Configuring Cloud Storage

About the IU Cloud Storage Portal

Overview

The IU Cloud Storage Portal provides a way for you to choose from among several locations in the cloud to store your files. The storage locations you select are available to you when you're using IUanyWare or any IU-build workstation, including those in the Student Technology Centers (STCs) and in many departmentally managed computing labs.

Once your files are saved in one of several available cloud locations, the files are accessible from nearly any computer or handheld device with internet access and a web browser, reducing the need for multiple copies of your files or additional disk space on your computer or mobile device.

Set your storage preferences

To set your storage preferences, go to IU Cloud Storage and select Log In to begin. The storage options you choose will be available to you the next time you log into IUanyWare or use any IU-build workstation. To get started, select Set Preferences.

Important:

Not all of the cloud storage options listed below are appropriate for use with institutional data. If your work involves institutional data, you must select a UITS service that is appropriate for storing that data. For more, see Store and share your individual files at IU.

Official classifications for institutional data at IU are defined in Management of Institutional Data (DM-01). If you have questions about the classifications of institutional data at IU, see Classification levels of institutional data, use the Data Sharing and Handling (DSH) tool, or contact the appropriate Data Stewards. To determine the most sensitive classification of institutional data you can store on any given UITS service, see Choose an appropriate storage solution.

IU file shares:
For relevant policies about storing institutional data on your department's SharePoint Online site or file server, check with your school or department.

To choose an established file share on an IU system:
1. Choose File Shares.
2. Enter the appropriate network path in the text field, and then select + (the plus sign).
To choose your department's SharePoint Online or Microsoft Teams at IU site:
1. Navigate to the URL of your SharePoint Online or Microsoft Teams site (https://indiana.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename).
2. You'll see an Azure login prompt.
  Log in with your IU username and passphrase.
3. When prompted with "Stay signed in?", select Yes (this is required for the share to remain synced).
4. Return to IU Cloud Storage.
5. Select File Shares, and enter the URL of your SharePoint Online or Microsoft Teams site. If it already appears, select the X to remove it, and then add it again. You may need to complete this step twice.
6. The site should now appear as a network drive on your device.
Dropbox account: If you have an existing Dropbox account, you can choose it:
1. Choose Dropbox.
2. Read the on-screen terms of use, and then select Authorize.
3. Sign in with the email address and password associated with your Dropbox account.
4. When prompted to grant IU Cloud Storage permission to access your Dropbox files and folders, select Allow.
Dropbox accounts are for personal files only; they are not appropriate for use with any type of institutional data at IU; see Classification levels of institutional data.
Google at IU My Drive: To select your Google at IU My Drive account:
1. Choose Google Drive.
  Important:
  - Shared storage in Google is available only as an option for departments that wish to pay for continued storage in Google.
  - Due to limits to IU's storage footprint in the Google platform, all individual Google My Drives now have a 5 GB quota.
2. Read the on-screen terms of use, and then make sure to select your Google at IU account (the one associated with your @iu.edu email address).
  
  Important:
  
  Always use your Google at IU account for Indiana University coursework and other university business. Personal (free) non-IU Google accounts are not approved for institutional data. When working in Google apps, you can check the upper right to see which account you're logged into.
  
  By default, unless you sign out, Google keeps you logged in, even if you close your browser; thus you could be logged into your personal account, even if you started from google.iu.edu. Consider adding a profile picture for each of your accounts to help differentiate between them.
3. When prompted to grant IU Cloud Storage permission to access your Google My Drive files, select Allow.
Note:

If you have a personal Google Drive account, you can select/authorize it for use via IU Cloud Storage; however Google-specific files that you're storing in Google Drive, such as those created in Google Docs, will not be available through Cloud Storage. Also, personal Google Drive accounts are not appropriate for storing any type of institutional data.
Personal (non-IU) OneDrive account: To select a personal (non-IU) OneDrive account:
1. Choose OneDrive - Personal.
2. Read the on-screen terms of use, and then select Authorize.
3. Sign in using the email address and password associated with your personal (non-IU) OneDrive account. If prompted, select an option for confirming your identity.
4. When prompted to grant IU Cloud Storage permission to access your OneDrive files, choose Yes.
Important:

Do not use a personal (non-IU) OneDrive account for IU coursework or university business. Personal (non-IU) OneDrive accounts are not appropriate for use with institutional data at IU. For information about getting a Microsoft OneDrive at IU account, see About Microsoft OneDrive at IU.
Microsoft OneDrive at IU account: To select your Microsoft OneDrive at IU account:
1. Choose OneDrive - IU.
2. Read the on-screen terms of use, and then select Authorize.
3. If you're already logged into your Office 365 at IU account, choose that account; otherwise, proceed to the next step.
4. Enter your @iu.edu email address, and then select Next.
5. Enter your IU passphrase and select Sign in. Confirm your identity using Two-Step Login (Duo).
6. When prompted to grant IU Cloud Storage permission to access your OneDrive files, select Accept.

Note:

To reverse a previously authorized storage option, select Deauthorize.

More information

It may take up to 30 seconds for files uploaded or downloaded from another source to be reflected in IUanyWare or on the IU-build workstation you are using.
If you have trouble with an IU file share, double-check the path, or check with the system administrator for that file share.
For further details, see the Cloud Storage Frequently Asked Questions.