ARCHIVED: IU Box retirement FAQ

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Important:
Deleting your FromBox folder prior to your migration being completed will lead to data loss. To determine if your migration has been completed, see Have I already been migrated?

On this page:


About the IU Box migration

Why are we retiring IU Box in spring of 2021?

Box is dramatically raising its prices and is ending its unlimited storage offering. IU has existing contracts with Microsoft and Google, so this move will be a better use of university resources.

Because there is a time crunch, and because IU has a large amount of data in Box, UITS needs to start moving data now. At proven speeds, migrating all of IU's data will take longer than four months.

To minimize potential disruptions to the fall and spring semesters, and to complete the migration by the end of IU's contract, UITS is aiming to move as much data out of Box during the summer as possible. UITS estimates that 95% of IU's Box data will be migrated this summer.

What is the timeline for this retirement and when was I notified?

  • March 4, 2020: UITS began communicating this change to IT Pros.
  • March-May 2020: UITS began surveying users about their preferred service for non-institutional files.
  • May 22, 2020: Find your Drive survey closed, and migrations of non-institutional files began.
  • May 31, 2020: Uploader permissions were disabled in IU Box. Users who have used this permission level were notified May 19.
  • June 1, 2020: UITS began sending one-week notices to each user who will be migrated.
    • Migration of non-institutional content will take about four months.
    • After your migration, your files in Box that have been migrated will become read-only.
    • You will retain editing access to files in accounts that have not been migrated.
  • September 10, 2020: UITS began surveying group account, Box Entrusted Data Account, and Organizational Account owners about the destination service and location of top-level Box folders owned by these accounts.
  • October 10, 2020: Group account, BEDA, and OA Box migration survey due.
  • October 11, 2020: Migration of group accounts began.
  • November 2020 through December 2020: BEDA and OA Box accounts were moved.
  • November 20, 2020: UITS began surveying owners of IU Health folders about the destination location within Microsoft Secure Storage for Box Health folders. Note: Google Secure Storage is an option, but migrations to this destination will not be done automatically.
  • January 8, 2021: Box Health survey will be due.
  • January 11, 2021: Box Health migrations will begin.
  • March 1, 2021: User accounts will become read-only; you will no longer be able to edit or upload files in Box, but you will be able to view and download files until May 10, 2021.
  • May 10, 2021: IU Box will be disabled for all users. You will no longer have access to files stored in Box.

UITS has communicated information about this migration via email and other channels. UITS also posted information about the migration on legacy websites that are no longer maintained.

Why were Microsoft OneDrive at IU and Microsoft Teams at IU chosen as the default, and how will files in Box be migrated?

OneDrive and Microsoft Teams were chosen as the default storage solution because they best align with IU email and telephony infrastructure.

UITS has contracted with a company called SkySync to migrate Box data. If you did not choose Google at IU My Drive during the open survey, the default location for your non-institutional data will be Microsoft OneDrive at IU. After your data is copied from Box, you can move files between OneDrive and Google My Drive.

Institutional data will be migrated at a later time. For more about steps you should take to prevent institutional data from moving to OneDrive or Google My Drive, see What do I need to do? below.

Important:
Microsoft OneDrive at IU and Google at IU My Drive are not appropriate for institutional file storage. For more, see 1. Choose a storage solution below.

Can my migration be delayed, or can my department pay for Box so I can continue using it?

Due to technical constraints, UITS cannot delay migrations of individuals' files. If you're concerned about interruptions to projects due to individual account migrations, you may prevent your institutional files from being migrated at this time. See What do I need to do? below.

Retiring IU Box also means retiring IU's Box tenant, which ultimately means all data needs to be migrated even if your department paid for Box on their own. If departments decided to purchase Box, they would need to submit a You do not have sufficient permission to view this document. for review, and they would become responsible for administrating Box for their staff. Additionally, secondary non-IU accounts would need to be used to sign into this new Box instance, and Single Sign-On (SSO) would no longer be supported.

When will my files be migrated? How much time do I have?

One week before your files will be moved to OneDrive or Google My Drive, you will receive an email notification; the end of that week is your deadline. UITS strongly recommends organizing your files now, however, to avoid rushing during that week.

Migrations for individuals' files began May 22, 2020. UITS cannot provide specific days or times for migrations. System administrators are moving a certain amount of data per day, rather than a certain number of users per day.

Institutional files, such as Box Health data, will be migrated per the timeline.

What do I need to do?

Individual data migration

Migrations for individuals' files began May 22, 2020. UITS cannot provide specific days or times for migrations. System administrators are moving a certain amount of data per day, rather than a certain number of users per day. UITS recommends you do the following before you receive the one-week notice for your individual file migration:

  • Determine which of your files are institutional files and which are an individual's files. For help, see 2. Determine whether you're storing institutional data
  • Move any institutional files to Box folders owned by a non-individual account. Contact your IT Pro for help. If you don't have an IT Pro, contact the UITS Support Center.
  • Delete unnecessary files and remove yourself from files or folders that you don't want or need to access.
  • Do not move files in Box to OneDrive or Google My Drive yourself. UITS's migration tool will ensure that your Box file-sharing permissions and folder structure will be maintained in the new service. If you start moving now, you could end up with multiple copies of your files.

