Where to store my data?

Whether it's documents, teaching materials, research, project or study documents: users are constantly faced with the task of managing their data. Of course, this can always be stored on your own device. If you need more storage space or want to save your data, external storage media such as hard drives, memory cards and USB flash drives are available, which can be accessed even without an active data connection. However, these storage and save options are often no longer sufficient or are inferior to other storage options in some respects when it comes to availability on the go or the ability to share files.

Availability, security, protection – what takes priority?

When it comes to data storage, three factors play a major role:

• the availability of data
• the security of data
• the protection of data

The importance of these factors for individual users can vary depending on the application. For example, scientists are primarily concerned with saving research data as securely as possible and protecting it from unauthorised access. Members of working or project groups primarily need storage space that can be accessed jointly. Teachers and students often want to share data as easily as possible. However, all users ultimately ask themselves the same question: Where is the best place to store my data?

Different needs, multiple options

The ZID website provides users with a quick overview of storage options at the University of Vienna. The IT World Research section contains further notes on special storage services for researchers, such as long-term archives. Target group, storage size, access type, sharing and backup options, and any costs are presented in a comparison. This is useful for getting basic information about what is on offer, but may also leave some questions unanswered. For example, what are the advantages of using online storage space when u:cloud offers many times more storage space?

For those who want to know more or need help choosing the right storage space, all storage options are described below, including their advantages and disadvantages, and examples are provided to illustrate which storage location is particularly suitable for which purpose.

Online storage space

Online storage space is a service for all members of the University of Vienna. It is a network-based file service where data is stored directly on the university's own servers.

Students have 2 GB of storage space and staff have 10 GB of storage space available free of charge. The size and current usage of the storage space can be viewed at My u:account.

Data on the online storage space is saved daily as part of the backup service provided by the ZID. This enables the ZID Helpdesk to restore files that have been accidentally deleted or overwritten.

The following options are available for accessing the online storage space:

• Map network drive function of the operating system
• Direct access to the Z: drive in the computer rooms of the ZID and on centrally managed PCs

Go to the user guides for online storage space

Advantages

+ Data is stored on the ZID servers

+ Daily backup

+ Recovery of accidentally deleted or overwritten files

Disadvantages

– Less storage space available in comparison

– Files cannot be shared with others

– Data cannot be recovered by the user

When is online storage space particularly suitable?

Online storage space is particularly recommended when the security of data is a priority. With daily backups, the option of data recovery and the fact that the data remains within the University of Vienna network, online storage space offers a high level of protection against data loss and unauthorised access. The storage space should be sufficient to regularly save important documents such as seminar papers and theses during the writing process.

Jörg Rath, a chemistry student studying to become a teacher, also appreciates this: ‘While writing a seminar paper, I accidentally cleared important measurement results and saved and closed the document. When I realised my mistake, the data was gone. Fortunately, the ZID Helpdesk was able to restore the previous day's version.’

To the online storage service page

Share

Share is the paid version of the online storage service. Organisational units can apply for unlimited shared storage space for projects, working groups or teams via the ZID. It is therefore primarily available to employees. Share administrators have the option of assigning access rights, setting up groups, editing directories and restoring files themselves. Students can be authorised for access by Share administrators.

To the Share service page

u:cloud

The u:cloud service is a cloud storage service. u:cloud is based on the open source software Nextcloud, which is operated on virtual infrastructure and enables access to the University of Vienna's storage system. The data is processed on the server side exclusively at the University of Vienna, meaning that, unlike many publicly available cloud services, it does not leave the University of Vienna network.

u:cloud provides staff and students at the University of Vienna with 50 GB of storage space free of charge.

Users generally manage their own files. In u:cloud, deleted files can be restored by users themselves for at least 30 days.

The data can be accessed with most endpoint devices and from anywhere:

• via a browser at ucloud.univie.ac.at
• via locally installed software
• via mobile apps

To the u:cloud user guides

Advantages

+ 50 GB of free storage space

+ Easy access from anywhere and most endpoint devices

+ Easily share files with others

+ Collaborate on documents with ONLYOFFICE

Disadvantages

– People external to the university can only download or upload files via public links

– Not suitable for a large number of rapidly changing files, especially those created automatically

When is u:cloud particularly suitable?

u:cloud is particularly suitable for sharing data with other users of the platform as well as external persons. You can grant different permissions for editing, configure password protection, set an expiry date and enter the email addresses of recipients to whom the link to the data should be sent by e-mail. The IT Communications & Marketing team of the ZID uses u:cloud frequently: "u:cloud has become an indispensable part of our daily work. This is mainly because we often work with image files that are provided to us by other university members as well as external persons. With u:cloud, these can be easily shared and managed," says Michaela Bociurko, head of the team, explaining how the service is used in her team.

