Data Storage Feature Considerations

Consider these factors for research data storage options:

1. Determine WVU data risk classification
   Use the Internal Data Repositories page to identify the WVU data risk classification for the data you are planning to use/store in your research. Data risk is a key factor in determining available storage options.
2. Estimate Total Space (in Terabytes or TB)
   You will need to estimate the amount of data storage needed during your research project. Some WVU storage options have total size limitations so having an estimate will better guide you to the right data storage solution.
3. Verify Data Agreements
   If your research involves data agreements, verify if it contains any special data compliance or protection requirements that would move otherwise medium-risk data to the high-risk category.

Other Considerations

Storage solutions such as DropBox, external hard drives, and USB drives are not secure, reliable and therefore not approved storage solutions for primary copies of research data, and in many cases will not be approved for funded research data due to institutional data classification and protection requirements.

Choose one of the WVU approved storage plans to ensure support. Storage plans not on the approved list must go through ITS approvals during the Procurement Process and exception approvals are rare, particularly if there is an approved storage solution that will work.

Purchases made on PCards do not include this review, and could pose risk and will in many cases (federally funded research) not be permitted for research use.

Regulatory Compliance/Institutional InfoSec Compliance

Requirements such as HIPAA, NIST 800-171, FISMA, CMMC, and FERPA will reduce the available storage plan options. Compliant data storage plans will also have restrictions on adding collaborators sharing, transfer, access and downloading data. Request a consultation for information on compliant storage plans.

Cloud vs. On Premise

Cloud storage

Data is stored with a cloud provider in data centers managed by the vendor. WVU manages agreements with vendors who provide cloud services to ensure data is protected as needed. Some benefits of cloud storage are accessibility (the data can be accessed from anywhere), scalability (if additional storage is needed), and availability (most large cloud providers offer 99.9% uptime).

The WVU cloud storage plans offer remote access without having to use a VPN. WVU offers compliance for cloud options. An managed computer is not needed to access the data but may be required if the research is federally funded to comply with institutional policy for medium risk data and pending cyber security regulatory requirements.

• Microsoft 365 OneDrive
  • OneDrive is fully managed by the PI, and is appropriate for storing unfunded research data with no compliance requirements.
  • PIs can add students and external parties to OneDrive.
  • Cost-effective for data requirements less than 2TB.
• Microsoft 365 SharePoint Site
  • SharePoint sites are managed by ITS and can be configured for sensitive data compliance and used for either funded or unfunded research.
  • Folders for non-sensitive data can be managed by the PI after initial setup.
  • Cost-effective for data requirements less than 2TB.
• Google Workspace
  • Google Workspace is fully managed by the PI and can be used for unfunded research with no compliance requirements.
  • PIs can add students and external parties to Google Workspace
  • Cost-effective for data requirements less than 5TB.
• WVU SURE (Secure University Research Environment)  ^{Coming in 2025}
  • This service will support research projects requiring compliance with federal regulations, using large data sets, needing scalability, and requiring cloud-based services. 
  • Request a consultation for more information.

On-Premise Plans

Data is stored at WVU and managed by WVU ITS. On-premise storage plans require that the researcher be on site at the WVU location with access to the WVU enterprise network. The VPN may be able to be used for access for some on-premise systems. For funded research, the storage plan must be managed by WVU ITS or an approved departmental storage plan.

• HSC Y Drive
  • HIPAA compliant
  • Funded or unfunded research requiring less that 2TB of storage
  Changes are coming for the Y Drive in 2026

  Current Y Drive users will continue to use this service for now and new accounts can be created. Additional details about the Y drive replacement to follow.

• WVCTSI Isilon
  • HIPAA compliant
  • Funded research requiring storage over 2TB of data
• WVU Data Depot
  Data Depot is being replaced

  Data Depot is being phased out in 2026. Current users will need to migrate. No new users are being added to Data Depot. New Users should see Research Vault for a new, improved service of this kind.

• Funded or unfunded research data
• Cost-effective option for datasets over 2TB
• Backup is not provided with this plan.
• Research Vault
  • Funded or unfunded research
  • Required, Default data storage location for low and medium risk data
  • Includes regular data snapshots, replication and backups by default
  • Initial 5 TB per researcher provided at no charge—additional amounts are available at a cost per TB/Year—must be requested
  • Storage allocated in 1 TeraByte (TB) minimums
• Department Servers
  • Not sensitive-data compliant
  • Funded or unfunded research
    • Storing funded research on department servers requires approval
  • Shared Research Services
    • Varying options
  • Off-Network Storage
  • Approved storage for funded research with compliance requirements that WVU cannot meet
  • Requires approval 

Sharing/Transferring

• Data Sharing - Same Copy of the Data During Research
  • Adding external collaborators to high-risk data storage plans must be managed by ITS and may not be possible depending on the plan
• Data Transfer - Providing a Copy of the Data During Research
  • High-risk storage plans do not permit PIs to download data and transfer it to others
    • WVU SURE (coming soon) will have this feature
  • ITS offers transfer services for high-risk data
  • Low to medium-risk plans either permit downloading the data, providing access to a third party, or offer a service such as Globus to transfer data
  • There are multiple options for collaboration for low to medium-risk data plans depending on the plan and the data

Backup/Archival

All storage plans, except for the Data Depot, offer backup services. Archival after research should be a significant consideration as good practice following the NIST Rdaf. Funded research will have requirements for depositing the data in a specific repository. PIs should delete data that is no longer needed or request that it be deposited in an internal secondary data repository (if one is available). Retaining data that is not needed may increase the costs for the PI or the department in the future.

Data Repositories

Funded research will have requirements for depositing the data in a specific repository. Also, there are additional repositories available, some internal and some external to WVU.

Active research repositories and registries:

• WVU Libraries
  WVU Libraries has information about available repository resources.
• WVU Health System (WVU Medicine) have registries and secondary-data repositories that require approval from the WVU Health System before using the data for research. Contact the owner of the repository and include documentation indicating permission to use the data for research while completing the Research Data Protection process.
• WVCTSI
• WVU Shared Research Resources