Einar Blåberg is the product manager for the SUNET Box-service cloud storage solution launched in September 2012. He provides an overview of why cloud storage is demanded, how Box.com meets administrative and user needs as the selected platform, and the setup and adoption at SUNET. User adoption has grown steadily with over 12,000 users across 24 university sites now storing over 16 terabytes of data in the cloud solution. Future plans include expanding the Nordic collaboration and improving account management integration.

1. SUNET Box-service
SURF 2013-11-12

2. Who am I?
 Einar Blåberg
 Product manager for the
SUNET Box-service
̶
̶
̶
Since the start Q2 2012
Pilot with four universities
Launched 2012-09-01
 einar.blaberg@sunet.se
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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3. Outline





Why cloud-storage?
Why/when not cloud-storage?
Box.com as cloud-storage
Setup (SUNET)
User adoption (SUNET)
̶ Students?
 Future
 Questions and discussions
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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4. Why cloud-storage?
 Solid demand from end-users as well as CIOs
̶ Users will use a non-supported service if we don’t hand
them one
̶ Users wants to access files everywhere, not just at the
office
̶ Users are collaborating externally - using the same service
throughout the NREN(s) simplifies that
 Cost
̶ NREN-tender lowers the prices
̶ Probably wont replace the fileserver, but the local storage
wont grow as fast
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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5. Why/when not cloud-storage?
 Sensitive data
̶ Need to educate users on risks
 Too easy to collaborate?
̶ Sharing a file with anyone is only a click away
 NSA/CIA/FRA/Snowden
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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6. Box.com as cloud-storage (1)
 End-users like it
̶ Windows, MacOS X, iOS, Android, Office/Outlook,
Box Edit, good collaborative tools, can embed files
in LMS/web-page
 Admins like it
̶ Central administration with different levels of
administrators
̶ Federated login – no extra password
 But…
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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7. Box.com as cloud-storage (2)
 But…
̶ Deployable sync-client missing (in beta now)
̶ E-mail-address-changes is an issue
▫ mail-attribute equals Box-account, a change in the
attribute creates a new (empty) account if Box isn’t
synced
̶ Crypto-addon needed by some (third party, in
beta)
̶ Linux-support (WebDAV+rsync)
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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8. Setup (SUNET)
 One site ([univ].app.box.com) per university
̶
̶
Only admins at the university can access users and manage data
Each university can set up branding and settings as it suits them
 Existing (personal) accounts gets migrated to the new site
 Proxy-IdP (SWAMID) to filter users
̶
All employees and/or all students, based on eduPersonAffiliation
 Universities pays SUNET per account
̶
̶
No startup-cost for the university
Accounts gets created at first logon
 A day or so to set up the service for a new customer
̶
SPOC at Box
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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9. User adoption (SUNET)
30
14000
12000
25
10000
Users
8000
15
6000
Sites/Tb
20
Users
10
4000
Sites
Tb
5
2000
0
0
Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Jun-13 Jul-13 Aug-13 Sep-13 Oct-13
Users
Sites
Tb
Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Jun-13
931
1969
2671
3186
3896
4594
5310
6479
7557
8013
Jul-13
8175
Aug-13 Sep-13 Oct-13
10318 12141 12999
4
9
11
14
16
17
18
22
23
23
23
24
24
24
0.95
1.63
2.31
2.92
3.73
4.63
5.47
6.66
8.29
9.41
10.28
11.94
14.56
16.08
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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10. Students?
 So far only two universities offer the service to students
̶
Not statistically reliable
 Chalmers after just over one year (including the pilot)
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̶
1.400/10.000-15.000 students (~10%)
1.600/2.500-3.500 employees (~50%)
 Why?
̶
̶
̶
̶
Sync/Box Edit not available in computer labs?
Not the same need for a supported/certified storage as employees?
Already using dropbox/gdrive/…?
Haven’t heard about it?
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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11. Future
 Nordic collaboration
̶ Norway, Denmark and Finland starting up
 Looking at crypto-addons
 More work with automated account
management
̶ de-enterprising users, e-mail-address-changes, …
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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12. Questions?
 Resources
̶ https://support.box.com/home
̶ http://success.box.com/
̶ http://developers.box.com/docs/
 Contact
̶ einar.blaberg@sunet.se
 Questions?
Einar Blåberg <einar.blaberg@sunet.se>
2013-11-12
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