Data Storage

Each member of staff and research postgraduate student has a default allocation of personal filespace on the University network.

This filespace appears as the H:\ drive on any networked computer you log onto on campus and is accessible via Computer or Windows Explorer. You may also hear the H:\ drive referred to as home, or home filespace.

Your filespace quota can be increased on request – please contact our Service Desk.

Colleges, Schools, and University Administration all have allocated filespace accessible via shared network drives. In addition, project and research related data should be stored on a shared network drive.

All data on the network storage system can be accessed from one starting point: \\uoa\global. Once this path is mapped in Windows, you will see the following directory structure:

• Admin
• CASS
• Classrooms
• CLSM
• COPS
• Other

You can navigate through this structure to folders and files you have permissions to access. Contact local admin colleagues for further information.

Additional Storage

Additional storage requirements may be met from shared drive allocations to Colleges/Departments/Projects, or through the purchase of additional storage (minimum purchase ½ TB). This must be owned by a member of staff who will be responsible for ensuring that the storage is used appropriately.

If you require additional storage, please contact the Service Desk in the first instance.

All data stored on University servers is backed up on a regular basis and can be recovered via the restoration service.

• All files on your H:\ drive (Home file space) or shared drives are backed-up by IT Services
  • You should always use these drives for all business related files
• Due to the volume of data, weekly and monthly backups are run on different days of the week

Summary of Backup Policy

A backup is a copy of data that may be used to restore the original in the event that it is lost or damaged beyond repair as a result of human error, hardware failure, or major disaster.

Files are backed up nightly, weekly and monthly, and backups retained for up to 18 months. Service Desk staff can assist you with recovery of deleted files up to this age limit.

Long-term archival is a separate process from backup.

Archiving is where a folder or file is set aside (not required to be regularly accessed but must be retained) for a specified period of time. For example, archiving of data may be required to meet funding body conditions, legislative requirements, or for long term comparative studies.

• Large amounts of data may be archived, on request, for a specified period of time - current storage charges will apply
  • Where possible, research staff are encouraged to build long term archiving costs into grant applications
• The archival process stores files as they are at the point of archive. This means that, on request, a file will be provided as it stood at time of archive. The file owner may have to address any future incompatibilities (eg software), as this is beyond the scope and control of this service

For advice on archiving data, please contact the Service Desk in the first instance.