task or moved to someone else's desk, we find data on the disk which belongs to someone who is no longer here. If we know where to contact the previous owner, we will do that and discuss what to do with the data. if not, the disk will be removed from the machine, labeled with computer name, disk name and list of users, and put in (offline) storage. Data will be kept there for a couple of years, and if someone needs the data, it can be copied onto another (online) disk.

Note that this policy is NOT a backup procedure or a guarantee that your data will be kept safe even after your departure from Leiden Observatory. If you want to know for sure your data is kept safe, do it yourself!