iRODS (Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System)

iRODS is an open-source data management platform that provides a “data grid” abstraction over heterogeneous storage systems and uses rules and microservices to automate data management policies. It can virtualize access to multiple storage backends, manage metadata, enforce policies for replication and retention, and orchestrate complex workflows such as archiving, data movement, and integrity checks.​

iRODS can serve as the backbone for institutional or project-level data management, especially when data spans on-premises storage, archives, and cloud. Policies can encode institutional requirements for preservation, access control, and lifecycle management, while user- and project-facing interfaces can expose logical collections instead of low-level storage details. iRODS is often integrated with HPC, gateways, and repositories to provide consistent data handling across services.