Where can I store my files?

Body

Pitt offers several file storage options. Use the table below to find the best fit and contact the Technology Help Desk to get started.

Quick Info

Just need somewhere to put your files? Use OneDrive. It's free up to 5 TB. Every student, staff, and faculty member already has it.

Need more space? Staff and faculty can request a share on Pitt Digital's Dell PowerScale for $175/TB/year.

File Storage Options

Storage option Best used for Location How to access Works with restricted data?* [1] Features
AWS S3 Large data needs (>10 TB) Cloud Globus website [2]
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

Any S3-compatible client		 Yes,
after review and approval		 Lifecycle rules (auto-move to colder tiers)

Programmatic/API access for pipelines
    Deep Archive Long-term storage of files you don't use but need to keep
    Instant Retrieval Files you rarely use but still need immediate access to
    Standard Files you are actively using

Cloud-native workloads in AWS
Azure Blob [3] Large data needs (>10 TB) Cloud Globus website
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

Any Azure blob-compatible client		 Yes,
after review and approval		 Lifecycle rules (auto-move to colder tiers)

Programmatic/API access for pipelines
    Cold tier Files you rarely use
    Hot tier Files you are actively using

Cloud-native workloads in Azure
CRCD [4] Computational research data Pitt's data center [5] Globus website
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

CRCD compute clusters		 Yes,
after review and approval		 Connected to the CRCD's high-performance computing systems

File protection with point-in-time snapshots
Dell PowerScale General purpose file storage Pitt's data center [5] Globus website
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

Windows (SMB)

Mac (SMB)

Linux (NFS)		 Yes,
after review and approval		 File protection with point-in-time snapshots

High-speed access on the campus network

Ransomware protection

Works with CDS groups [6]
    Standard tier Files you often use
    Warm tier Files you rarely use
Google Cloud Large data needs (>10 TB) Cloud Globus website
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

Any GCP-compatible client

Any S3-compatible client		 Yes,
after review and approval		 Lifecycle rules (auto-move to colder tiers)

Programmatic/API access for pipelines
    Standard tier Files you are actively using

Cloud-native workloads in GCP
Microsoft OneDrive [7] Your personal work files

<5 TB of files		 Cloud Globus website [8][9]
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

OneDrive website [10]
Desktop app (Windows, Mac)
Mobile app (iOS, Android)		 Yes,
after review and approval		 Available to all students, staff, and faculty

Easy file sharing

File version history

Recycle bin
Microsoft SharePoint [11] Your team's shared files

<25 TB of files		 Cloud Globus website [12]
Desktop app (Windows, Linux, Mac)

SharePoint website [13]
Desktop app (Windows, Mac)
Mobile app (iOS, Android)		 Yes,
after review and approval		 Easy file sharing

File version history

Real-time co-editing of files

Recycle bin

Works with Pitt CDS groups [6]

* What kind of files are permitted depends on your data's classification. See the data classification and compliance guide [1] for information.

Costs

Storing files may incur a monthly fee based on your usage. Some platforms also charge per file uploaded and downloaded. On these, bundling small files into a single zip reduces your cost.

Storage option Storage Cost Upload and download cost
by number of files (per 100,000)		 Upload and download cost
by size (per TB)		 How to get started
AWS S3       Staff and faculty:

Contact the Technology Help Desk
    Deep Archive $1/TB/month +
$20/month infrastructure fees		 Download: $2.50

Upload: $5		 Download:
    Restore: $2.50/TB

    Network transfer: $92/TB

Upload: Free
    Instant Retrieval $4/TB/month +
$20/month infrastructure fees		 Download: $1

Upload: $2		 Download:
    Files restored instantly: $31/TB

    Network transfer: $92/TB

Upload: Free
    Standard $24/TB/month + 
$20/month infrastructure fees		 Download: $0.04

Upload: $0.50		 Download:
    Network transfer: $92/TB

Upload: Free
Azure Blob       Staff and faculty:

Contact the Technology Help Desk
    Cold tier $3.50/TB/month Download: $1.00

Upload: $1.67		 Download: $28.50/TB

Upload: Free

Network transfer fees are waived on Azure
    Hot tier $18.50/TB/month Download: $0.05

Upload: $0.65		 Download: Free

Upload: Free

Network transfer fees are waived on Azure
CRCD See [4] Free Free Staff and faculty:

Contact the CRCD
Dell PowerScale       Staff and faculty:

Contact the Technology Help Desk
    Standard tier $14.60/TB/month Free Free
    Warm tier $3/TB/month Free Free
Google Cloud       Staff and faculty:

Contact the Technology Help Desk
    Standard tier $18.50/TB/month Download: $0.04

Upload: $0.50

Download:
    Network transfer: $62/TB

Upload: Free
Microsoft OneDrive Free (5 TB) Free Free Students, staff, and faculty:

Click here to open OneDrive
Microsoft SharePoint Free (25 TB) Free

Free

 Staff and faculty:
 
Create your own site [11] or contact the Technology Help Desk

Estimates last updated June 2026

Links

  1. Data Classification & Compliance
  2. How to Log In to Globus and Copy a File
  3. Using Microsoft Azure for Flexible, Secure Cloud Storage
  4. CRCD Data Storage
  5. Network Services General Information
  6. Working with Central Directory Service (CDS) Account Groups
  7. Getting Started with Microsoft OneDrive
  8. Globus for Microsoft OneDrive
  9. Globus for Microsoft OneDrive: OneDrive and SharePoint Limitations
  10. OneDrive
  11. SharePoint Security Guide
  12. Globus for Microsoft OneDrive: How to Access SharePoint Sites in Globus
  13. SharePoint

Details

Details

Article ID: 3703
Created
Wed 6/10/26 3:29 PM
Modified
Wed 8/19/26 1:24 PM