Storage, Backup & Security

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:5px;">PREPARE · SET UP INFRASTRUCTURE</div>

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<h2 style="font-size:27px;line-height:1.2;margin:0 0 8px;color:#2c2926;">Plan storage, backup and access so that important project materials remain available, recoverable and appropriately protected</h2>

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Working storage, backup, access control and long-term preservation serve different purposes.

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For important project materials, define where the authoritative working copy lives, how it is backed up,

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who may access it and what should happen in the event of loss, damage or project closure.

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<strong>Start with your most important materials and risks.</strong>

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Not every file needs the same level of protection. Decide according to importance, replaceability, sensitivity,

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file size, collaboration needs and the consequences of loss.

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<strong>Storage, synchronisation, backup and preservation are not the same thing.</strong>

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A synchronised working environment can be very useful, but it does not automatically replace an independent,

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recoverable backup or a long-term preservation strategy.

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">STEP 1 · DEFINE STORAGE NEEDS</div>

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<h3>Classify materials by how critical, sensitive and difficult to replace they are</h3>

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<p>The storage strategy should reflect the project's actual risks, not only the amount of storage available.</p>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Criticality:</strong> Which files, data or documentation would be especially difficult or impossible to replace if lost?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Sensitivity:</strong> Which materials contain personal, confidential, restricted or otherwise protected information?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Volume:</strong> What data volumes, file sizes or growth rates are expected?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Access:</strong> Who needs to read, edit, approve or administer the material?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Collaboration:</strong> Do internal and external project partners need shared access?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Versions:</strong> Do earlier states need to be restored or reconstructed?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Availability:</strong> How quickly would files need to be available again after loss or disruption?</div>

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<div class="sbs-check"><strong>Project closure:</strong> What should be preserved, handed over, deposited or deleted in the long term?</div>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">KEY DISTINCTIONS</div>

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<h3>These storage roles should be kept deliberately separate</h3>

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<div class="sbs-store"><strong>Working copy ≠ backup.</strong><br>The file currently being edited is not a backup of itself.</div>

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<div class="sbs-store"><strong>Synchronisation ≠ independent backup.</strong><br>Deleted, damaged or encrypted files can also propagate into synchronised locations.</div>

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<div class="sbs-store"><strong>Backup ≠ long-term preservation.</strong><br>A backup supports recovery after loss or error; long-term preservation also requires appropriate formats, documentation and responsibility.</div>

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<div class="sbs-store"><strong>Technical access ≠ ownership or copyright.</strong><br>Being able to access a file does not automatically mean it may legally be used, shared or published.</div>

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<div class="sbs-store"><strong>Cloud storage ≠ automatically institutionally suitable.</strong><br>The specific service, responsibility, access model, protection needs, export options and institutional requirements still matter.</div>

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<div class="sbs-store"><strong>Existing copy ≠ tested recovery.</strong><br>A backup is practically useful only if it is clear how a needed file can actually be restored.</div>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">STEP 2 · DEFINE WORKING STORAGE & ACCESS</div>

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<h3>Set one authoritative working environment and clear access roles</h3>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">01</div><h4>Choose the working location</h4><p>Define where the authoritative active project copy lives and which systems are intended for that purpose.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">02</div><h4>Assign responsibility</h4><p>Decide who manages storage locations, permissions and technical handover.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">03</div><h4>Assign access by role</h4><p>Grant only the rights required for each task and avoid unnecessarily broad permissions.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">04</div><h4>Plan external collaboration</h4><p>Clarify how partners gain access, how access ends and how materials are handed over after the project.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">05</div><h4>Separate sensitive areas</h4><p>Keep especially protected materials separate where different access rules are necessary.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">06</div><h4>Identify master and working copies</h4><p>Make clear which version is authoritative and which local or temporary copies exist only for editing.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">07</div><h4>Review access</h4><p>Check permissions when roles or partners change, at milestones and before project closure.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">08</div><h4>Plan handover</h4><p>Document which storage locations, accounts and permissions will continue, transfer or close when the project ends.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">STEP 3 · PLAN BACKUP & RECOVERY</div>

