New policy for our Virtual Machines

Due to the growing use of virtual machines on Terrascope, we are forced to implement a change in our terms of use, so that we can provide the best possible service. Please note the following important changes:

• A virtual machine that has not been accessed for three (3) months will be deactivated. You will receive an email with instructions on how to reactivate your virtual machine. Reactivation takes a few minutes and can be triggered by the user.
• A deactivated virtual machine will be removed after six (6) months (so, nine (9) months after the last access). If the user wants to use a virtual machine again, she will have to request a new one.  It is not practical to keep a deactivated virtual machine for a longer period, as software updates that have happened in the meantime could make restoring the virtual machine difficult or impossible. 
• Active virtual machines (accessed less than 3 months ago) will not be deactivated.