Comparison of Document Management & Collaboration Tools
Duke provides a number of online storage and collaboration services to the Duke community.
Faculty, students, and staff can take advantage of one, some, or all of these tools.
If you are not sure which one to choose, please use the same service as the rest of your team.
Below is a brief comparison of available storage and/or collaboration services at Duke.
| Features | Box.com | OneDrive for Business | CIFS |
| Recommended Use | Working on a project with multiple people in different physical locations Sharing documents securely and tracking version updates Syncing files between computer and mobile devices | Working on a project with multiple people in different physical locations Sharing Microsoft Office files-types during group projects with internal Office 365 users only Integrates seamlessly with Windows operating systems devices (PC, tablets, and Windows Phone) | Storing and Backing up personal data independent of your local computer in the event that you are using a library computer or virtual computing lab machine |
| Default storage space | 50 GB* | 1 TB | 5 GB* |
| Maximum file size | 50 GB** | 10 GB | Equal to current available storage space |
| Connection Requirements | Internet | Internet | Duke Network or Duke VPN |
| Version tracking / History | Yes | Yes | No |
| Offline sync | Yes | Yes | No |
| Sync to multiple mobile devices | Yes | Windows, iOS, Android | No |
| File preview | Yes | Yes; Office 365 apps - automatically launches | No |
| 256-bit encrypted storage & transfer | Yes | Yes | No; VPN client is required to encrypt |
| Role-based access levels for sharing | Yes | Yes; limited to "can edit" and "can view" | No |
| Email to folder functionality | Yes | No | No |
| Full-text search | Yes | Yes | No |
| Available after graduation | Account must be transitioned to personal account before graduation | No; If OneDrive device sync is used a local copy of the files are retained | Yes; available for 1 year |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| Granular permissions at folder and file level | Yes | Yes; limited to "can edit" and "can view" | Yes |
| Custom URLs for shared folders | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cross-platform | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Approved for Sensitive Data | Yes | No | No |
An asterisk (*) denotes services where requests for quota increase can be sent to OIT for approval.
Two asterisks (**) denote how Box has application specific upload limits, please see the following applications to review their upload limits:
- Box Mobile: 15GB
- Box Drive: 15GB
- Box Sync: 15GB
- Email Uploads: 50MB
Please be aware that these upload limits are subject to change by Box without notice.
| FEATURES | NAS | Protected Network | Departmental Share |
| Recommended Use | Storing and Backing up data where reliable data access and read/write performance is crucial | Storing and sharing sensitive data, as classified by the IT Security Office | Storing and Backing up data where reliable data access and read/write performance is crucial |
| Default Storage Space | Based on amount of space purchased | Based on amount of space purchased | Based on amount of space purchased |
| Maximum file size | 16 TB | 16 TB | 16 TB |
| Connection Requirements | Duke Network or Duke VPN | Duke Network or Duke VPN | Duke Network or Duke VPN |
| Version tracking / history | Backups available per request to OIT | Backups available per request to OIT | Backups available per request to OIT |
| Offline Sync | No | No | No |
| Sync to multiple devices | No | No | No |
| File Preview | No | No | No |
| 256-bit encrypter storage & transfer | No | No | No |
| Role-based access levels for sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email to folder functionality | No | No | No |
| Full-text search | No | No | No |
| Available after termination | No | No | No |
| Cost | $/GB | $/GB | $/GB |
| Granular permissions at folder and file level | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom URL's for shared folders | No | No | No |
| Cross-platform | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Approved for Sensitive Data | No | Yes | No |
Description:
- Duke’s Box is a cloud-based storage and collaboration service for all Duke University and Duke Medicine faculty, staff and students. With Box, users can access, store and share content securely with Duke and non-Duke users — anywhere, anytime, on any device.
- CIFS (Common Internet File System) is a proven and reliable protocol for managing personal home directories. A personal home directory allows you to store and manage files for your personal, private use on Duke's centrally-managed storage infrastructure.
- Microsoft OneDrive for Business allows users to store, sync, share files and collaborate with others at Duke online. It also allows you to use the mobile version of Microsoft Office, available free through Duke's site license with Microsoft, so you can edit, share and collaborate on documents using your mobile device or tablet.
- NAS – OIT has a NAS (CIFS or NFS) offering which by allowing connectivity via the network is often used for departments/schools as it can be accessed directly from outside of the datacenter. NAS utilizes the IP network instead of the SAN to allow access to the storage. Additionally NAS allows the storage to be shared by multiple clients. Departmental Share uses the same technology.
- The Protected Network is a resource for storage and analysis of Sensitive research data. The network is separated virtually from the general Duke network and has more extensive security protections. It comprises dedicated storage and virtual machines (VMs), and requires specific authorization from the Campus ITSO for access.
Article number: KB0026081
Valid to: September 27, 2025