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<h3>Define not only that backups exist, but what is backed up, how often and how it is restored</h3>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">01</div><h4>Define backup scope</h4><p>Specify which files, databases, configurations, documentation or project materials need to be backed up.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">02</div><h4>Choose frequency according to change</h4><p>The more frequently irreplaceable material changes, the shorter the useful backup interval should be.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">03</div><h4>Check independence</h4><p>Avoid having the working copy and the only backup depend on the same device, account or failure path.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">04</div><h4>Include versions where needed</h4><p>Keep recoverable earlier states where accidental changes or deletions need to be reversible.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">05</div><h4>Know the recovery route</h4><p>Document who can restore files, where backups are located and which steps are required when something goes wrong.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">06</div><h4>Test recovery</h4><p>Use a harmless test file to confirm that a backup can actually be found and restored.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">07</div><h4>Update the strategy</h4><p>Adjust it when data volume, tools, partners, storage locations or protection needs change.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-step"><div class="n">08</div><h4>Account for project closure</h4><p>Keep active backup routines separate from the decision about what should be preserved, archived, deposited or deleted long term.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">COMMON SCENARIOS</div>

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<h3>Different materials can create very different storage requirements</h3>

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<div class="sbs-scenario"><h4>Large audio, video or image collections</h4><p>Plan capacity, transfer times, working copies, master files and backup so that large volumes do not exist only on individual local devices.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-scenario"><h4>Personal or confidential data</h4><p>Restrict access, document responsibility and separate especially protected areas from generally accessible project files.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-scenario"><h4>Collaborative project work</h4><p>Define one shared working location, clear permissions and a handover process for partners and changing roles.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-scenario"><h4>Code, software & technical environments</h4><p>Where relevant, back up not only files but also configuration, dependencies and information needed to rebuild the working environment.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-scenario"><h4>Ephemeral or difficult-to-reproduce work</h4><p>If material cannot simply be recreated, define and review the backup strategy particularly early.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-scenario"><h4>Project closure & handover</h4><p>Make sure master files, documentation, storage locations and responsibilities do not remain tied to personal accounts or individual devices.</p></div>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">STEP 4 · DOCUMENT A MINIMUM STANDARD</div>

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<h3>A short storage and backup plan makes responsibilities traceable</h3>

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<p>Keep the agreed standard where the project team will actually find it — for example in the project folder, DMP or a technical README.</p>

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<thead><tr><th>Element</th><th>What to record</th><th>Why it matters</th></tr></thead>

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<tbody>

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<tr><td><strong>Authoritative working location</strong></td><td>System, folder or service containing the active project copy.</td><td>Prevents several unclear competing main copies.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Responsibility</strong></td><td>Who manages storage, permissions and technical handover.</td><td>Makes responsibility clear in daily work and during incidents.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Access model</strong></td><td>Which roles may read, edit or administer.</td><td>Reduces unnecessarily broad access.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Backup scope</strong></td><td>Which materials and systems are backed up.</td><td>Prevents gaps between important work and actual backups.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Backup frequency</strong></td><td>How often backups or recoverable versions are created.</td><td>Determines how much work could be lost in a failure.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Recovery</strong></td><td>Who can restore and how the restore process works.</td><td>Turns existing backups into a usable recovery strategy.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Sensitive areas</strong></td><td>Which materials need additional access or protection measures.</td><td>Connects technical storage to data protection and confidentiality.</td></tr>

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<tr><td><strong>Project closure</strong></td><td>What is handed over, preserved, deposited, archived or deleted.</td><td>Separates active backup from long-term responsibility.</td></tr>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#8a4d36;margin-bottom:4px;">STOP & CHECK</div>

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<h3>Common warning signs in storage, backup and security</h3>

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<div class="sbs-warn"><strong>"Everything is in the cloud."</strong><br>The specific service, responsibility, recovery process and access rules may still be undefined.</div>

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<div class="sbs-warn"><strong>The only copy is on a laptop or external drive.</strong><br>A single device remains a single point of failure.</div>

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<div class="sbs-warn"><strong>Synchronisation is treated as backup.</strong><br>Errors, deletions or unwanted changes can also affect synchronised copies.</div>

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<div class="sbs-warn"><strong>No one has ever restored a file from backup.</strong><br>It is unclear whether the backup is actually usable when needed.</div>

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<div class="sbs-warn"><strong>Everyone has full access to everything.</strong><br>Roles and protection needs have not been translated into an appropriate access model.</div>

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<div class="sbs-warn"><strong>Project materials depend on personal accounts.</strong><br>Access, responsibility and handover may be at risk when roles change or the project ends.</div>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">SERVICES & SUPPORT</div>

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<h3>Who is responsible for storage, backup and security questions</h3>

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<strong>IT & Digitalisation / ZID</strong>

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<span>Primary specialist responsibility for institutional digital systems, working storage, backup, account security and technical access controls.</span>

