NetStorage Retirement FAQs
Q. Why is this happening?
A. Netstorage is hosted on an aging on-premises platform that is reaching the end of its supported life. In addition, NetStorage does not offer any of the conveniences or features of Google Drive or One Drive, such as support for mobile devices and tablets, seamless off-campus access, or robust collaboration features. As we have discovered during the pandemic, off-campus access to the N and S Drives is anything but easy.
Google Drive and MS One Drive offer more storage, more features, and better ease of use. In higher education, we're not breaking any ground with this change. Many universities have already made this shift and the pandemic is accelerating many other institution's migration plans.
Q. What about Banner processes and jobs that use the S Drive?
A. Those processes are already being changed as part of our Banner to the cloud migration. The new way to send/receive files with Banner is through Banner Files. It will be live after we go live with Banner in the cloud this July.
Q. What about our multi-function copier that scans to the S Drive?
A. Many newer multi-function devices directly support Google Drive and/or MS One Drive. Please work with the IT Help Desk (509.359.2247) to identify an alternative solution to your current process.
Q. Doesn't this mean that everything from our S Drive has to sync to my computer?
A. No, both Google Drive and MS One Drive support a technology called file streaming. Only the files and folders that you access from your device will sync to your device, saving on space and bandwidth.
Q. Which service does IT recommend? Are they FERPA compliant?
A. IT recommends Google Drive for better cross-platform support and the ease of use of Shared Drives. Both services are FERPA compliant. Their commercial terms of service do not apply to EWU accounts.
Both services are supported by IT.
Q. Does IT need to create Shared Drives (Google) or Shared Libraries (OneDrive)
A. No, you are able to create, manage, and even delete both Shared Drives and Shared Libraries.
Q. I have more questions, where I can go for more answers?
A. We have provided many support articles and FAQS in our knowledge base. Click the links below. If your question isn't answered, please reach out to IT Help Desk (509.359.2247).
Q. Is there training available?
A. Yes, there are training resources available from Google and Microsoft. Links are below: