How to...
G:drives for schools
This guide includes advice and information on using the G: drive as a means of storing files which need to be shared by staff in a particular school, or held in common by all schools.
What is the G: drive for?
It is a space on a server for you to save documents that more than one person needs to see or use.
Is this space backed up?
Yes. It's backed up nightly. If you accidentally delete a file, you can ask for it to be restored from the previous night's copy.
Who can use the G: drive?
Anyone granted permission.
Does everyone see the same data?
The G: drive is divided into organisational groups, each with its own set of folders. When you browse the G: drive, you will only see the folders to which you have access, so you are likely to have the same view as others in your school but a different set of files from people in other groups.
Who provides access to the G: drive?
There are designated individuals for each school, generally the school's administrators. They will know which groups you should be given access to and have the tools to add you if necessary.
How should we organise the G: drive?
In the first instance ITS set up a few folders by way of an example, these have now largely been superseded by a structures being created by each school. Each school/organisational unit has differing needs/requirements so structures for each will be developed locally under the guidance of the administrators. ITS is happy to provide guidance if it is felt necessary. Administrators have contacts in ITS support teams to whom they can direct questions.
What is the "non School" drive G:\pst for?
You will see this only if appropriate to your role (as noted above).This is an area used by the "cluster" teams such as the Finance and Student Support functions.
Is there a shared area for all schools to share common documents, "G:\gsadm"?
To date there has been no formal request for this to be provided. if you feel this is appropriate then discuss it with your school administrator. They can ask for such a space be set up if necessary. An example where this could be useful is storage and retrieval of document templates common to all schools. Any such area would be used in situations where all schools need to access the same data — and maybe share best practice.
What data should NOT be kept on the G:drive?
Any data of a personal nature should not be kept on a drive that is shared with others. Examples include medical histories (although not sickness records which are allowable), trade union affiliation or minutes of disciplinary hearings.
created on 2010-01-01 by David Guest
last updated on 2012-08-24 by David Guest