claireadams Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 We have a new member of staff who wants to use dropbox as she's between sites. But she wants to download EVERYTHING she has in there. I've never used it but was wondering if anyone could help with the following q's: 1. Is there actually a need to download it all local rather than just connecting to your account and using it that way? 2. Is there a way to redirect where they all download to? Shes got over 800GB and we just don't put HD's that size in pcs anymore TIA
localzuk Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 I'd say no to Dropbox at the moment, whilst the whole EU Safe Harbor debacle is ongoing. Can you not have the data on your own server, and give remote access to it that way? There's no real need to carry data around with you any more, so long as you have a decent internet connection.
Oaktech Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Quick answer - No. Don't give her the desktop sync client, make her use the website. Explain the reasons - 'We don't have a fat enough pipe and even if we did you've got so much cr@p we'd have to give you your own server and that ain't going to happen' Maybe, be a bit more polite, but you get the gist.
claireadams Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 I Can you not have the data on your own server, and give remote access to it that way? QUOTE] Its her work from another school (she goes betweeen a couple). Whenever I've gone back with no, I'm told to find a way. Basically one of the staff you HAVE to please
themightymrp Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 I use Copy.com instead of Dropbox as the client allows you to exclude files/folders from downloading onto your machine, keeping just a subsection synced (for example a folder called "for work") However, it sounds like she has a paid for account to be holding that much data! I agree with the above - say NO to the client and access via the website
NB9457 Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 800GB? That sounds very excessive and it'd be a definitive no. In fact, I'd even put storage restrictions in place just so they don't try and download it anyway, which they probably will, I've had it in the past. I'd also make a member of SLT or the head aware, just so they can't really put a complaint in against you, which again, they probably will. I've had it all before!
localzuk Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Its her work from another school (she goes betweeen a couple). Whenever I've gone back with no, I'm told to find a way. Basically one of the staff you HAVE to please If its their own stuff, then it is their personal thing to sort out, not yours. It isn't a school's place to facilitate storage of personally owned documents!! Suggest they buy themselves a 1TB external HDD to store it on. It is them who wish to have it local to them, so they have to sort it.
themightymrp Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Whenever I've gone back with no, I'm told to find a way. Tell them "you provide your own laptop with a 1Tb hard drive and you have a deal"
Oaktech Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 I Can you not have the data on your own server, and give remote access to it that way? QUOTE] Its her work from another school (she goes betweeen a couple). Whenever I've gone back with no, I'm told to find a way. Basically one of the staff you HAVE to please It'd still be a no, best I'd give them would be a desktop link to the website. It doesn't help you with the people issue part of this, but to me the technical one is pretty cut and dried.
Norphy Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 DO you have Office 365? She could use OneDrive for Business and use a mapping script to map it as a drive letter?
claireadams Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 800GB? That sounds very excessive and it'd be a definitive no. In fact, I'd even put storage restrictions in place just so they don't try and download it anyway, which they probably will, I've had it in the past. I'd also make a member of SLT or the head aware, just so they can't really put a complaint in against you, which again, they probably will. I've had it all before! Shes SLT... and they've told me to find a solution
localzuk Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Shes SLT... and they've told me to find a solution That's a shame. It appears your only real option is to what is being asked then.
sted Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 800gb of what? My suggestion if you have office 365 is get her to copy the docs to onedrive and use that. But 800gb unless its film/tv/software how
FN-GM Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 You will be safe with Office 365 OneDrive. I would have a look at that. Thanks
sted Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) honestly cheapest easiest solution might be to get her department to buy her a laptop and fit a massive hdd theres no realistic way you can sync that much crud. Id also be pointing out to manglemnt that to sync that much data will have a detrimental effect on t&l as it will tie up your internet for days possibly weeks unless again im thinking out loud you get a nas box with dropbox support and give her a mapped drive to that Edited October 21, 2015 by sted
claireadams Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 We don't have office 365. I'm not allowed to order ANYTHING at the moment and ergh, its all work and we are starting to 'share resources' but noone was prepared for that level of data from just one person
NB9457 Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Yeah, it may be a good idea then to politely raise the issues, explain how you physically don't have the facilities to do what they are requesting, then give them a few options; 1: Buy us a lot more server space! 2: Buy an external HDD 3: Buy a new machine with large storage Although it does seem a pretty awkward situation. Did they mention how they went about using the files at their last school?
CyberNerd Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 probably stacks of copyrighted material owned by the previous school. personally I'd just stick it on GAFE but failing that go for the dropbox method. No point in downloading it.
Oaktech Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Shes SLT... and they've told me to find a solution Ok, my answer would be new laptop with a TPM and bittlocker and a TB+ HDD and the sync client. My reasoning would be the price of a TB+ server HDD plus the backup overhead (it would be literally doubling my backup) would make it the better value option. 1
claireadams Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 Yeah, it may be a good idea then to politely raise the issues, explain how you physically don't have the facilities to do what they are requesting, then give them a few options; 1: Buy us a lot more server space! 2: Buy an external HDD 3: Buy a new machine with large storage Although it does seem a pretty awkward situation. Did they mention how they went about using the files at their last school? It's on a network share at their other place. Which I'd happily do here as we have bags of room but I can't find anywhere that changes where they sync to.
NB9457 Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 It's on a network share at their other place. Which I'd happily do here as we have bags of room but I can't find anywhere that changes where they sync to. As in where dropbox syncs?
claireadams Posted October 21, 2015 Author Posted October 21, 2015 As in where dropbox syncs? Yep. Is it really obvious and I'm missing it? If I could redirect it from the Local drive to a network share problem solved
localzuk Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 Yep. Is it really obvious and I'm missing it? If I could redirect it from the Local drive to a network share problem solved You can, its just in the preferences of Dropbox, under "Account" in the tray application. I have an account I use for sharing code with people and it is on a different drive of mine at home. 2
Norphy Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 We don't have office 365. I'm not allowed to order ANYTHING at the moment and ergh, its all work and we are starting to 'share resources' but noone was prepared for that level of data from just one person Does her other site have Office 365? FWIW, Office 365 is free to anyone who uses EES to license their MS software.
howartp Posted October 21, 2015 Posted October 21, 2015 I use Copy.com instead of Dropbox as the client allows you to exclude files/folders from downloading onto your machine Dropbox does this as well, if that's the way you end up going.
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