Data Storage

When it comes to storing Purdue owned data, it is important to understand your options. Below is a list of centrally supported storage environments with information to help guide you to the best solution for your situation.

Guidelines for Purdue Data Storage

Enterprise NAS is an on-premise platform that offers traditional departmental storage services. Customers must use a computer that is connected to a campus network or VPN and access the target share via standard network filesharing clients, such as via a drive mapping or Windows File Explorer.

Microsoft SharePoint is a robust cloud collaboration platform that is accessible from a wide range of computer/mobile clients and locations. SharePoint is commonly used to share non-restricted data within and across departments. SharePoint also has flexibility to display lists, share forms, and set themes.

Microsoft OneDrive and Box are modern cloud storage platforms that are accessible from a wide range of computer/mobile clients and locations. These services are typically used for traditional file storage and sharing purposes that require backups and remote accessibility. It is important to note that OneDrive is not currently approved for restricted data, while Box is upon request.

Important Data Type Resources

Purdue data handling and security information can be found here:
https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/data-handling/index.php 

Acceptable storage locations for data can be found here:
https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/data-handling/acceptable_service_use.php 

If you have questions about data, Data Stewards are listed here:
https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/data-handling/data-stewards.php

Enterprise NAS

Purdue IT Enterprise Storage offers highly available data storage which can be accessed over the network while on campus or connected to the Virtual Private Network (VPN). This storage can be accessed via Career Account Home Directory, a Departmental File Share, or a Secure File share.
Career Account Home Directory
All staff & students are provided with a 25GB home directory to store personal files (i.e. homework, class assignments, and presentations). Additionally, this space is consumed by Software Remote/Purdue IT Lab profiles and an individual’s /www folder if they are hosting a personal webpage. Users will be notified when they are nearing their quota limit so they can delete or archive unneeded files. Due to the overhead on the storage subsystem and the numerous other data storage options available to staff and students, home directory quotas will not be increased on an individual basis.
Departmental File Shares
Any campus department can request a file share for collaboration and data storage. This storage is presented as a standard Windows shared folder and/or UNIX NFS export and can be accessed via a UNC path or as a mapped network drive. Requests for departmental file shares should be routed through the department’s IT Support so that the appropriate AD Domain Groups can be created and populated.
Secure File Shares
When storing particularly sensitive information, departments may request a secure file share. This storage is presented and accessed the same way you would access a departmental file share; however, encrypted access is strictly enforced and restricted to pre-defined IP Addresses. This may limit access to some legacy clients or systems that use the share for ETL processing. If necessary, please consult with PSS to verify that this meets your data handling requirements.

Please note that this is not appropriate for sharing files with parties outside of Purdue University, and you should consider an alternative data storage option or utilize Purdue’s File Locker application (https://it.purdue.edu/services/filelocker.php). Because these services allow you to share files with anyone regardless of affiliation with Purdue University, you alone are responsible for following the appropriate data handling requirements of the files you share.

In the case that a department or professor is storing and processing substantial amounts of data for research purposes, Purdue’s Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC) may provide more appropriate data storage options. For more information on RCAC’s Data Storage offerings, please visit their website at https://www.rcac.purdue.edu/storage.

Microsoft 365 OneDrive & SharePoint

Microsoft OneDrive is a per-user cloud storage solution that offers high availability, reliable backup, and secure access control, similar to Box. OneDrive content can be accessed via a web browser or synced locally with the installation of the client app. Content can be shared with internal and external collaborators. The service supports change tracking, review/comment markup, and version history. OneDrive is intended for university business or academic use only; the service should not be used for personal data.

Microsoft SharePoint is an enterprise collaboration platform that allows multiple users to share and manage content, along with applications to empower teamwork, quickly find information, and seamlessly collaborate across the organization. Like OneDrive, it offers data storage, high availability, reliable backup, and secure access control. SharePoint also includes a space to build websites for collaboration amongst others.

Note that when sharing content in these services, as with all University data, access must be limited to the individuals who need access and the minimum level necessary. OneDrive and SharePoint are currently not approved for restricted data.

Box

Box is a per-user cloud storage solution that offers high availability, reliable backup, and secure access control, similar to Microsoft OneDrive. Box content can be accessed via a web browser or synced locally with the installation of the client app. Content can be shared with internal and external collaborators. The service supports change tracking, review/comment markup, and version history. Box is intended for university business or academic use only; the service should not be used for personal data.

When configured appropriately, Box can be approved for restricted data use. Contact it@purdue.edu to discuss restricted data storage needs.