(Information) Document Storage and Collaboration Services Guidelines
Contents:
Comparison of OneDrive and Microsoft Teams Features or Usage by Task
Document and File Storage and Collaboration Services Attributes
Use Case Guidance for Storage and Collaboration Tools
Introduction
The following guidelines will help the campus community to select the option that best fits their requirements in order to assure information confidentiality, integrity and availability. Access and use of storage and collaboration services establishes an obligation on the part of the individual to use these resources responsibly. Students, faculty, staff and other constituents are responsible for reading and understanding this guide and understanding UWM policies and practices for storing data.
The document and file storage and work group collaboration services decision is based on several considerations:
- Types of documents and files to store,
- Content of documents and files, including the criticality and sensitivity of data being stored and shared,
- Individual, multi-purpose, or departmental/group file sharing and usage requirements, and
- Accessibility requirements.
uFiles Storage
The uFiles Storage service provides storage capabilities for individual and group based file shares that can be used by faculty and staff (through their ePanther account). These file shares are available on university owned computers that have been properly configured. These file shares appear as mapped drives and behave like other folders and files that exist on the user computer. The file shares are accessible remotely through the campus VPN service.
The uFiles Storage service has the following features:
- Individual and group access to file shares.
- Mapped folders that utilize your computer's operating system (no other software needed).
- Available for Windows, Mac and Linux user computers.
- Regular backup of files.
- Per gigabyte charges may apply. Please consult University Information Technology Services (UITS) for details.
Be aware that uFiles Storage:
- Is not accessible from a web browser.
- Cannot share files with off-campus individuals.
OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive provides cloud based file storage and sharing services that are available to UWM students (while enrolled), faculty, and staff as part of the Microsoft 365 offering. OneDrive is meant to be an individual's personal data storage service, a document library, where files are private by default, with the capability to share documents with others.
The OneDrive service has the following features:
- All UWM students, faculty and staff have an OneDrive space established for them.
- Online cloud file storage accessible anywhere via the internet.
- Ability to use your ePanther login ID and password to sign into OneDrive.
- Integrated with the Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook).
- Capable of storing almost all file types. Exceptions are listed on Microsoft's site.
- Provides document management capability (create, delete, move, rename, download, version and share) as needed.
- Provides capability to grant access permission to a folder or a document on an individual-by-individual basis, i.e. light-weight, informal collaboration.
- The OneDrive desktop sync user is available for those who prefer a desktop application instead of an Internet browser application.
- Backups are for service recovery purposes only. Users should not expect to have individual files restored. Deleted files are recoverable from the recycle area for up to 93 days.
When you leave UWM:
- Current student, faculty, or staff accounts are disabled and the files are automatically deleted.
- Faculty and staff accounts are disabled after 14 days.
- Student accounts are disabled after one academic semester.
- Emeritus faculty accounts remain enabled.
Microsoft Teams
Teams is one of the Microsoft Office components and is installed on all university-managed computers. Teams is a chat-based collaboration space for groups of users that allows them to create, share and edit files. Teams provides a structured place to organize, share and collaborate on documents. With the ability to easily post files through chat, conduct real-time screen sharing, host online meetings and serve as a repository for shared decision-making, Teams is a workspace that allows for quick and agile communication.
The intention behind Teams sites is to provide a working space for focused groups to conduct work. All Teams have an associated "Team" SharePoint site or Team site. In general, Team sites are robust, better governed and have more features than OneDrive and should be used for team based, formal and structured collaboration. Team sites should be the preferred storage option for any valuable documents, structured collaborations or formal document management.
The Teams service has the following features:
- Targeted towards departmental/group/team/working group collaboration, document management and storage; not typically used for organization-wide communication.
- Online cloud file storage accessible anywhere via the internet.
- Provides document management capability (create, delete, move, rename, download, version and share) as needed.
- Backups are for service recovery purposes only. Users should not expect to have individual files restored. Deleted files are recoverable via version control and from the recycle bin area for up to 93 days.
- Utilizes persistent workspace chat.
- Ability to link to other Microsoft 365 apps, such as existing SharePoint sites or OneNote notebooks.
Comparison of OneDrive and Teams Features or Usage by Task
The document storage and collaboration services capabilities of OneDrive and Teams can be summarized in the following table.
|
Task |
Key Features or Usage |
OneDrive |
Teams |
|
Document Storage |
Document history. |
X | X |
|
Version control. |
X | X | |
|
Content approval. |
X | X | |
|
Retention policies. |
X | ||
|
Metadata for workflow tracking. |
X | ||
|
Maintaining document lifecycle governance plans. |
X | ||
|
Document Edits |
Simultaneous editing and co-authoring. |
X | X |
|
Document check in/ check out. |
X | X | |
|
Document editing through Office user application, browser web app, or phone or table app. |
X | X | |
|
Document Sharing |
Document storage in one location. |
X | X |
|
Local and external sharing. |
X | X | |
|
Document Searching |
Search at library, site or global level. Document preview capability. E-discovery. |
X | |
|
Intranet |
Centralize core documents all employees need to access. Publish employee announcements and newsletters. |
X | |
|
Shared Email |
Group email option. |
X | |
|
Project Management |
Document storage. Project tasks and timeline. Project announcements. Status updates. Issue logging. Integration with Microsoft Project. |
X | |
|
Video Storage |
Video portal for storage and playback of video content. |
X | |
|
Business Intelligence |
Excel service. Access services. Visio Services. |
X |
CampusPress
The CampusPress managed WordPress service provides UWM faculty and staff with web publishing and basic data collection (web forms) functionality in support of their professional initiatives and goals. Each person will be able to login using UWM 1Login and request their own CampusPress site and it will be provisioned for them in real time.
