diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5-mpi/include/h5_rdataset.h b/src/opt/hdf5-mpi/include/h5_rdataset.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f07f621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5-mpi/include/h5_rdataset.h
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// -*- C++ -*-
+/**
+
+   @file opt/hdf5-mpi/include/h5_rdataset.h
+   @brief RDataset declaration.
+
+   Copyright (c) 2024 Christian Zimmermann. All rights reserved.
+   Mail: chizeta@f3l.de
+
+ **/
+
+#ifndef __cxz_h5_rdataset_h__
+#define __cxz_h5_rdataset_h__
+
+namespace CNORXZ
+{
+    namespace hdf5
+    {
+	/** ****
+	    Class to handle hdf5 datasets on multiple ranks.
+	 */
+	template <typename T>
+	class RDataset : public SDataset<T>
+	{
+	public:
+	    DEFAULT_MEMBERS(RDataset); /**< Default constructors and assignments. */
+
+	    /** Construct the class.
+		@param name Dataset name.
+		@param _parent Parent content object.
+	     */
+	    RDataset(const String& name, const ContentBase* _parent);
+	    
+	    /** Initalize the dataset.
+		@param data Array containing the dataset.
+	    */
+	    template <typename T>
+	    RDataset& init(const mpi::RArray<T>& data);
+
+	    /** Read the dataset.
+		@return Array containing the dataset values.
+	     */
+	    mpi::RArray<T> read() const;
+
+	    /** Read a given subset of the dataset.
+		The subset needs to be hypercubic.
+		@param beg Index indicating the global begin edge of the hypercube.
+		@param end Index indicating the global end edge of the hypercube (inclusive).
+		@return Array containing the dataset values.
+	     */
+	    template <class I, typename M>
+	    mpi::RArray<T> read(const IndexInterface<I,M>& beg, const IndexInterface<I,M>& end) const;
+	    
+	};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_dataset.cc.h b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_dataset.cc.h
index 5ce17ea..0991597 100644
--- a/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_dataset.cc.h
+++ b/src/opt/hdf5/include/h5_dataset.cc.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ namespace CNORXZ
 	Dataset& Dataset::init(const ArrayBase<T>& data)
 	{
 	    const hid_t tid = getTypeId(*data.data());
-	    VCHECK(tid);
+	    //VCHECK(tid);
 	    init(data.range(), tid);
 	    if(data.begin().formatIsTrivial()){
 		Vector<hsize_t> dims(mDataRange->dim());