Network based storage: getting students to actually use it

The Academic Computing department at Stanford University has worked on implementing an effective network storage strategy for some time. Students need to be able to access their files in our labs, in their rooms, and even off campus. While removable media in the form of floppy then Zip discs and now USB "thumbdrives" have filled this need to an extent, it is still critical to offer a reliable network option. Central IT has offered a network storage solution for a number of years, but achieving wide-spread use through reliable means has been difficult. They have offered and/or built tools ranging from simple FTP to modified versions of proprietary clients to students to access their home folders. However, it was not until very recently that use of this service has increased. The biggest factor in this change was not simply that the methods for access matured, but that we have designed our desktop experience to make such access seamless and invisible. This, in turn, has encouraged students to use this single solution across campus, in our clusters and on their own machines.