CampusPress supports publication of open access/publicly releasable research data (in support of grant requirements). No restricted or sensitive data can be stored on or transmitted through CampusPress . Content intended for publication on CampusPress should be stored either in OneDrive or Teams.
- Targeted toward supporting individual and research lab/working group/team/collaborations web sites and their supporting web content.
- Utilizes a self-service model that leverages the consumer oriented aspects of WordPress, with faculty/staff expected to be self-reliant.
- Utilizes contract provided CampusPress on-demand, online resources as primary support services, with secondary support available from IT staff for more advanced support and for site provisioning (after first auto provisioned site).
- Site content can be written locally in word processing programs and uploaded for publication, or authored directly within CampusPress and either saved as draft or published live.
- Capable of storing almost all file types.
- Faculty or staff will be able to log into the administrative area of their site(s) to manage their content using UWM's 1Login service.
- Collaborators from outside UWM who are partnering with UWM faculty/staff will be able to obtain an administrative account to assist in the management of content.
Canvas
Canvas is UWM's web-based, online, learning management system. It is the preferred option for document management and collaboration in support of instruction.
Document and File Storage and Collaboration Services Attributes
To assist in determining which document storage and collaboration service is appropriate for a given set of requirements, the following tables are provided.
This table outlines where common file types can be saved.
|
Type of data |
OneDrive |
uFiles Storage |
Teams |
|
Office Suite Documents (DOCX , RTF, TXT, XLSX, PPTX, PDF) |
X | X | X |
|
Databases (MDB, DB) |
X | ||
|
Audio, Images and Video (MPG, MP4, MOV, WMV, GIF, JPEG |
X | X | X |
|
Applications and Web Code (Java, C++, C#, Visual Basic, HTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, ASP, PHP, JSP, CFM) |
X |
This table outlines the average amount of storage, speed, access method and cost each option has.
|
Storage Platform |
Storage Quota |
Speed |
Method of Access and Availability |
Cost |
|
OneDrive |
1 TB total storage with additional upon request |
Dependent on Internet Connection |
Web access through a browser or mobile device. Availability dependent on Microsoft's website availability. |
none |
|
uFiles Storage |
Please contact UITS for uFiles storage quota information. |
Instant on Campus |
Campus Workstation |
|
|
Teams |
50 GB per Team space with additional upon request |
Dependent on Internet Connection |
Web access through a browser, Desktop and mobile device applications available to all UWM users. Availability dependent on Microsoft's website availability. |
none |
This table outlines each service's collaboration feature sets.
|
Storage Platform |
User Availability |
Real Time Collaboration (Edit alongside others) |
Duration of suggested use |
Document Recovery Window |
|
OneDrive |
Campus account holders and general public with either a sponsored ePanther account or a Microsoft account @outlook.com |
Yes |
Long term - 6 months or more |
Controlled by Microsoft (limited to recently trashed items in session) |
|
uFiles Storage |
Campus account holders only |
No |
Long term - 6 months or more |
On demand: 2 weeks |
|
Teams |
Campus account holders and general public with either a sponsored ePanther account or a Microsoft account @outlook.com |
Yes |
Long term - 6 months or more |
Controlled by Microsoft (limited to recently trashed items in session) |
Use Case Guidance for Storage and Collaboration Tools
Note: All data, information, documents, and materials must meet UWM's security and confidentiality requirements (which are discussed later).
Possible use cases for these document storage and collaboration services include:
| If: | Then Use: | ||
| OneDrive | uFiles | Teams | |
|
A student is writing an assigned paper for a course. |
X | X | |
|
A student is writing a thesis or dissertation, and needs to get comments from an advisor and/or a committee. |
X | ||
|
A student is collaborating with other students on an assigned class project. |
X | X | |
|
A faculty or staff member creates and manages personal documents that are infrequently, if ever, shared with others and are not critical to ensure the continuity of business or academic operations. |
X | ||
|
A faculty or staff member creates and manages documents that may or may not be shared with others, but are critical to ensure the continuity of business or academic operations. |
X | X | |
|
Faculty and/or staff want to collaborate with a large working group and/or large number of documents. |
X | X | |
|
Faculty and/or staff need to manage a collection of documents. These documents needs to be tagged and classified based on their document type and based on that type different policies need to be enforced for retention. |
X | ||
|
Faculty and/or staff will be working on a document collaboratively and likely meeting together a few times to discuss and make updates. Their project is ad hoc and short term. |
X | X | |
|
A faculty member is collaborating with their graduate students on the writing of a journal paper or grant proposal. |
X | ||
|
A faculty member in a department is filling out a spreadsheet for which courses are going to be offered for the next 1 or 2 academic years. |
X | ||
|
A faculty member is filling out a spreadsheet for a candidate's interview schedule. |
X | ||
|
A faculty member is filling out a spreadsheet for invited speakers. |
X | ||
|
A faculty member and TAs are putting together a reading schedule for a course. |
X | ||
|
A faculty member is collaborating with a TA on student grades. |
X | X | X |
|
A faculty member is collaborating with others (either within UWM or outside the university) on non-sensitive research or projects. |
X | ||
|
A faculty member is collaborating on confidential research data with others external to the university. |
X | X | |
|
A staff member is collaborating with staff members in his/her own department. |
X | ||
|
A staff member is collaborating with staff members in a different department or more than one department. |
X | ||
|
A staff member is collaborating with others to develop progressive versions of a document. |
X | ||
|
A staff member is leading a project with team members from within their department. |
X | ||
|
A staff member is leading a project across different departments. |
X | ||
|
A staff member is leading a project with team members external to UWM. |
X | ||
|
A staff member is managing confidential documentation. |
X | X | |