Alternate Storage Options
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Options for File Storage and Collaboration
Google Workspace for Education is the primary collaborative file storage solution for UCSC. It is ideal for sharing, creating and simultaneous editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and more. It allows departments or teams to control their own file access, simplify business continuity and encourage the use of collaborative features.
Google Drive storage is limited, however, and in some cases alternate solutions may be necessary.
When to use / not to use Google
When to use Google:
- To access and organize your Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms into Shared Drives to collaborate with your team members
- For sharing and editing other kinds of files with limited numbers of collaborators in Drive rather than Gmail
- For business process and documentation to support the educational and administrative activities of the university
- For project work
- For automatic integration with campus directory of workgroups and users for easy sharing
When not to use Google:
- To store personal files (including photos) or data not related to your employment or coursework at the university
- To store large research datasets
- For files that need to be connected to a database or network
- For a primary data backup repository or for the storage of data that is not intended for regular access and use
- For non-collaborative data
- For credit card information (PCI-DSS)
- For personal Identifiable Information (PII)
- For sensitive data such as electronic protected Health Information (ePHI) subject to HIPAA
Google Drive - Paid Option
For those interested in purchasing 1 TB or more of storage, please email help@ucsc.edu. We are currently evaluating the feasibility of individual storage purchases by departments or groups.
Research Data Storage
Researchers should consult with their respective divisions to identify the most appropriate research data storage solutions. This personalized approach ensures compliance with both internal policies and external regulations. Request a consultation.
File Storage Alternatives
Depending on your storage needs and affiliation, UCSC offers several other storage options to safely store your files. See the information below to help identify the best-fitting solution for your data needs beyond Google.
*More information on additional storage options will be provided soon
- Secure File Storage (replacement for Campus Active Directory) For staff to store files and share within departments or groups.
- Amazon Web Services/AWS For faculty and staff, a variety of cloud storage and compute services is available. Can be used to make a large dataset available for public download, for private file sharing with versioning and replication, and storing data files to be shared among multiple servers doing analysis. Request a consultation and check out which options are best for you.
- YuJa - Video & Media Storage for Instruction
For instructional use, YuJa provides tools for creating, storing and managing video media content. This includes the creation of video in YuJa as well as the uploading of existing video. YuJa is also used to store and share recordings made using Lecture Capture. Learn more about Lecture Capture and Yuja. - Library University Archive: For faculty, staff and students to manage records of potential historic interest. The University Archives accepts records documenting UCSC activities, functions, decisions, and/or policies and programs (both adopted and rejected), in every format, once they are no longer needed for current use. Transfer or Donate materials to University Archives.
- eScholarship - For publications, conference proceedings, research data, and scholarly outputs that you want to be read by the public, eScholarship serves as a dedicated repository. It's an ideal platform for archiving and making your academic contributions accessible to a global audience that the library will preserve.
