Research Guides: Research Data Management at Princeton: Storage, Backup, and Security

Backup

3-2-1 Backup Rule:

Keep 3 copies of anything important, the original plus 2 backups.
On at least 2 different media types, such as hard drive, DVDs, flash drive,crash plan, cloud storage etc.
With at least 1 off-site or in cloud storage.

Backups... what and when

•“What will you need to restore in the event of data loss?” In general only backing up data is sufficient. (UK Data Archive)

•“Backups should be made after every change of data [and]/or at regular intervals.” (UK Data Archive)

Security

Keeping research data secure is extremely important, especially when sensitive data is involved. Please consult these Princeton University resources for guidance on security.

Research Data Security
Guidance from Princeton Research Integrity Assurance office.
Information Security
Princeton University's Information Security website includes links to policies, FAQs, list of services, and security basics.
Information Security Policy
Princeton University's Information Security Policy from the Office of Information Technology.

Storage

Storage Options
Option	Size and Cost	Access	Notes
Central File Server (H: Drive) - University personal storage space.	5GB - Free	Mapped network drive. Automatically maps for Windows users logging in to Princeton domain. See FAQ to access from OS X, Linux, SSH, FTP.
Central File Server (M: Drive) - Departmental file sharing	Varies	Mapped network drive. Email department administrator or SCAD/DCS for access.	Size and availability vary by department. Email department administrator or SCAD/DCS.
Princeton Google Drive	Unlimited	NetID restricted. Can share with other Google Drive users.	New undergraduate students are automatically assigned Google Apps accounts. Faculty, graduate students, and staff must request an account. All PPPL employees are assigned PPPL Google Apps accounts.
Sharepoint - Microsoft's web based collaborative tool.	Varies	NetID restricted. Non-Princeton users may be granted access via a guest account.	Request a Sharepoint site by emailing sharepoint@princeton.edu.
Media Central - OIT's web based repository for storing, managing, and delivering audio and video content.	Varies	Restricted to approved users. Content can be made available online on multiple platforms such as iPad, Blackboard, Youtube, and websites.	Request a Media Central account by emailing mediacentral@princeton.edu.
TIGRESS HPC storage - Storage is provided as part of Princeton's centralized Research Computing department.	Varies	Restricted to approved users. Prospective users must submit a proposal for approval.	Restricted to approved users. Prospective users must submit a proposal for approval.
External Hard Drives	Varies	Consider using encryption to limit access to hard drives. Confidential or restricted data should not be stored on portable media.	Available at OIT Store, 113 Frist Campus Center
Portable Media (USB Drives, DVDs, etc.)	Varies	Consider using encryption to limit access to portable media. Confidential or restricted data should not be stored on portable media.	Available at OIT Store, 113 Frist Campus Center
Commercial Cloud Storage (Dropbox, etc.)	Varies	Varies	Princeton's guidelines on Managing electronic information discourage the use of un-endorsed cloud storage options for confidential or restricted data.