Faculty and Staff Saving and Sharing Files

Best Practices for Saving and Sharing Files

Faculty and Staff

If you need to:	and don't need to:	we recommend using:
Send small files, one time, to one address or a small number of people	Share files over 1 MB in size Share attachments to a list or large number of people. Share a file with certain extensions (e.g. .exe) or encrypted files	An e-mail attachment.
Save personal files via the web Share files when security is an issue Share files that would be blocked as an e-mail attachment Share files exceeding 1 MB Share files that need to be sent to a large number of people	Save personal files using File > Save to a network drive directly from the application	Xythos.
Save personal files using File > Save to a network drive directly from the application when in your campus office Bonus: Files are also accessible on the web using MyFiles	Share files	Home Drive (H:) and MyFiles.
Share files among co-workers within your department	Access from home or on the road Share files with non-departmental colleagues	Shared Interdepartmental (L:) Drive.
Share information with many people where a web site would be beneficial	Restrict access to that information	MyWeb.
Collaborate with other faculty members and staff for committee or team projects	Allow public access to the files	MyTeam.
Present information such as mission, goals, calendar of events, and the work of the organization	Create personal web sites Share secure files where access must be restricted	UI Central Server.
Deploy java/JSP applications that are used to support research and instruction activities	Create personal web sites Share secure files where access must be restricted Create HTML pages	UI Web Server for Research and Instruction
Deploy PHP applications that are used to support research and instruction activities	Create personal web sites Share secure files where access must be restricted Create HTML pages	UI LAMP Server Pilot Project
Deploy course web sites	Create personal web sites Departmental web sites	Iowa Courses On-Line (ICON)
Save and share collections of images, video files and/or audio files that support research and instruction	Save or share any non-media solutions	Media Asset Management

E-mail Attachments

Recommended for sending:

small files, one time, to one address or a small number of people.

Not Recommended for sending:

files over 1 MB in size.
Sending attachments to a list or large number of people.
Sending files with certain extensions (e.g. .exe) or encrypted files.

Size Limits:

Varies with each e-mail provider.

Sending an e-mail attachment to one person works well. What are the drawbacks? You cannot send a file with certain extensions (e.g. .exe) or encrypted files. The mail servers block these types of files in case they might be a virus. Individual mail systems have limits for sending and receiving messages and recipient may have message size limitations in their own e-mail system. Keep in mind that users have a maximum quota limit as well.

E-mail Attachments: http://cs.its.uiowa.edu/email/attachinfo.shtml

Xythos

Recommended for:

Saving personal files via the web.
Sharing files when security is an issue.
Sharing files that would be blocked as an e-mail attachment.
Sending files exceeding 1 MB.
Sending files that need to be sent to a large number of people.

Not Recommended for:

Saving personal files using File > Save to a network drive directly from the application.

Size Limits:

50 MB
Can be increased upon request.

Xythos is a web-based utility intended to provide students, faculty, and staff with a personal, easy-to-use interface to upload, download, save and share files with both users inside and outside of The University.

For file security Xythos allows you to send a "ticket" via an e-mail note to as many other people as you would like. You simply send the file link to the recipients, including listserv recipients, and they can access it on the web by clicking the web link.

You can share public files on the web by setting public permission to "read". This allows you publish the web link or send the it via e-mail.

Attachment Blocking: http://cs.its.uiowa.edu/email/cdp.shtml#a
Xythos: https://xythos.uiowa.edu/xythoswfs/webui

Home Drive (H:) and Myfiles

Recommended for:

Saving personal files using File > Save to a network drive directly from the application when in your campus office.
Bonus: Files are also accessible on the web using MyFiles.

Not Recommended for:

Sharing files.

Size Limits:

Under discussion at this time.

If your department is utilitzing ITS provided storage, you can access your Home Drive (H:) files from your office through a mapped drive located in My Computer. To access these same files from the library or anywhere else on or off campus, use a web browser and go to myfiles.uiowa.edu .