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</div>

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<strong>Relevant system owner</strong>

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<span>For the concrete storage, backup, recovery and permissions functions of the system or service being used.</span>

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</div>

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<strong>Data Protection</strong>

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<span>To be involved where personal or especially protected information creates additional requirements for access and processing.</span>

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<strong>Support Kunst und Forschung (SKF)</strong>

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<span>Coordinates project and funder requirements and infrastructure dependencies, but is not responsible for the technical service itself.</span>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">RELATED TOPICS</div>

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<h3>Storage and backup are closely connected to these decisions</h3>

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<a class="sbs-navlink" href="https://xwiki.uni-ak.ac.at/bin/view/Service%20Navigator/Art%20%26%20Research%20Services%20Navigator/Enable/Identify%20Your%20Data%20%26%20Research%20Outputs/">Identify Your Data & Research Outputs</a>

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<a class="sbs-navlink" href="https://xwiki.uni-ak.ac.at/bin/view/Service%20Navigator/Art%20%26%20Research%20Services%20Navigator/Enable/Plan%20Your%20Data%20Management/">Plan Your Data Management</a>

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<a class="sbs-navlink" href="https://xwiki.uni-ak.ac.at/bin/view/Service%20Navigator/Art%20%26%20Research%20Services%20Navigator/Enable/Data%20Protection%20%26%20Ethics/">Data Protection & Ethics</a>

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<a class="sbs-navlink" href="https://xwiki.uni-ak.ac.at/bin/view/Service%20Navigator/Art%20%26%20Research%20Services%20Navigator/Enable/Infrastructure%2C%20Services%20%26%20Tools/">Infrastructure, Services & Tools</a>

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<a class="sbs-navlink" href="https://xwiki.uni-ak.ac.at/bin/view/Service%20Navigator/Art%20%26%20Research%20Services%20Navigator/Work%20%26%20Manage/Store%2C%20Back%20Up%20%26%20Control%20Access/">Store, Back Up & Control Access</a>

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<a class="sbs-navlink" href="https://xwiki.uni-ak.ac.at/bin/view/Service%20Navigator/Art%20%26%20Research%20Services%20Navigator/Publish%20%26%20Share/Preserve%20Data%20%26%20Artistic%20Outputs/">Preserve Data & Artistic Outputs</a>

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<div style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.075em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#3f6871;margin-bottom:5px;">TRAINING & WORKSHOPS</div>

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<h3 style="font-size:20px;line-height:1.3;margin:0 0 7px;color:#35312d;text-align:left;">Training, workshops & consultation sessions</h3>

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<p style="margin:0 0 10px;color:#5e5953;line-height:1.55;">Relevant opportunities for this topic will be shown here automatically from the central calendar.</p>

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<span data-arsn-coming-soon="true" style="display:inline-block;padding:4px 9px;border-radius:14px;background:#fff4ee;border:1px solid #efd9cc;color:#8a4d36;font-size:11px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.065em;line-height:1.2;">COMING SOON</span>

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</div>

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</section>

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<div class="sbs-eye" style="color:#3f6d4b;margin-bottom:4px;">PRACTICAL RESOURCES</div>

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<h3>Info sheets, tutorials and templates</h3>

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<div class="sbs-resource"><strong>Info Sheets</strong><span class="sbs-badge">COMING SOON</span><div style="color:#625d56;line-height:1.45;">Short guidance on storage roles, backup, recovery, access and project handover.</div></div>

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<div class="sbs-resource"><strong>Tutorials</strong><span class="sbs-badge">COMING SOON</span><div style="color:#625d56;line-height:1.45;">Step-by-step workflows for storage planning, access review and recovery testing.</div></div>

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<div class="sbs-resource"><strong>Checklists & Templates</strong><span class="sbs-badge">COMING SOON</span><div style="color:#625d56;line-height:1.45;">Template for a storage and backup plan, access review and project handover.</div></div>

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<strong>Need help with technical implementation?</strong>

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Discuss concrete storage, backup and account questions with IT/ZID or the relevant system owner.

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In funded projects, SKF can help connect technical dependencies and funder requirements to the project route.

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<summary style="cursor:pointer;color:#6a655e;font-size:13px;">Search terms & related topics</summary>

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storage · storage location · backup · data backup · recovery · restore · synchronisation · synchronization · cloud · access · access control · permissions · account security · sensitive data · personal data · confidentiality · master file · working copy · versioning · data loss · project handover · long-term preservation · archiving · repository · research data

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