What Happened?
- As of October 1, 2021, U-M no longer offered Box as a file storage solution. See the Box Reitrement Project website for more.
- Migration out of Box was targeted in a phased manner throughout the year.
In order to fully support you with this change, ITS and LSA Technology Services have partnered to offer access to training resources, future workshops, and one-on-one assistance to guide you through alternative storage options to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Completed Phases of the Project
The project is completed.
Phase 3: End of Project: Oct 31, 2021
The window for extensions of U-M Box accounts and migrations to U-M Dropbox closed on October 31, 2021. This means that any accounts not scheduled for migration have been permanently deactivated, archived, and deleted. If you want to continue to work with the data you have in U-M Box, you must schedule your migration now!
If you no longer needed the account, you should have accessed the migration tool and selected to delete your account.
If you did not take action before October 31, 2021, your U-M Box account will be permanently deactivated. Once your account is permanently deactivated, it is inaccessible! If you need the data in your individual account, follow these steps to schedule your migration ASAP:
- Schedule a day to migrate your U-M Box data or delete your U-M Box account using the ITS Self-Service Migration tool. Remember, you must use this tool before October 31.
- Communicate with collaborators to inform them about your scheduled migration date. Note that external collaborations, and internal collaborations with those who have not yet created their U-M Dropbox accounts, will not be maintained through the migration process.
- After October 31, you will no longer have the option to select a migration date. You will only have the “Migrate Now” option which is offered on a first come, first served basis and will be auto-scheduled. You will not be able to access your account during the “Migrate Now” process and, therefore, cannot access your files until the migration completes.
- After November 14, you will no longer have the option to migrate your data to U-M Dropbox and it will be archived in preparation for permanent deletion. At this time, all files will be archived to tape drives and the only option for retrieving your data is through the disaster recovery process (provides the raw data and does not include collaborations, share history, or previous versions). This process could take weeks to recover the data and you will incur an $80/hour cost for data recovery. The college will not cover these costs.
Phase 2: Migrate your Shared Box Account
- As of June 1, owners of Shared Box Accounts have been emailed and invited to schedule their migration via the Self-Service Migration Tool.
- Shared Box owners have 45 days to “schedule” their migration.
- If your Shared Account(s) are not scheduled for migration by July 15, 2021, ITS will assume these accounts are not in use and deactivate the accounts accordingly. Once the accounts are deactivated, they will be inaccessible.
- Please review the Self-Service Migration webpage to make sure you are aware of all of the steps and things you need to know before migrating, including access to the Self-Migration Tool.
Phase 3: Migrate your Individual Box Account (June 15–November 30)
- Starting June 15, access to the migration tool begins for Individual Accounts.
- Note: Not all units will be given access to migrate on the same date, rather ITS will be opening individual migrations in waves.
- Individual Box account owners will be emailed and invited to schedule their migration via the Self-Service Migration Tool.
- Individual Box Account owners have 45 days to “schedule” their migration after receiving their invite.
- If the account owner has not scheduled their migration within 45 days of their window opening, ITS will deactivate their account.
- Please review the Self-Service Migration webpage to make sure you are aware of all of the steps and things you need to know before migrating, including access to the Self-Migration Tool.
Additional Information
Retirement project information:
- U-M Box Retirement Project website
- Faculty/Staff Guide to Moving Out of Box
- Box Retirement Project FAQ
- Presentation Slide Deck on Box Migration
Selecting the best storage option:
- Data Storage Finder
- Shared Document Repository Comparison (Box, Dropbox, and Google)
- Box-to-Dropbox Feature/Functionality Comparison
Dropbox information:
How Can I Request Support?
For questions or concerns, contact the LSA Technology Services Service Desk using the information below:
- Email LSATechnologyServices@umich.edu.
- Open a ticket using our webform.
- Call 734.615.0100.