You can continue to save and access your Home Drive (H:) files from anywhere by this method so long as you have an internet connection and a browser.

Home Drive: http://cs.its.uiowa.edu/efp/Standards.shtml
Myfiles: http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/myfiles/

Shared Interdepartmental Data (L:)

Recommended for:

Sharing files among co-workers within your department.

Not Recommended for:

Access from home or on the road.
Sharing files with non-departmental colleagues.

Size Limits:

Upon request.

Faculty members and staff have access to shared interdepartmental data (L:) through a shared, mapped drive provided by the department (in some cases this is called the N: drive). This is a secure area where folders can be setup for to share data with other faculty members, staff and even students working within their department.

Home Drive: http://cs.its.uiowa.edu/efp/Standards.shtml

MyWeb

Recommended for:

Sharing information with many people where a web site would be beneficial.

Not Recommended for:

Sharing secure files where access must be restricted.

Size Limits:

10 MB
Can be increased upon request.

Each faculty member, staff and student is given space to setup a web site. If you are working on a project or with a group where a web presence would be beneficial, MyWeb is a good source for sharing information with many people - both on and off campus. You can send the web link to the file to others without having to send the file itself.

MyWeb: http://myweb.uiowa.edu/faq.htm

MyTeam

Recommended for:

Collaborative access for faculty members and staff who are working on committees or teams where non-public file sharing is essential.

Not Recommended for:

Sharing files where public access is required.

Size Limits:

50 MB upload limit (cannot upload a single file or multiple files together that are over 50 MB).

MyTeam sites can provide colloborative access for faculty members and staff who are working on committees or teams where non-public file sharing is essential. MyTeam allows for version control when sharing documents.

MyTeam: http://www2.uiowa.edu/myteam/

UI Central Server Web Site

Recommended for:

Presentation of information such as mission, goals, calendar of events, and the work of the organization.

Not Recommended for:

Personal web sites.
Sharing secure files where access must be restricted.

Size Limits:

10 MB
Can be increased upon request.

The UI Central (web) server is intended for the presentation of information such as mission, goals, calendar of events, and the work of the organization. It is not intended to be a site for personal pages. Departments may use the ITS Central Server to present materials on the Web.

UI Central Server: http://www.uiowa.edu/~uiweb/public_web_server.html

UI Web Server for Research and Instruction

Recommended for:

Deployment of java/JSP applications that are used to support research and instruction activities.

Not Recommended for:

Personal web sites.
Sharing secure files where access must be restricted.
HTML pages.

Size Limits:

As arranged

The UI webserver for research and instruction is a Tomcat server and is intended for hosting java/JSP applications. The server is operated by ITS Academic Technologies.

Contact academic technologies at its-academic@uiowa.edu

UI LAMP Server Pilot Project

Recommended for:

Deployment of PHP applications that are used to support research and instruction activities.

Not Recommended for:

Personal web sites.
Sharing secure files where access must be restricted.
HTML pages.

Size Limits:

As arranged

The UI LAMP (Linux, Apache, mysql, PHP) server for research and instruction is intended for hosting PHP applications. The server is operated by ITS Academic Technologies. This is a pilot service with limited capabilities at this time. Contact us to learn more.

Contact academic technologies at its-academic@uiowa.edu

Iowa Courses On-Line (ICON)

Recommended for:

Deployment of course websites

Not Recommended for:

Personal web sites.
Departmental web sites.

Size Limits:

As arranged

Iowa Courses Online (ICON) is intended for hosting course websites. The server is operated by ITS Academic Technologies.

Website: http://at.its.uiowa.edu/courseweb/index.shtml

Media Asset Management

Recommended for:

Saving and collections of images, video files and/or audio files that support research or instruction.

Not Recommended for:

Saving and sharing any non-media solutions.

Size Limits:

As arranged

Media asset management services provide expertise and resources to maintain the ever-expanding collections of digital media assets.

Website: http://at.its.uiowa.edu/digimedia/mam.shtml