To the u:cloud service page

u:cloud pro

For collaboration in projects, working groups or teams, the ZID recommends using u:cloud pro. This paid version of the u:cloud service has the same functions as the individual u:cloud account, but the data is not tied to a specific person. u:cloud pro is requested by an organisational unit and is intended for employees of the University of Vienna. u:cloud pro provides 250 GB of storage space. In justified cases, the storage space in u:cloud pro can be expanded. The share function also gives students access to folders and files in u:cloud pro.

Go to the u:cloud pro service page

The following storage options are only available at the University of Vienna if the associated services are used.

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft's own cloud service within the Microsoft 365 service. The University of Vienna provides Microsoft 365 in compliance with data protection regulations. Users can store personal files in the Microsoft cloud via OneDrive.

Employees currently have 50 GB of storage space at their disposal. The Microsoft 365 service for students is currently being implemented.

Users can restore data deleted within 30 days using the Recycle Bin function in OneDrive. If data is cleared from the Recycle Bin, it can be restored again from the Permanent Recycle Bin. If the data is also cleared here, there is no further option to restore it. The University of Vienna does not provide a backup.

Users can access OneDrive from anywhere using any device and share data stored there with others:

• via the Microsoft 365 portal
• via the OneDrive app (installed by default in Windows 10 and 11)
• via mobile apps for Android and iOS

Go to the OneDrive user guides

Advantages

+ 50 GB storage space for personal data

+ Access regardless of location or device

+ Synchronise files between the cloud and your device

+ Easily share files with others

+ Collaboration feature for services such as Word and Excel

Disadvantages

– Data is stored on external servers within the European Union

– Use of OneDrive is limited to the duration of the licence purchased by the University of Vienna

– Changes to the licence agreements by the licensor are possible at any time

When is OneDrive particularly suitable?

For Microsoft 365 users, OneDrive is a convenient addition for saving data directly from Microsoft apps. OneDrive is particularly suitable for files that need to be kept up to date on multiple devices or shared with others. For users of Windows 10 and Windows 11, OneDrive is directly integrated as a folder.

To the Microsoft 365 service page

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is a paid software subscription that employees can access via the self-service portal and students via AcadCloud. In addition to programs for photo and video editing, graphic design and web development, it includes cloud storage space.

Currently, employees and students have 100 GB of storage space via Adobe Creative Cloud. Students who use the free product Adobe Creative Cloud Shared Device Access (1 Year Subscription) receive 2 GB of storage space.

Files in the Deleted folder are automatically permanently deleted after 30 days. Users can restore deleted files themselves within 30 days or delete them irrevocably.

The storage space can be accessed as follows:

• directly from the respective application
• via the Creative Cloud desktop app
• via the Adobe account at creativecloud.adobe.com

Adobe user guides for employees

Adobe user guides for students

Advantages

+ 100 GB of storage space

+ Collaborative work and shared libraries

Disadvantages

– Data is stored on external servers, which may be located outside the EU

– Licence agreements may be changed by the licensor at any time

When is Creative Cloud particularly suitable?

Creative Cloud is primarily intended to enable subscribers to save designs and share them with others. In addition, cloud storage can support creative processes by setting up shared libraries and managing the ability to collaborate on designs.

To the service page Software for staff

To the service page Software for students

Keep an eye on your data

Given the wide range of options for saving data at the University of Vienna, it is all the more important for users to keep track of their data. It is advisable to manage stored data in a well-structured manner and to clear files that are no longer needed. This not only increases the security of your own data, but also helps to save data volume in the context of paid services. Last but not least, it can improve the energy balance for the operation of server infrastructure. From a data protection perspective, it is also advisable to regularly check which files have been shared and whether this is still desired. This is especially true if data is accessible via a public link.

When users leave the University of Vienna

When employees leave the university or students complete their degree programmes, their accounts are subject to an account expiry process. After this, they will no longer be able to use certain services. Users will be informed in good time and given the opportunity to save their data. After a specified period of time, access to stored data will no longer be possible, or data in cloud storage of licensed software (such as Microsoft OneDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud) will be cleared within a certain period of time after the authorisation to access it has been deactivated. Information on this is available on the ZID website.