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Les Bibliothèques et Learning Centers de l'Université catholique de Louvain

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Les Bibliothèques et Learning Centers de l'Université catholique de Louvain

Storage at UCLouvain

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This page is dedicated to storage solutions at UCLouvain. 

Storage in brief

We recommend using SharePoint Online or Mass storage+NextCloud, depending on the size of your data. Sharepoint Online is probably the simplest solution thanks to its integration with other office tools, but performance degrades from 250 MB of data upwards.  For very large data sets (terabytes), mass storage should be considered. Used in conjunction with Nextcloud, it offers a Dropbox-type solution for very large files. It is very efficient but requires more configuration.

If you just want to transfer large sets of data securely to trusted peers, you can also use following solutions (transvol, belnet) : https://uclouvain.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/3/article/589725823

SharePoint Online can be preferred to OneDrive: they are more durable than OneDrive, which automatically deletes data at the end of the contract with the user. For example, if you leave the university, your data will be deleted. So, if you must use OneDrive, ask a colleague with a permanent position to create the project file, or back it up carefully before you leave.

We strongly advise against using Dropbox, Google Drive (or any other cloud-based solution) for your research data: there's no guarantee that your data won't be seen by others, :and data ownership problems can also arise.

If the size of your data is >250MB, SharePoint will not perform well, and we advise you to use service files (OASIS) instead

Details of each of the recommended solutions :

The different solutions are detailed below :

SharePoint Online

With SharePoint online, users can create websites where they store their data, which can then be co-edited and synchronised on everyone's computer via One Drive.

However, to be effective, this data must not exceed 250MB. Therefore, the data stored is mainly Excel sheets, document portfolios or other small data.

Benefits :

  • Strong integration with Microsoft tools
  • Security: previous versions can be recovered and restored easily.
  • Document co-editing is possible, as are document validation workflows.
  • Autonomy: any member (from UCLouvain or not) can be added by the account administrator.

Disadvantages :

  • Security: data is stored on Microsoft servers and is not backed up (except for earlier versions).
  • Not suitable for large datasets (>250MB)

For further information : https://uclouvain.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/3/article/1014169638

Mass storage + Nextcloud

CISM offers mass storage solutions. Any member of UCLouvain can request access. Several hundred terabytes are available at cost price.  The mass storage solution can be linked to a Nextcloud account for easy data sharing.

Advantages:

  • Can store very large sets of data
  • Backup and duplication can be organised on demand
  • Fast network connection to CISM computing resources

Disadvantages:

  • Less integration with Windows and office tools
  • Requires a minimum knowledge of Linux

For further information :

https://www.cism.ucl.ac.be/doc/_contents/Storage/index.html

https://www.cism.ucl.ac.be/doc/_contents/Sharing/index.html

OneDrive :

If you need to share or co-edit data >250MB, OneDrive is a good solution for you. You can give access to your colleagues outside the university, and the data is stored and backed up securely in the EU, which is in line with GDPR recommendations. However, be careful, as your files will be deleted as soon as you leave the university. So make sure someone in a permanent position creates the file, or set a reminder to save the file securely before you leave the university.

For further information : https://uclouvain.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/3/article/984973406