Institutional data migration

Before your group or organizational account is migrated, UITS recommends you do the following:

1. Choose a storage solution

What service does UITS recommend for workflows I used to perform in IU Box (hiring, audits, inventories, etc.)?

Due to the vast number of workflows used by different departments, UITS can't provide a "one-size-fits-all" recommendation. For help determining which service best suits your needs, see:

For further assistance, consult your IT Pro or contact the Support Center.

2. Determine whether you're storing institutional data

Where your files should migrate to depends on the type of files they are. As you are reviewing your content in Box, ask yourself:

  • Do these files include sensitive institutional information (such as restricted or critical data)? If so, they are institutional files and should be moved to Box folders owned by a non-individual account before migration.
  • Will these files be needed by someone else at IU (such as my department) if I change positions or leave IU? If so, they are institutional files and should be moved to Box folders owned by a non-individual account before migration.
  • Are these files unique to me (for example, family photos)? If so, they are an individual's files.

Institutional files should be stored in non-individual storage locations in the following services:

Note:
You do not need to manually move files to the following services. More information is forthcoming about migrations of institutional files. For actions to take now, see What do I need to do? above.
  • Google at IU Shared Drives
  • Microsoft Teams at IU
  • SharePoint Online
  • Google at IU Secure Storage
  • Microsoft at IU Secure Storage

An individual's files should be stored in an individual account in the following services:

  • Microsoft OneDrive at IU
  • Google at IU My Drive

Institutional files are stored in services that will not delete the files when you change positions or leave IU, ensuring that those who will need to access those files will still have it.

An individual's files are stored in services that will delete the content once the account owner has left IU.

Note:
Institutional data should not be stored in Microsoft OneDrive at IU or Google at IU My Drive, even if the storage space is associated with a group account, except in very specific exceptional cases (see Where will existing Canvas Box folders be migrated?). This varies from how institutional data was handled in Box. While, in Box, standard group accounts could be used for institutional data, in Microsoft Storage and Google Storage, specific institutional storage locations should be used instead.

Where the files are stored has no impact on and is entirely unrelated to legal ownership. For more about intellectual property at IU, see about Copyright & Intellectual Property.

See also:

3. If you're storing institutional data, complete the necessary form

Complete the Institutional storage request form.

4. Access your files from a web browser, a file explorer, or both

For detailed instructions on accessing and managing your files in the Microsoft Storage and Google Storage environments, see:

Box Health migrations

Box Health data is being migrated to Microsoft Secure Storage. A survey will be sent out to designated owners of Box Health folders per the timeline, allowing the owners to select the Microsoft Secure Storage location to which folders should be migrated. Box Health folder owners can view the folders assigned to them at the Box Health Impact List in Tableau. If you need to change ownership of a folder or designate a different co-owner as the owner of the folder, contact contact Tier 2.

Additional information and support

Before migration

How can I prepare for the migration?

Before your data is migrated, UITS recommends that you:

  • Move any institutional files to Box folders owned by a non-individual account. See 2. Determine whether you're storing institutional data.
  • Delete unnecessary files and remove yourself from shared files and folders that you no longer want to access.
  • Do not move files from Box to OneDrive or Google My Drive before or during the migration. UITS's migration tool will ensure that your Box file-sharing permissions and folder structures are preserved in the new service. If you move files or folders manually before your migration, you may end up with duplicate files, and will need to set permissions manually.

Can I still get a Box group account if I don't already have one for my team, group, or department?

No.

Can I see which of my individual Box account files will be migrated in the first stage?

To do so:

  1. Log into Box @ IU using your individual IU username and passphrase.
  2. Locate the search options icon in the search box at the top of the screen.
  3. For "File Type", select Folders. In the "Owner" field, enter your username.
  4. Execute your search by clicking on the search icon in the search box.
  5. Your folders to be migrated during the first stage of migration will display. Review the list, and identify folders that need to be moved to a non-individual Box account to prevent migration as part of this phase.

Will file versions be migrated?

Yes. Full file version sets will be migrated. OneDrive and Google My Drive may manage versioning differently than Box; more details will be provided soon.

What privacy protections are in place for my data?

As with other IT service contracts, IU's contracts with Microsoft and Google include privacy protections that prevent the unauthorized (and unlawful) access, sharing, or monetization of IU data stored on these cloud services. IU's contracts provide greater privacy protections than the user agreement for your personal (non-IU) Google or Microsoft accounts. For more, visit Protect data shared with cloud services and other third parties.

During migration

Will I be able to access my files during migration?

