Software Registration (ETH transfer) Upload Instruction

This service is provided by ETH Library to affiliates of ETH Zurich. You may deposit software you developed as part of your employment with ETH Zurich.

ETH Zurich uses the ETH Data Archive as a repository for Open Source Software and for software licensed under proprietary license terms to a third party. All software registered as Open Source Software can be downloaded directly from the ETH Library. Software licensed under proprietary license terms to a third party and uploaded to the ETH Data Archive is accessible only to a selected group of ETH transfer and ETH Library employees (for legal purposes).

1. Prepare your data (ZIP or tar file)

Please pack all your files and documentation into a ZIP or tar file. ZIP files are recommended for Windows users, tar files for Mac users. For preservation reasons, please do not use compression while creating the ZIP or tar files. It is recommended not to upload files bigger than 10 GB.

See also our further information regarding formats and data upload:
File formats for archiving
Preparing your files

For any information and procedure regarding Open Source Software registration, please see here.

For any information and procedure regarding Software Licensing other than Open Source Software, please see here.

For CLOSED Source Software:

• If you are already in contact with and advised by ETH transfer, store all source code and documentation files into a ZIP or .tar archive,
• otherwise before uploading the software, please complete and sign the “Software Disclosure” (German version) form and refer to the following information regarding licensing of software to a third party.

For OPEN Source Software:

• Please prepare a file named LICENSE that contains the text with the chosen Open Source Initiative open source license (http://opensource.org/licenses/alphabetical)» and

• Store the LICENSE file together with all source code and documentation files into a ZIP or tar archive

If you plan to upload a new version of a software package that is already stored in the ETH Data Archive, please contact us. We will give you advice on how to set the metadata to describe the relationship between the old and the new version.

2. Apply for a user account

Go to data-archive.ethz.ch/deposit and click on "Register", or go directly to login.data-archive.ethz.ch/register.

1. Please enter your first name, last name and ETH user name and click on “Register”
2. An e-mail containing your registration details will be generated automatically in your default e-mail client. Please click “Send”.

Your user account will be ready for use within the next working day. You will get a personal e-mail message that informs you on how to proceed.

Note: Your user account will be valid for two years after first registration. After its expiration, you will not be able to log in to deposit new data. In this case, please contact us at data-archive@library.ethz.ch  to renew your account. 

3. Upload your data

Go to the deposit module: http://data-archive.ethz.ch/deposit

3.1 Login 

1. Enter your nethz user name and password and click on the sign in button.
2. Click on "Add Deposit Activity "

Note: This is your personal deposit interface where you can find all your deposits: drafts as well as successfully archived packages.

3.2 Deposit Workflow

1. Please choose the appropriate upload workflow according to the information here.

• • CLOSED Source Software – Upload (Licensing Software to Third Parties)
  • OPEN Source Software Registration

3.3 Descriptive Information

1. Please enter descriptive information about your software package.
2. Fields marked with * are mandatory.
3. If you deposit closed source software, please indicate your ETH transfer reference number. Please contact ETH transfer if you do not know the reference number.
4. If you deposit open source software, please choose from the drop-down menu the license under which the software will be distributed.

Some of the fields have tooltips that give you short descriptions of what kind of information is expected.

Note: This descriptive information will be publicly available in the Search Portal in case you publish your Software as Open Source Software (http://www.library.ethz.ch/en/).

3.4 Assertion of Copyright

1. On the "Assertion of Copyright" page, the appropriate access rights policy has been automatically set according to the Workflow you have chosen before.

• • OPEN means: Everybody can access your software package
  • STAFF ONLY means: only ETH transfer and ETH library staff (and yourself) can access your software package

All software packages will be archived for 15 years.

Please read the agreement carefully and check the "accept" box.

3.5 File Upload

1. Please choose "Upload File 1" for ZIP files or "Upload File 2" for tar files and select the file you want to submit.
2. The maximum file size permitted to upload is 10 GB.
3. Label and notes are optional.
4. Make sure that the open source package contains the license file.

3.6 Save or Submit

1. You can either save your uploaded software package as a draft or submit it directly to the ETH Data Archive.

When your software and the meta-data are validated and successfully archived, you will receive an e-mail notification that provides you with a persistent link to your software package. This may take up to two working days.

Note: The DOI link indicated in the e-mail notification (open source software only) will be active the following day.

General Remark: Due to software updates, the design of the user interface can change and the screenshots shown above may not correspond to the actual appearance. But the process and the functionalities remain the same.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Research Data Management and Digital Curation Team at data-archive@library.ethz.ch
 or find us on our webpage.