Always follow the university’s information processing instructions when saving work files on hard disk drives, in the network, in cloud services or on external media. When needed, you can encrypt your files, read more: File encryption.
The university offers the tools and storage spaces for the handling of the files needed in the work. If you process your own private files or messages, keep them apart from the work data. Create a separate folder for them, the name of which distinctly tells about the privacy of the contents such as for example “private” or “yksityinen“.
In this instruction are the following personal storage locations described:
- OneDrive for Business
- Hard drive C:
- Network disk K:
- Linux directory
- Google Drive
- External storage media
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business is a cloud storage space (5 TB) provided by Microsoft and available as part of the Microsoft 365 service. Its access right is tied to your MS account, which is used in the M365 service in the form:
- UO student: account@student.oulu.fi
- UO staff: account@univ.yo.oulu.fi
- Oamk student: account@students.oamk.fi
- Oamk staff: account@oamk.fi
You are administering the user rights of your OneDrive, for example by adding rights to other persons for the time of the collaboration and by removing those rights yourself when they are not needed any more.
In the staff Windows workstations: The Documents folder and OneDrive are automatically synchronized in the internet connection, ensuring that the cloud service files and its copy on the workstation remain the same. Learn how to use settings to influence synchronization: Setting up and managing a new Windows-computer.
Fixed workstations and vendors: Use OneDrive on these machines as your storage location. Then your files will not be visible to other users on the same computer when they sign in with their own usernames.
On other devices: Use OneDrive as your saving place. You can install the OneDrive app and sync OneDrive files to your workstation, creating a local copy of the file on your hard drive that you can work with even without an internet connection.
In the M365 service, there are no traditional backup copies available to ICT Services or the user, so be careful about what you delete or replace. You can restore files removed from OneDrive within 90 days provided that your user account is valid.
The guidelines: OneDrive (Patio)
Information processing instructions for OneDrive:
- Public material allowed
- Internal material allowed with restrictions
- Confidential material allowed with restrictions, encryption recommended. Read more: File encryption.
- Secret material not allowed
Detailed instructions for using OneDrive: OneDrive | Patio
NOTE: Private individual’s OneDrive is a free storage space provided by Microsoft that you can or may have enabled. It has no connection to the college or its accounts. Use it only for your private needs, not for work-related files.
Hard drive C:
On staff computers: Save your files to OneDrive for Business, where they will also sync to the Documents folder on the C: disk. From there, you can access your files even when you are not on the internet. Learn how to use settings to affect sync: Setting up and managing a new Windows-computer.
Fixed workstations and laptop vendors: Use OneDrive on these machines as your storage location. Your profile will be deleted when you log out, e.g. documents, pictures, desktop and downloads will be deleted. Files stored on a hard drive that are not in your profile folders (e.g., at the root of C) may, depending on your settings, be visible to other users on the same computer.
Information processing instructions for hard drive:
- Public material allowed
- Internal material allowed
- Confidential material allowed, encryption recommended. Read more: File encryption.
- Secret material allowed if encrypted. Read more: File encryption.
Network disk K:
All user accounts are connected to the Unix/Windows directory, which can be accessed from both systems. These K-network disks are on servers maintained by the ICT Services. You can also save confidential material on the K-network disk.
- The default quota for the staff K-disk is 5 GB and for the student 10 GB. If the space starts to fill, you will be notified by e-mail.
- The storage space of the staff’s K-disk can be increased for justified reasons, please send the order to ict@oulu.fi. Attach the justification and the permit of the person responsible for the procurement of the unit. A unit is billed for additional space.
- On a K-disk, you can create your own web pages and make them visible on the Internet by adjusting the permission settings. Read more: University Personal WWW home pages (UO) or Oamk (Finnish) Kotisivujen suojaaminen salasanan avulla.
- When you are outside the university network, you can access your home directory with a VPN connection. Read more: FortiClient installation and VPN connection.
K-disk is backed up every day. The storage period for backup recordings is 180 days. In addition, copies of the files are taken, from which users can restore previous versions of the files themselves. These copies are stored for one month.