During the migration, you may continue to access and modify files within Box; however, you should wait until you have received a notice via email that your migration is complete before modifying any files already migrated into OneDrive or Google My Drive.

After migration

Have I already been migrated?

Once your account is migrated, you will receive a notification and migration summary in email.

After my migration, where can I find my files and folders?

Your data will be moved into a new folder on OneDrive or Google Drive named FromBox.

The original versions of your data will also be retained in a read-only state on Box. They will be in a folder named <your name> (<your IU email address>) Files and Folders (for example, Jane Doe (janedoe@iu.edu) Files and Folders). This folder will be owned by an administrative container called "Box Hold". If you have chosen not to automatically accept incoming Box collaboration invitations, you'll have to manually accept the invitation to this folder.

After my migration, can I have my data moved to a different storage solution?

No. Because IU is being charged by the amount of content moved, UITS will not perform automated migrations once a migration has been completed.

You can use IU Cloud Storage to manually move content to another service if desired; see Use an IUanyWare virtual desktop to migrate files between IU Cloud Storage services. If you have concerns, staff should contact their departmental IT Pros; others should contact the Support Center.

If I deleted my FromBox folder, can I recover it?

Important:
Deleting your FromBox folder prior to your migration being completed will lead to data loss. To determine if your migration has been completed, see Have I already been migrated?

For information about recovering deleted files in OneDrive or Google Drive, see:

Will I need to inform collaborators when my files are migrated?

Yes. Although permissions will be migrated and collaborators will continue to have access, only the owner may see an email notification about access to migrated files.

What will happen to co-owned files?

Files will be moved based on their ownership in Box. Co-owned files always have an actual owner; thus, co-owned files will be migrated at the same time as the other files belonging to that owner.

Will my folder, file, and sharing permissions be the same after the migration?

Yes, mostly.

Important:
Permissions granted via an Active Directory group synced with Box will be preserved only if you are migrating to Microsoft OneDrive at IU. If you are migrating to Google at IU My Drive, Active Directory group permissions will not be preserved.
  • Neither service can be used as a "drop box" or with uploader-only permissions; as a result, these permissions will not migrate.
  • External shared links will not work after your files are migrated; you will need to re-share your content once your files are moved. Any external links within documents will become invalid.
  • Due to technical limitations, pending collaborations will not be migrated.
    Note:
    Any change in permissions will be logged within "Flagged Share" in your post-migration report.

How will permissions be carried over from IU Box to OneDrive and Google My Drive?

Box OneDrive Google My Drive
Co-Owner Full Editor
Editor Read write Editor
Previewer Uploader Read write Editor
Previewer Read Viewer
Viewer Read Viewer
Viewer Uploader Read write Editor

How can I imitate Box "Uploader" permissions in OneDrive and Google My Drive?

See Use Microsoft or Google Forms to receive uploaded files.

Will OneDrive and Google My Drive integrate with Canvas the same way Box did?

Currently, Google My Drive is integrated with Canvas. Instructors can link to Google My Drive documents in Pages and Assignments. Students can submit from Google if the faculty member allows Google My Drive submissions. Instructors also can create direct assignments in Google with Google Assignments. For more, see:

UITS is developing a custom Google integration in Canvas for course folders to replicate the Box Course Folders tool.

A Canvas integration for Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is available, but testing has shown it to be less than satisfactory, so UITS has chosen not to enable it. Microsoft has been working on an integration of Microsoft Teams that may provide a better experience. When the integration is released, UITS will test it and potentially enable it in Canvas. Microsoft Teams meetings are integrated already in Canvas, but they do not facilitate file sharing.

Where will existing Canvas Box folders be migrated?

Existing Canvas Box folders will be migrated to a dedicated group account's Google My Drive. For more information, see You do not have sufficient permission to view this document..

Can I maintain a Box account associated with my IU email address for collaborations outside of IU?

If you need to maintain a Box account that's associated with your IU email address (for school- or work-related collaborations outside of Indiana University), you can convert your IU Box account to a personal "lite" account hosted by Box.com. To request conversion of your IU Box account, fill out and submit the Convert your IU Box account to a Box.com account form before June 30, 2021. For more, see ARCHIVED: Create a Box.com account with your IU email address.

What happens to my files when I retire?

When you retire from IU, what happens to your data depends on your status and the storage service.

  • Faculty: Retired faculty have access to both Google and Microsoft, so they will retain access to data in either location.
  • Staff: Retired staff retain access to Google, but because they are not licensed for , they do not retain access to OneDrive. For this reason, retired staff will have their Box accounts migrated to Google regardless of their choice on the Box survey. There is an exception for retirees who maintain an active status (for example, "Hourly"); such retirees will still have access to and can have their Box data migrated there.

If I have a question that is not answered here, what do I do next?

Contact the Support Center for further assistance.

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Last modified on 2021-12-06 15:55:03.