Lists of official VPSI solutions to store administrative documents (as Word, .pdf, …).
For storage of a different nature, the object storage service (S3) can be a solution.
SharePoint Online
This service is hosted in Switzerland by Microsoft. You can use it as a secure place to store, organize, share, and access information from any device. You must be accredited at EPFL to access it. It is mainly intended for teams, EPFL units or projects to manage administrative documents. This is the only solution proposed that allows confidential documents to be stored without any risk of breach of professional secrecy. You just need a web browser, like Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox.
Google Workspace (GSuite) for education
This service is hosted by Google, you need an EPFL email address to access it. This solution offers a personal (my drive) or team (Team drive) space to manage scientific or other documents. A per-user storage quota will be introduced sometime in 2022, following Google’s announcement that it will end its no-limit and free offer for Education.
SWITCHDrive
This service is hosted by SWITCH (in Switzerland), you must have a Switch edu-ID account to access it. This solution offers a personal space. Starting 01.01.2019, this solution will allow confidential documents to be stored.
NAS WebDAV
Based on the VPSI file storage service using the CIFS protocol, this option is available by enabling WebDAV access. This solution allows the storage of confidential documents, as they are hosted on the EPFL site. Please note that myNAS has also a webdav access for personal usage.
WordPress
Only for documents that are used by WordPress and for public access.
WordPress Inside
Only for Intranet documents that are used by WordPress and for restricted access.
Which solution to choose based on the documents confidentiality ?
- All documents are non confidential
- personal use (for professionnal use) : GSuite
- collaborative use (with a team): GSuite
- Some documents are confidential
- personal use (for professionnal use): SharePoint, SWITCHDrive, MyNAS
- collaborative use (with a team): SharePoint, NAS WebDAV, INSIDE WordPress
Documents with WordPress:
Attention, in WordPress all documents are public. Please use WordPress Inside for confidential documents (Intranet).
Comparison of the different solutions
| Functionalities | GSuite | SharePoint | SWITCHDrive | NAS WebDAV | NAS CIFS/NFS | INSIDE WordPress |
| Storage of confidential documents | no | yes | yes | yes, but open to DIODE | yes | yes |
| Group space | TeamDrive | Site | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Quota | no (2021) yes (2022) | no | 50Gb | configurable | configurable | no |
| Size limitation (by file) | no | 200 Mb | no | no | no | no |
| Deleted file retention (in day) | 25 ( manual recycling) | 30 (automatic recycle) | 90 (automatic recycle ) | configurable | configurable | no |
| Search function | yes | yes | yes | no | OS indexer | no |
| Each document has a URL | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | yes |
| Notification of actions | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Version Management | yes | yes | no | no | no | no |
| API available | API GSuite | API Sharepoint | API WebDAV | API WebDAV | no | no |
| Native Client | Google File Stream (Mac et Winodws), other clients available | Folder mount on Windows only | SWITCHDrive for Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android | Native WebDAV client | no | no |
| Web Client | yes | yes | yes | read only | no | yes |
| Permission management | yes | yes | yes | based on NAS volume permission | based on CIFS permission | yes (group) |
| Access to a guest | guest must hage a Google account | guest must be accredited as Hors-EPFL2ab | guest must have a SWITCHDrive account | guest must be accredited as Hors-EPFL2b | guest must be accredited as Hors-EPFL2ab | guest must be accredited as Hors-EPFL |
| Student access | yes | no | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Access to a group | yes | yes | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Limited access to EPFL | yes | yes | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Public access by sharing a secret invitation | yes | no1 | yes | no | no | no |
| Everybody access | yes | no1 | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Dropbox folder (write only) | no | no | yes | possible | yes | no |
1 Can be bypassed by publishing the accessed document on GSuite or SWITCHDrive. Be careful not to disclose confidential documents in this way
2 Need also (a) intranet right access and (b) AD property. See https://accreditation.epfl.ch/statuts for details about Hors-EPFL status.
3 Although SWITCHDrive complies with Swiss law, it explicitly prohibits the storage of confidential documents in its service description.
4 Need some javascript with a forms to allows upload from your web site.