CloudStor Decommissioning

CloudStor Decommissioning: 15 December 2023

AARNet has advised that it will be decommissioning its CloudStor file storage services (including Sync & Share, SWAN, & S3) on Friday, 15 December 2023. 
Their service for sending large files will remain available as a standalone service, FileSender.

Important information is available on the AARNet CloudStor Decommission page.

How does this impact you?

Any files or data you need that are currently hosted on CloudStor needs to be moved to another location before 15 December 2023.

You can use the Request All My Data function when you log in to CloudStor to get a zip file of all your data and automatically close your account. AARNet is running free CloudStor Decommission Clinics for users, the next one is on 30 October 2023.

What happens next?

  • ITDS is working to implement an alternative service with similar features to CloudStor, which should be available to Western Research community by the end of October 2023. Keep an eye out for details of this new service.
  • SharePoint, OneDrive and DF Shares are available now for staff who can move their files to one of those platfoms. Use the CloudStor Decision Tree to work out which is most suitable for you.

Does SharePoint or OneDrive work for you?

Western uses Microsoft Office 365 for all of its desktop needs and is available for all staff.  Like you, O365 works everywhere, across devices.

SharePoint is a great option for storing and sharing files securely. There are currently no capacity limits, you can access it from anywhere with your Western  ID and password. It is a recommended secure option, where you can share files, and it allows file synchronization and cloud backup as well. Sharing to non-WSU collaborators is also possible, via a request to the IT Service Desk.

See our step-by-step guide for migrating from CloudStor to Sharepoint.

OneDrive is another tool that all staff have at their disposal. You can store up to 5TB of data, and you can request more storage if you need to. OneDrive is similar to SharePoint, but is tied to an individual's Western Account, so it is more suited to storing files that belong to an individual rather than a team. When a staff member leaves Western, their OneDrive will become inaccessible after some time.

Remember - ITDS is deploying a new solution that may be better suited to research users, anticipated to be available by late October 2023.

Try using the CloudStor Decision Tree to help determine the most suitable location for your files and IT Service Desk for more complex scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Have a question? Perhaps these FAQs will help you along. We will continue to develop these as we get closer to the decommissioning date.

I've finished using Cloudstor and don't need anything still there, do I need to do anything?

If you have already downloaded your data or no longer require your CloudStor user account, use the AARNet Delete My Account tool to have your account disabled and queued for deletion.

Any data you have not downloaded by 15 December 2023 will become inaccessible after that date.

I'm using CloudStor as a permanent repository for openly shared data sets.

These data sets should be moved to the WSU Library Research Direct service.

I run processing on my CloudStor files.

The new solution being delivered by ITDS may provide this functionality.

Alternatively there are free storage and processing allocations available via Intersect, contact the IT Service Desk.

Will FileSender be decommissioned?

No; AARNet will continue to offer FileSender as a stand-alone service for transferring large files online.

Is there a replacement for CloudStor?

AARNet does not offer a replacement for CloudStor.

ITDS is working to implement a new solution, that should be in place by the end of October.

Will my files be moved automatically?

No

When will I lose access to my files on CloudStor?

15 December 2023

I'm confused about all the options.

Try using the CloudStor Decision Tree to help determine the most suitable location for your files.

Contact the IT Service Desk if you have a more complex scenario.