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

Overview
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.
User Eligibility
All active students, faculty, staff. 
Access/Requirements

File Shares can be accessed from any campus network or while connected to Purdue’s VPN from off campus using Purdue Career Accounts. 

To request a new Departmental File Share, please see https://service.purdue.edu/TDClient/32/Purdue/KB/ArticleDet?ID=1207 

Features/Benefits
  • Data is replicated daily to a physically separate Isilon storage array to prevent data loss in case of hardware failure
  • Snapshots are taken 2 x daily (on weekdays), nightly, weekly and monthly with a 12-month retention period.
  • Self-service file restore functionality via snapshots, integrated with “Previous Versions” on Windows clients
  • Full integration with BOILERAD Active Directory and LDAP
  • Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux clients
  • Accessible via SMB and NFS protocols
  • Approved for storing data classified as “Non-Restricted” and “Sensitive” data as per the Data Classification Policy.
Related Costs

The current recharge rate for Isilon storage is $.14/GB annually. This is calculated using Terabytes; therefore, the cost of 1TiB of data is calculated as follows: 

1024GB x $.14 = $143.36/year  

Isilon Storage is recharged to valid Account Numbers or Funding Sources based on the allocated capacity (as opposed to the amount consumed). As a shared resource, this encourages users to request storage in amounts that they actually require so  there is adequate capacity to meet the demand for the entire University. Capacity quotas can be increased as needed without impacting any connections or opened files. 

Acceptable Use
For information on acceptable use by data classification, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/data-handling/acceptable_service_use.php 
Support
For support or general questions regarding Purdue IT Enterprise storage, please email storagerequest@purdue.edu to generate a support ticket. 

Microsoft 365 OneDrive & SharePoint

Overview
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.
User Eligibility
 All active students, faculty, staff. 
Access/Requirements
To access OneDrive:
  1. In a web browser, navigate to https://portal.office.com/onedrive
  2. Login with your Purdue credentials
    Typically, an account will be automatically created. If you find this is not the case, open a ticket with Purdue IT (it@purdue.edu) to have an account created for you.
  3. Review the vendor documentation links below for more information on how to use the service

To request a SharePoint site, email the following information to it@purdue.edu 
  • Site name
  • Department
  • Primary owner email address
  • Site purpose and description
This will open a support ticket with the Collaboration team, who will then work with you to identify the proper site template configuration.
Features/Benefits

SharePoint is a powerful cloud collaboration and information management platform.  It offers productivity services such as intranet websites, content storage, sharing, workflows, and built-in security.  OneDrive is built on top of SharePoint and provides many of the same features specific to data storage.

  • Data is backed up and retained for 30 days
  • Available anytime, anywhere
  • Self-service file restore functionality via Version History
  • Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android clients
  • Accessible via web browsers and the desktop/mobile app
  • Approved for storing data classified as “Non-Restricted” and “Sensitive” data as per the Data Classification Policy.
Acceptable Use
For information on acceptable use by data classification, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/data-handling/acceptable_service_use.php 
Training and Support
For assistance with OneDrive and SharePoint, send an email to it@purdue.edu that includes as much detail as possible. A member of the Collaboration team will contact you.
Vendor References
For more information, refer to the following vendor documentation links.

Box

Overview
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.
User Eligibility
All active students, faculty, staff. 
Access/Requirements
Box is accessible anywhere, anytime. The service supports most major desktop and mobile operating systems. Data owners must ensure proper authorization and security controls are in place to protect any sensitive or restricted data.

If you are in need of research storage for a lab, or if you need a REED folder capable of handling restricted data, please submit a request here: https://www.rcac.purdue.edu/purchase. 


To access Box:
  1. In a web browser, navigate to https://purdue.box.com 
  2. Login with your Purdue credentials
    Typically, an account will be automatically created. If you find this is not the case, open a ticket with Purdue IT (it@purdue.edu) to have an account created for you.
  3. Review the vendor documentation links below for more information on how to use the service
Features/Benefits
  • Data is backed up and retained for 90 days
  • Available anytime, anywhere
  • Self-service file restore functionality via Version History
  • Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android clients
  • Accessible via web browsers and the desktop/mobile app
  • Approved for storing data classified as “Non-Restricted” and “Sensitive” data as per the Data Classification Policy.
  • Can be configured to support restricted data upon request
Acceptable Use
For information on acceptable use by data classification, visit: https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/data-handling/acceptable_service_use.php 
Training and Support
For assistance with Box, send an email to it@purdue.edu that includes as much detail as possible.  A member of the Collaboration team will contact you. 
Vendor References
For more information, refer to the following vendor documentation link.