Many free storage options are available to ONU students and staff. The specific resource you need will depend heavily on your use case and what it demands.
Storage Resources
Choosing the Appropriate Resource
Changing from Existing Solutions
Storage Resources
Microsoft OneDrive
A file storage and sync utility designed to host personal files and synchronize them across multiple devices
Purpose: Storage for any personal data or files (in the way we have historically used the H: drive)
Features:
- More capacity than network drives
- Sync files between the cloud and multiple devices
- Accessible via Office 365 account and interfaces
- Files are accessible off-campus
- Files can be accessed directly via Office apps
- Files can be synchronized to desktop folders
- Regular off-site cloud backup
Microsoft Teams
A communication utility with messaging, chat, and meeting functionality tightly integrated with other Microsoft products that allows quick communication and file sharing
Purpose: Many use cases, but for the purposes of this article, it is shared storage in the way we have historically used the I: drive (file storage features are below, and meeting and collaboration features are discussed in this article)
Features:
- Departmental teams are pre-populated (benefits of a departmental team)
- Ad-hoc teams are available on-demand (benefits of an ad-hoc team)
- Higher capacity file storage than I: drive folders
- Accessible via Office 365 account and interfaces
- Files are accessible off-campus
- Files can be accessed directly via Office apps
- Files can be synchronized to desktop folders
- Regular off-site cloud backup
Kaltura
A hosted multimedia library designed to store and share video content. It can be used to post video, audio, and images
Purpose: To store and share video/audio content with the class or others
Features:
- Personal video storage
- Shared video storage (public or limited access)
- Local video capture (camera, screen content, and audio)
- Lecture capture (video captured from a classroom teaching workstation for private or class use)
- Publish to Canvas classes
Mapped Drives (least commonly recommended)
Traditional local file storage provided on Olivet's servers
Purpose: Used to accommodate systems that require rapid transfers, a local drive letter, or contain highly sensitive files that should not be stored in the cloud
Features:
- Complies with stricter regulations around the privacy of files
- Drive letters are mapped to the server location
- High-speed transfers
- Regular off-site cloud backup
Choosing the Appropriate Resource
| Personal Storage |
OneDrive |
Up to 1 TB storage
Synced to the Microsoft cloud service
Easily available off-campus
Sync across devices
Slower transfer speeds
|
| Mapped Drive |
Limited capacity
Designed primarily for on-campus access
Directly mapped for local software
Stored only on local servers
High transfer speed
Better compliance
|
| Shared Storage |
Departmental Team (Microsoft Teams) |
Team pre-populated with users based on HR data
Members automatically kept up to date
Broad permissions are automatically added and removed
No owner maintenance
Identified in the system with @olivet.edu address
Easily available off-campus
Desktop shortcuts available
|
| Ad-Hoc Team (Microsoft Teams) |
Team manually created on demand
Members must be manually added and removed
Permissions must be manually assigned
Ownership of team not updated with employment changes
Identified in system with @groups.olivet.edu address
Easily available off-campus
Desktop shortcuts available
|
| Mapped I: Drive |
Limited capacity
Designed primarily for on-campus access
Direct mapped for local software
High transfer speed
Better compliance
|
| Specialty Mapped Drive |
Scalable capacity but limited by cost
Designed primarily for on-campus access
Direct mapped for local software
High transfer speed
Better compliancy
|
| Specialty Storage |
Departmental Website |
Folder on a specialty mapped K: drive
Simple copy/paste upload
Files and folders listed are automatically available to the Internet
Designed primarily for on-campus access
Stored only on local servers
High transfer speed
|
| Personal Website |
Folder on mapped H: Drive
Simple copy/paste upload
Files and folders listed are automatically available to the Internet
Designed primarily for on-campus access
Stored only on local servers
High transfer speed
|
| Application Specific |
Folder on server specific to application
Designed primarily for on-campus access
Stored only on local servers
High transfer speed
|
Changing from Existing Solutions
In order to be in compliance with University policy, certain data on third-party storage must be moved from off-campus solutions to university-protected solutions.
Below are some examples of these scenarios and some reasoning on why the move would fit. There are many different ways to approach where to store data, so if there are particulars that do not fit with a given service, please contact the IT department, and we would be happy to help figure out the best solution.
| Current Service |
Function |
New Service |
Notes |
| Local drive or thumb drive |
Storing of personal or shared data |
Mapped Drive, OneDrive or Teams |
Depending on the usage of the data, files stored on a local workstation or a thumb drive may be more protected in a server or cloud storage location. |
| DropBox, Box, Google Drive, or other file sync/storage |
Personal files are stored and synced. No sharing |
Microsoft OneDrive |
OneDrive has a similar sync function and can sync files across multiple devices. |
| Personal files are stored and synced. Sharing files with individuals |
Microsoft OneDrive |
OneDrive has sharing capability built in that recreates the shared links for others. |
| Shared files or accounts where multiple people are accessing files |
Microsoft Teams |
Using a department or ad-hoc Team would allow sharing of files for an entire department or members of the Team. |
| SurveyMonkey, JotForm, and other survey utilities |
Collecting or storing identifying information along with a survey |
Microsoft Forms |
Microsoft Forms provides simple survey tools that store the data on ONU-managed Office 365 resources. More advanced surveys would need to be built with a different tool. |
| YouTube or other video storage |
Private or shared video containing university data |
Kaltura |
— |
| AWS, Azure, or other cloud computing |
Running servers or data storing applications |
(Various) |
The solution would depend on the application and how the data needs to be used. The solution could be a combination of mapped drives and a virtualized server on our campus or on our pre-built infrastructure. |