One Drive, Large Files and Media/Graphics Students

[cnc]

We are currently facing challenges with managing large files, such as those used in Photoshop, for our Media, Photography, and Graphics courses. This week, we observed two classes where each student was downloading approximately 700MB of photos at the start of the lesson and then re-uploading them at the end. This process is causing significant delays and bandwidth issues.

 

Our Photography and Graphics students, in particular, are spending a considerable amount of time downloading and uploading large files from OneDrive, which is cutting into valuable lesson time. The files are edited locally but need to be uploaded to OneDrive so that students can continue working from home or on other devices.

 

Additionally, we’ve encountered problems with the OneDrive client, particularly with smart sync/files on demand. Some students are logging off before the sync is complete, which means they cannot access their files from home.

 

While reintroducing NAS storage could improve file access speeds, it would mean sacrificing the "Anywhere, Anytime, Any Device" flexibility that cloud storage provides. Providing local USB hard drives to each student has been considered, but the cost and the likelihood of drives being lost or forgotten have been raised as concerns by teachers.

 

Given these challenges, we’re keen to learn how other schools and colleges are handling file storage and management for these types of courses. Any advice or insights you could share would be greatly appreciated.

Edited September 24, 2024 by cnc

[mavhc]

Yeah, onedrive only works properly if you have 1:1 computers. can you at least assign computers so they use the same one each time? Then lock screen instead of logging off to give them time to upload? Assuming the same computers aren't needed right away

 

Are they specific media computers, or just standard?

[cnc]

Hi, these are dedicated Apple Mac Mini’s (desktops).

 

It is fixed IT and each student sits at the same place every lesson to speed up logins etc.

[mavhc]

Oh, no idea how onedrive works on mac, badly I guess

[pete]

Oh, no idea how onedrive works on mac, badly I guess

 

Mostly OK, with occasional inexplicable annoyances (MFA re-prompting after X days in conjunction with number-matching is unreliable in the current version).

 

So more or less like Windows.

[mavhc]

Do you have "download files as you use them" or "download all onedrive files now"?

[cnc]

Like Pete says, not much difference between the Mac and Windows versions.

 

We use "files on demand" enabled on the sync client but they are too impatient to check when the files have synced back again and often log off before it has finished...then wonder why the files aren't there when they log on at home.

They also struggle with resolving sync issues on the client if it throws up an error.

 

They have been using the web browser for direct access access to OneDrive to negate any sync issues on the desktop client...I guess at least they can see the files in the web browser they know they will be available at home.

 

Just wondering if there is a better way or has anybody tried and moved away from OneDrive to other solutions??

[E_G_R2]

what software are they using? Creative cloud will store the files in the cloud for them then they will be available anywhere.

[mavhc]

If you switch to download all files now at least you've stopped the 700MB sync at the start.

 

How much is faster internet?

 

Can they leave the computers logged in to finish uploading?

[cnc]

what software are they using? Creative cloud will store the files in the cloud for them then they will be available anywhere.

 

Yes Adobe CC.

 

Did Adobe not recently remove their cloud storage or start charging separately for it?

 

I may need to revisit this as that sounds like a potential solution.

Edited September 24, 2024 by cnc

[psydii]

Seating plans, Files on Demand, and a fast network/internet connection. Works fine for us. Maybe once a month student "can't find some files they uploaded last lesson" - because they are sat at a different computer.

 

Teachers also structure their lessons to get files uploaded continuously through out the lesson rather than in one big surge at the end.

 

We have enough media heavy subjects that even with a FC-backed NAS's we could struggle to cope if media and photography and design waited until the end of a lesson to save their work/copy over the sdcards, so teachers were already used to spreading the load.