Dr. Olivia Davies2
1Intersect Australia, Melbourne, Australia, 2Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Olivia Davies is a Digital Research Analyst with a focus on research support, digital strategy, and research data management. She holds a PhD in molecular and evolutionary biology, with a passion for data and statistics education.
Abstract:
In late 2022, AARNet's announcement of the decommissioning of CloudStor left numerous universities rushing for alternative data storage solutions. This transition posed challenges, including identifying affected users, mobilising data migrations, and selecting suitable replacement platforms. The diverse volumes, file types, and privacy requirements of research data further complicated the process, requiring tailored approaches from IT departments and eResearch teams. The University of Sydney's SharePoint-based solution set a high standard for research data storage, but its implementation cost was prohibitive for smaller universities. These institutions prioritised essential functionalities, opting for integrated Microsoft solutions (OneDrive, SharePoint, MS Teams), which required only minor-adjusted configuration and user training, rather than new purchases. Smaller universities have now operationalised their Microsoft storage solutions, ranging from out-of-the-box to more nuanced setups that enable data sharing across collaborators. They now recognise the need for more advanced features like privilege management, data sensitivity tags, and separate instances for research data. However, challenges remain, especially with SharePoint's usability and handling of certain data types, such as medical imaging. This presentation will discuss the strategies employed by universities to transition from CloudStor, the outcomes achieved, and the ongoing challenges.