Introduction

This page provides information about some commonly used data storage options available to Leiden University staff. Please see the Research Data Services Catalogue for more detailed information about the different storage locations for research data. Also, please consult with your Data Steward if you have any questions concerning research data storage.

Common Data Storage Options

J-Drive

The J-drive is the university's network drive. Storage size could be unlimited (but costs may be involved, see Microsoft OneDrive – Research Data Services) and the data is stored safely. Using the J-drive is recommended for storing research data. A drawback when working with data on the J-drive (for example during analysis) is the processing speed.

J-drive Access

Access via Windows or Linux

To access J-drive from an unmanaged Windows or Linux PC, please follow this link

Access via macOS

J-drive is also called Campus Folder in macOS terminology. On a mac, J-drive can be safely accessed using SMB (Server Message Block), through Finder. Before you can access the Campus Folder, make sure your mac is connected to eduVPN, as the J-drive is only available on the university network.

1. In Finder, press ⌘-K (Connect to Server under Go in menubar)

2. Type smb://ULCN@vuw.leidenuniv.nl/public , replacing ULCN with your username (for example, visserb)and add it to 'Favourite Servers' for easy access in the future.

3. Enter your password and click 'Connect'.

Please note that this method usually works well, but may experience stability issues occasionally.

Local folder

A local folder on a PC is a folder that is stored directly on your computer's internal hard drive, rather than on a cloud service or a remote network. Data stored on a local folder is not automatically backed-up and storage size is limited to the PCs storage limit. Storing data on a local folder can be useful when processing speed is relevant or your data demands a non-cloud location.

OneDrive

OneDrive is a personal cloud storage service to store, synchronize and share files. Leiden University students and staff have a storage space of 1TB on OneDrive. It is generally not recommended to store research data on OneDrive.

How to setup OneDrive  

When logging in for the first time on a PC, OneDrive needs to be set up. Open the OneDrive desktop app and sign in with your email address. You will be redirected to sign in with ULCN@vuw.leidenuniv.nl. When signup is completed, you will be asked to confirm or change the location of your OneDrive folder. Next, start backup of the folders documents, pictures and desktop on your PC to synch them with OneDrive. After a successful setup, you will see your (shared) OneDrive folders in the file explorer.

SurfDrive

SurfDrive is a personal cloud storage service to store, synchronize and share files. SurfDrive has however limited storage space and the usage of SurfDrive by students is limited.

How to setup NextCloud 

Nextcloud is the desktop app of SurfDrive that allows to sync files directly from your local file explorer. Setup Nextcloud by starting the Nextcloud Desktop App and selecting “Login”. Enter the following SURFdrive server address: https://surfdrive.surf.nl . After pressing “Next”, you will be redirected to the webpage where you will be asked to login with your SURFdrive credentials (ULCN account) and grant access to the Account. Finally, return to the Nextcloud App and indicate how you want to synchronize your files and to which local folder. Important: do NOT install Nextcloud sync inside a Onedrive folder – conflicting synchronization processes can lead to deletion of files.  

You have the following options for file synchronization: 

• Synchronize everything from the server  
• Choose which files to sync 
• Use virtual files instead of downloading them immediately. 

Once successfully installed, you will see the Nextcloud folder in your file explorer and you can access your (shared) SurfDrive folders there.

Working with cloud storage locations

Files and folders on cloud storage locations (OneDrive and SurfDrive) can have different status icons, the main ones are explained below: 

	This file/folder exists online only. It does not take up space on the device and downloads only when you open it. Working with files that are available online-only is generally slow.
	This file/folder is synced and available offline. It is stored on your device and backed up in the cloud. Working with files that are available offline is generally fast.
	This file/folder is always kept offline on the device. Changes to the folder/files will be synced to the cloud in the background. Working with files that are available offline is generally fast.

If you encounter processing speed issues, make sure that the folders or files that you are working with are set to “Always keep on this device” to allow SurfDrive/OneDrive to keep a full copy on the C-drive. This will ensure the best performance. Note that you will be limited to the storage space available on the PC's C-drive. To enable this setting, right click on the file/folder and select “Always keep on this device". A green status icon will appear for files that have this setting turned on.