OneDrive (institutional) with Encrypted Data
McMaster OneDrive is a file hosting service and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its Office suite of software.
Medium and High risk data can be stored on the institutional OneDrive if it is manually encrypted.
OneDrive data is encrypted while in transit and at rest on OneDrive servers. Medium and High risk data must be manually encrypted before being uploaded to OneDrive.
1 TB, up to 5 TB by request
Free for all McMaster faculty, staff and students
100 GB
Ongoing real-time sync.
Unlimited version history.
OneDrive and Teams data is stored in Canadian servers.
Files and folders can be shared with other oneDrive users or groups, with differing levels of permissions. Files and folders can also be shared externally with links. Microsoft Office documents can be worked on collaboratively.
Medium and High risk data can be stored online in Ondrive provided it has been encrypted, either file by file or using an encrypted virtual disk.
McMaster OneDrive: https://office365.mcmaster.ca/office-365-3/applications/ms-onedrive/
OneDrive is administered by UTS
McMaster users can login to office365.mcmaster.ca or office.ca with their MacID and password to access OneDrive online or download the desktop app.
Low
Web portal, desktop syncing integration for Mac, Windows, and Linux as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS.
MacDrive with Encrypted Data
MacDrive is a customized McMaster version of Seafile, which is an open source EFSS (Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing) solution, similar to Dropbox. It allows people and teams to store files on a central server and access them via a web interface or client on a device. These can be desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. All copies are automatically synchronized whenever one of the copies is modified. Files are easily accessible, and can be quickly and securely shared.
Encryption must be used for high risk data.
MacDrive 'Libraries' or folders can be encrypted online and locked with a password. Data downloaded to a device is stored unencrypted. High risk data must be manually encrypted before being uploaded to MacDrive.
300 GB
Free for staff & faculty, students must be invited.
n/a
Ongoing real-time sync. 4-month version history. Full Library restore through UTS.
Replicated clusters in Gilmour Hall and JHE
Files and folders can be shared with other MacDrive users or MacDrive groups, with differing levels of permissions. Files and folders can also be shared externally with links for download. Folders can be set up so that files can be uploaded by non-users.
Medium and High risk data can be stored on MacDrive using encrypted folders or individually encrypted files or virtual drives. Research participants, interviewers, or data collecters can upload documents to an encrypted folder without having access to the rest of the folder's contents.
MacDrive: https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/
Documentation: https://goo.gl/AvRGwx
MacDrive is administered by UTS
Faculty & Staff must request access by contacting UTS. Student accounts can be requested by their supervisor by contacting UTS.
Low
Web portal, Seafile apps provides desktop syncing integration for Mac, Windows, and Linux as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS.
FRDR
The Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR) is a National Data repository. Any researcher affiliated with a Canadian institution can deposit data into FRDR. The platform can efficiently ingest datasets of any size, and preservation processing is done automatically. Data professionals from the Portage Network and institutions across Canada work with researchers to curate and approve deposited items. FRDR also provides powerful functionality to search for Canadian research data. The search tool aggregates metadata from numerous repositories.
FRDR should not be used to store medium or high risk data. Data from research with human participants must be de-identified or anonymized before upload.
1TB by default, more available upon request
Free
n/a
Regular backups and geographically distributed storage for research data. FRDR aims for secure repository storage for a minimum of 10 years after deposit
Data storage is spread across multiple Compute Canada Federation hosting sites.
All data deposited into FRDR is publicly available, although deposits can be embargoed for up to 1 year. Collaborators can be added to data submissions.
FRDR is designed to provide a repository platform for all Canadian researchers. FRDR is an excellent choice for depositing large research datasets, and provides curation, discovery, and preservation services.
Email support@frdr-dfdr.ca for help directly or contact us at rdmgmt@mcmaster.ca for help getting started.
Documentation on how to deposit data can be found on the FRDR webpage.
Medium
Web portal, data transfer uses Globus.
McMaster based custom solution
McMaster staff can work with you to distill your needs and find or build a solution that matches. Does your project have special ethical, legal, or commercial requirements? Are you working with an Indigenous community? Does your data need special security provisions? We can help to ensure your data is securely stored and backed up, and that all special requirements are met.
Variable.
Potentially unlimited
Variable. No cost for consultations.
n/a
Variable.
Canada, unless otherwise required.
Variable
Complex projects that require special treatment precluding the use of commercial storage platforms.
Visit our RDM website at library.mcmaster.ca/services/rdm
Contact us at rdmgmt@mcmaster.ca
Our work starts with an initial consultation where we will discuss your needs and see if there is an available platform that can meet them. If not, we will discuss how to build the custom solution for your project.
Low - High
Variable.