Cloud Storage Optimization

Project Overview

This project will institute a series of storage changes to meet institutional quotas from our cloud storage vendors. Implemented quotas will pertain to Microsoft OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint as well as CyBox. In addition, the effort will apply automatic version pruning to files stored inside Microsoft OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint. 

As part of this project, all campus customers will have new storage quotas based on their role (faculty, staff, student) in both Microsoft and CyBox.

 

Project Details

Individual Storage Quotas 

RoleBoxOneDrive
Faculty300 GB75 GB
Staff 200 GB50 GB
Students100 GB25 GB
Affiliates0 GB0 GB

 

Collaborative Storage Quotas 

PlatformQuotaNotes
SharePoint Online50 GB per siteIncludes document libraries and site assets
Microsoft Teams50 GB per teamFiles are stored in the associated SharePoint site

Note: Microsoft Teams file storage is powered by SharePoint Online. Each team creates a SharePoint site where files are stored. The quota listed applies to the combined storage.  

As part of our Cloud Storage Optimization, we're enabling automatic version pruning in Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint. This helps manage space by trimming old file versions based on age, while still keeping useful snapshots available for recovery. 
 

How It Works 

File Version AgeWhat Microsoft Keeps
0–30 dayAll versions
31-60 daysHourly versions
61-180 daysDaily versions
180+ daysWeekly versions


This happens automatically. You don’t need to do anything, and your most recent versions are always preserved. Think of automatic version pruning like tidying up a storage closet: 

  • When something is new, you keep every little variation — just in case. 
  • As it gets older, you only keep the meaningful changes (like daily or weekly differences), and let go of the extra clutter. 
  • You still keep important versions — just not every single tweak from months ago. 

This helps keep storage organized and sustainable, while still protecting your work. 

To comply with new institutional storage quotas and vendor-imposed limits, we’re beginning changes now to ensure a smooth transition ahead of enforcement in January 2026. Taking action early helps us avoid exceeding our allocated storage from Microsoft and Box, which would otherwise drive significant new costs for the entire institution. 

By preparing now, we can avoid unsustainable growth in storage usage and ensure that resources remain available and affordable for everyone at Iowa State. 

Schedule & Timeline  

  • July/August 2025
    • Create project website and informational articles.
  • August 2025
    • Information shared in ITS quarterly newsletter to faculty and staff.
  • September 2025
    • Email to campus community.
  • October-December 2025
    • Reminders and notifications about overages.
  • January 2026
    • Apply quotas and automatic version pruning. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We have been monitoring forum activity and other universities are facing the same problems with storage.  

It is possible to purchase more quota, but it would bring a never-ending increasing cost as our storage usage continues to grow. While it is an option, it would bring an always-growing cost to the institution and divert funds from other more impactful initiatives.

We are still exploring options. There is no way to associate purchased quota with an individual; it all goes to the overall ISU allocation. We hope to have a final answer in the coming weeks. 

When quotas are applied for SharePoint/OneDrive/Box, the space goes read-only until files are removed to bring it back below quota. 

If the data is research related, large scale storage (LSS) is the designated home for that data. If it is departmental data, CyBox or MyDocs would be the designated home. If none of those fit, please reach out to storage@iastate.edu and we can discuss more in depth.  

No. You should work to clean up your overage as soon as possible. We will be contacting those over quota at set intervals to have data cleaned up. If those over quota stay over quota, it doesn’t help ISU and hurts everyone collectively.

For everyone, no, but if you have a large site/OneDrive, we can generate a report. We ask folks to reserve this for extreme situations as it is one- by- one and does take time.