Primary Recommendations
These file storage methods are recommended and supported by WPI Information Technology (IT).
Coming Soon! Sensitive Data Labeling
- Restricted Use Data and Confidential Data are defined in the Action View Data Classification Policy.
- Regardless of storage area, sensitive data must be labeled per the WPI Sensitive Data Labelling Plan (Related Article).
- For additional information and instructions, please refer to the Related Items and Articles.
| Location | Usage | Quota/Creation | Access | Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OneDrive (Individual) | Share within and outside of WPI; sharing of documents with a sensitivity label outside of WPI requires additional steps, (Related Article) | 1 TB (250 GB max per file/20 GB max per zip); automatically available with O365 access | portal.office.com; WPI credentials | Cloud storage maintained by Microsoft; self-restore within 90 days of delete. Off site backup with 3 year retention. |
| SharePoint (SharePoint, Teams, Outlook Groups) | Can share within and outside of WPI (depending upon site permissions) | 25 TB; created per request | portal.office.com; WPI credentials | Cloud storage maintained by Microsoft; self-restore within 90 days of delete. Off site backup with 3 year retention. |
| Network Share Business storage.wpi.edu/dept | Shared network storage space for WPI departments, working groups, committees, etc. | Varies per department need; share and permissions created upon request | Map share to unused drive or use \\storage in file explorer; WPI credentials; Remote access requires VPN | On-premise storage maintained by IT; self-service snapshot recovery from file properties>previous versions. |
| Network Share for Research and Academic Data storage.wpi.edu/academic | Shared network storage space for WPI research and academic data including data generated by instruments, computational data, data mining and data sciences | Varies per need; share and permissions created upon faculty request | Map share to unused drive or use \\storage in file explorer; WPI credentials; Remote access requires VPN | On-premise storage maintained by IT; File recovery from backup by request |
Secondary Options
These methods can be used by individuals, and guidance may be available from IT support, but they are not backed up by IT and not recommended as primary storage.
- Computer hard drive: Ideal for temporary storage prior to saving to recommended locations above, such as saving email attachments and downloading files. Manual backup is required.
- Removable storage: USB flash drives, external hard drives, DVDs, etc. are useful for extra copies of files and for file transfer. They are not recommended for primary storage because of susceptibility to damage, theft and loss.
Data Storage Caution
- NON-WPI Supported Cloud Services: Support for file retention and integrity varies per provider.
- Email: Sharing of FERPA/HIPAA regulated documents is allowed providing they have a sensitivity label, since encryption is automatically applied.
- Funded Research: Data should be stored in accordance with
your Data Management Plan (DMP). For more information and/or to review your DMP
please contact Academic and Research Computing (archelp@wpi.edu).
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Use Cases
Compare storage usage examples to determine what best meets your need. You are welcome to consult with IT!
/Academic Research Share OneDrive Alignment to courses Yes. Directory tree defines a hierarchy of all course instances. Each course tree is the same, other than a unique set of folders with student names. Request required customization via Service Desk. No. Aligned to a faulty member’s research. Not created for students, but faculty can request student access via Service Desk. Self-service directory tree. No. Self-service directory tree. Appropriate for applications requiring low latency file access Yes Yes No, although if file is synch’d locally, then file access speed is local storage which is faster than LAN. Because internet will be slower than campus LAN. When not on LAN, WPI has no control over performance. Appropriate for large files Yes Yes No. Could have latency issues. Max file size is 250 GB. Sharing Can share with people on WPI domain via Service Desk request. Cannot share off-WPI domain (internet). By default, the faculty owner of the share has access to the student folder. Lab managers, assistants, etc. can be added via Service Desk request. Can share with people on WPI domain via Service Desk request. Can share off-WPI domain (internet) via Globus (https://www.globus.org/). By default, only the faculty has access. Can share with people on WPI domain self-service via OneDrive. Can share with internet self-service. By default, only the owner (student or employee) has access. Off-line use No No Yes. Other than restricted devices (e.g., lab computers), folders sync locally by default. Applies to WPI owned (domain joined) as well as personal devices (computers, mobile). Undelete Yes. Up to 2 months self-service. Then for 7 years via Service Desk request. Yes. 8 weeks self-service. Then via Service Desk request. Yes. Up to 90 days self-service. Then via Service Desk request for deletions after 90 days. Applications Appropriate for end-user as well as machine generated content (lab data sets, videos) Appropriate for end-user as well as machine generated content (lab data sets, videos)
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Attributes
Compare storage attributes to determine what best meets your need. You are welcome to consult with IT!
/Academic Research Share OneDrive Data Retention Deleted immediately before A Term (at the start of the next academic year following provisioning) No current deletion policy. Disabled when WPI account is disabled. Storage Quota None 2 TB 1 tb Device access - ON domain computers VPN required when not on LAN. MFA not required. VPN required when not on LAN. MFA not required. VPN not required. MFA required. Device access - NOT on domain computers VPN always required. MFA not required. VPN always required. MFA not required. VPN not required. MFA required. Device access - iOS/Android n/a n/a VPN not required. MFA required. Shared lab machine/podium limitations placed by WPI ITS None None Will synch ‘On-Demand’; individual files will download and cache locally only once the user has accessed the file. Other files will never download unless opened on that particular machine. Can also access via browser, and then download to any accessible directory. Profile deleted after 7 days, so cached files also deleted. Will not delete files saved to non-profile areas of the local storage. Terminal server limitations placed by WPI IT None None Access via browser only (not permitted to mount). Profile deleted after 7 days, but not relevant since there can be no on-demand cached files. Will not delete files saved to non-profile areas of the local storage.
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Provisioning/Deprovisioning
Compare provisioning and deprovisioning to determine what best meets your need. You are welcome to consult with IT!
/Academic Research Share OneDrive Provisioning Automatically created based upon Workday course data and updated daily. Manually provisioned upon receipt of Service Desk request. Faculty share owner must approve. Fully automated, by default when domain account created. Deletion No No Disabled when Active Directory (AD) account is disabled.