The University provides a secure central storage facility for staff and students.
File storage
This is provided in several ways:
- Microsoft OneDrive: A cloud storage area (1TB) for files. These files are held in Microsoft’s European storage facilities and are accessible by the Student via any web enabled PC. Files in your OneDrive can be kept private, shared with specific people or shared with everyone. Anything you place in your OneDrive is not automatically backed up by Information Services or Microsoft. If files on your OneDrive are deleted, they can only be receovered by you for up to 30 days. You are advised to keep backups of important files, such as course work, on a personal USB stick. The University provides a limited amount of network storage space in your U drive.
- Microsoft Teams: You can save Team or Departmental documents within your Microsoft Team site. Teams enables you to collaborate on documents with others and access them from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Shared storage: Shared at department and school level and is provided to enable sharing of information and documents with immediate colleagues. Contact IT Service Desk for details of the shared areas in your department or school
There are some other public solutions to storage, for example Google Docs that allow access to information from any internet enabled system. If you are using these please be aware of the following:
- Some of these companies will not guarantee the location of storage of your data and it may be kept in locations where UK privacy wishes will not be respected. Also, personal data is not allowed to be transferred outside the EU except under specific circumstances
- There is often little or no guarantee that your data can be recovered if the infrastructure fails. Ensure you have another backup stored elsewhere
- Information that is the property of The University of Wales Trinity Saint David should not be stored in these areas
- Should there be an issue with storage that is managed outside of Information Technology & Systems, we will not be able to assist as any contract will be between the individual and the provider
Storage security
All centralised file stores are backed up and users can restore information that is up to one day old.
Individual responsibilities
It is for the person who saves information to ensure that they understand privacy, sensitivity of their data and information and ensure retention/deletion in line with regulations and laws. IT Service Delivery should be told of specific protection requirements so they can work with the systems team to support the needs of users.
To protect the University’s costs, assets and reputation, it is important that University storage is not used for data, files and images that have copyright elsewhere, are of a purely personal nature (such as personal music collections) or are likely to be considered inappropriate in event of an external investigation of our data stores.
We strongly advise that you keep to a minimum the amount of confidential, personal, or sensitive University information stored on the laptop’s hard drive (ensuring compliance with the University’s Data Protection Policy and encryption protocols elsewhere in this document).
Users are responsible for ensuring that data stored on laptops or handheld devices is regularly backed up. IT Service Delivery staff can advise on the appropriate processes required to achieve this.
Help and Support
Any questions or requests about storage or backups should be addressed via the IT Service Desk.
Requests for restoration of backups should also be made through a call to the IT Service desk.
