Due to the extensive and rapidly expanding use of WebVista at the University, we have established the following site usage guidelines so we can help faculty, students, and staff enhance learning.
Server Space
The maximum amount of server space reserved for each course site is 100 MB (megabytes). If you need more space for teaching- and learning-related files, please let us know at webvista@umn.edu. With advance notice we can configure backups properly and/or help you find alternate ways to store your files. If one of your sites exceeds 100 MB and you haven't contacted us, we may require more time to copy or restore your site, and will contact you to discuss your course Web site file storage needs and options. In extreme circumstances, we also may have to remove excessively large files with little notice so that service to other users is not compromised.
To use your server space more effectively, we recommend the following:
- Regularly remove outdated, currently unused, or duplicate files from your sites.
- Optimize your audio, video and PDF files for Internet delivery to reduce their sizes. You will save file space and allow for faster content downloads from WebVista to your students. For more information, call the Digital Media Center to set up a consultation appointment (612-625-5055 or 612-625-8030).
- If you are delivering large audio or video files from your WebVista site, consider an alternate method such as delivering them on CD-ROM or using a streaming service such as UMConnect. For information about other campus streaming services, visit Java and Web Services.
- If you need additional online storage space for teaching and learning-related files, consider using your myU portal site. For more information about the portal and how it works, see myU Help.
- The University's NetFiles service in another option for online file storage.
Zipped Files
Zipped files (files with a .zip extension) can take up large amounts of server space. Delete all zipped files from your course sites unless they are specifically intended for downloading by students. Once a zipped file has been unzipped, the zipped version can be deleted without compromising your site.