- You can restore older versions of the file/directory in File Explorer of the K-disk: Properties – Previous versions
Information processing instructions for K-drive:
- Public material allowed
- Internal material allowed
- Confidential material allowed
- Secret material allowed if encrypted. Read more: File encryption.
Linux directory
The Linux directory is backed up on a daily basis. The storage period for backup recordings is 180 days. In addition, previous versions of the files are recovered, from which users themselves can restore the versions they want to use. These copies will be kept for one month.
- You can restore older versions of a file/directory from that directory’s hidden folder .snapshot
Linux users have two separate home directories; one for Linux and one for Windows:
- Linux home directory, so-called HOME: /homedir0X/account
- Windows home directory: /kotidir0X/account
- if necessary, this directory can also be attached by specifying //lipasto/kotidir0X$/account
Windows machines show one or two home directories:
- The Windows directory appears as a K-drive.
- The Linux directory is automatically displayed as an H-drive for users of BMTK (Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine) and TST (Faculty of Information and Electrical Engineering).
- if necessary, the H: drive can be mapped to a Windows machine \\honka\account
Instructions how to move files from one home directory to the other one:
– Moving of the old home pages (http://cc.oulu.fi/~account):
# rename the old one
mv ~/public_html ~/public_html.old
mv /kotidir0X/account/public_html ~/public_html
chmod –R 755 ~/public_html
– Moving of directories from Windows to Linux:
mv /kotidir0X/account/directory ~/directory
chmod –R go-rwx directory
Connecting network drive in Ubuntu 20.04/22.04LTS operating systems:
Connecting network drives is possible with Files application in Ubuntu.
- Open Files application
- Press + Other locations in down left of Files application
- Enter address of network drive in following format: smb://kaappi.oulu.fi/kotidir01$/username (this is just example for an address)
- Press Connect
- Enter the following options for password and security:
Connect as: Registered User
Username: Your staff/student user account in the short form (without any extras)
Domain: UNIV
Password: Your password
You can also select Remember forever if you want to save your password for future use.
Network drive should be now connected. You need university wired network, Eduroam or VPN-connection in order to make network drives to work!
Information processing instructions for home directory:
- Public material allowed
- Internal material allowed
- Confidential material allowed
- Secret material allowed if encrypted. Read more: File encryption.
Google Drive
If you as a university employee or student have enabled Google Workspace for Education service, the cloud storage Google Drive is in your use. If you want to enable the service, the link: Activate the service. For the people of Oamk, this service is automatically enabled.
The service has been known in the past under the names G Suite for Education and Google Apps for Education (GAFE).
The licence to use Google Workspace has been bound to the user account of the university and Shibboleth authentication is used; enter your account in basic form. If you login directly to some part of the service (for example https://drive.google.com/) enter your edu-account which is in form account@edu.oulu.fi.
The storage space is 15 GB and it is in the use of Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos.
Google Drive is personal, but if you want, you can share its content with others. You are administering the user rights of your Google Drive, for example by adding rights to other persons for the time of the collaboration and by removing those rights yourself when they are not needed any more.
In the Google service, there are no traditional backup copies available to ICT Services or the user, so be careful about what you delete or replace.
Information processing instructions for Google Drive:
- Public material allowed
- Internal material allowed with restrictions
- Confidential material allowed with restrictions, encryption recommended. Read more: File encryption.
- Secret material not allowed
External storage media
Flash drives and external hard drives may be connected to the computer’s USB port. However, it should be kept in mind that they might be damaged for some reason. Therefore, do not rely on the flash drive as the only storage place for important files.
Risks of USB thumb drives
The USB memory stick is a convenient tool for transferring files from one computer to another, but there are risks associated with its use. The stick may have an auto-launching malware that can infect your computer and spread the malware in other systems. Due to its small size, a thumb drive can be easily lost, and in this case anyone can read its contents if the data is not encrypted.
- Do not use an unknown memory stick obtained from others!
- Get an encrypted flash drive if you store sensitive material.
- If you find another user’s USB drive at the university, deliver it to the Campus ICT Service Point without examining its contents.
Information processing instructions for external medias:
- Public material allowed
- Internal material allowed, encryption recommended. Read more: File encryption.
- Confidential material allowed if encrypted. Read more: File encryption.
- Secret material allowed if encrypted. Read more: File encryption.