Microsoft Data Storage - Frequently Asked Questions - Technical

Quota Tool Release Schedule

Student Employees

1. How will storage allocations be applied for users who have multiple roles (e.g. student employees)?

1. Microsoft storage allocations are assigned based on a user's primary role, as determined in Workday and/or myWSU. The primary role is determined by how a department configures a user's employee appointment.

2. The following table outlines storage allocations for users who have an active student affiliation combined with an active employee affiliation.
   

   Student	Administrative Professional	10 GB	10 GB
   Student	Civil Service	10 GB	10 GB
   Student	Faculty	10 GB	10 GB
   Student	Assistantship	1 GB	1 GB
   Student	Hourly	1 GB	1 GB
   Student	Courtesy	1 GB	1 GB
   Student	Affiliate	1 GB	1 GB

General 

1. When will the one-time storage calculations for employees and students be ran?
   1. Employee calculations were first ran on January 26th, and will be updated again on April 6th. Student calculations will be ran only on April 6th.
2. How are the Area One-Time Overage Relief Allocations depicted in the Quota tool?
   1. Under the "Storage Pack" tab for an area, one-time relief allocations are show with a type of "SURPLUS" and a renewal date of 2/10/27.
   2. 
3. How will warning messages look?
   1. Below is an example image of a warning message for OneDrive/SharePoint/Teams:
   2. 
   3. Below is an example of a warning message for Outlook:
   4. 
4. When a OneDrive/SharePoint/O365/Teams exceeds allocated space, what message with they receive?
   1. Below is an example of a message for a OneDrive/SharePoint/O365/Teams exceeding allocation
      
      
5. When viewing the Teams reporting, if I find a Team that is incorrectly reported, how do I adjust the area it reports to?
   1. Area for Teams are based upon the Owner Principle Name. Adjustments to this name will need to be submitted via a ticket to crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu
6. After exceeding quota, I found an option in OneDrive to "Request more quota" in the Storage Metrics. What does this do?
   1. These requests do not adjust quota and are not delievered to WSU technical administroators. 
7. Will WSU apply these reduced Microsoft storage allocations across the entire university at the tenant level?
   1. Reduced storage allocations will apply to WSU’s entire Microsoft tenant.
8. How do departments increase Teams sites, SharePoint sites, and Microsoft 365 Groups above the default 5 GB storage allocation?
   1. Departments are allocated a pool of storage for Teams sites, SharePoint sites, and Microsoft 365 Groups that may be used to increase allocations per site. The storage pool is calculated as 10 GB x Number of FTE in the department. Storage in this pool can be used to increase allocations via the Storage Quota Tool. Please contact your Area Technology Officer (ATO) to make changes to quotas within the tool.
9. Do purchased A3 and A5 licenses increase the total storage allocation for an area?
   1. No A3 and A5 purchases do not increase the storage allocation for an area.
10. If there is a business need for a Team larger than standard allocation, how will that be accommodated?
    1. This would require the purchase of an additional storage pack, or increasing storage from the area's pool (if space is available).
11. Is my department responsible for removal of former employee data?
    1. No, former employee data will be removed after separation. Please note, record retention is the responsibility of the area. The employee's original area is responsible for managing any data held by the employee that is needed for the department.
12. I have observed former employee storage in the dashboard. Will this be removed?
    1. The process of removing former employee data is currently running and will continue to run through February of 2026.
13. How is affiliate data tracked in relation to Microsoft storage?
    1. Affiliates are currently managed at an individual level and not tied to a unit. ITS is working to tie affiliates to a unit at a future date.
14. I own a Team that includes a private channel managed by another user. How do I manage the content in that private channel?

    1. You can determine the channel owners via the ITS-provided dashboard in the included Teams data.  Please work with the channel owners to add any necessary access. If that is not feasible, please contact crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu for help with gaining access to this channel.

15. I'm an ATO, but can't view the M365 Dashboard, how do I request access?
    1. ATOs may request access to the dashboard by contacting crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu and requesting for the W_BI_O365 role.
16. What is the purpose of the M365 dashboard?
    1. ATOs can see total reserved allocations in the dashboard. Distribute it using the WSU Quota Management Tool — increase, hold at current use, or reduce to prompt cleanup.
17. Would a Continuous Doctoral Status student be classified as an employee or a student?
    1. A student with only a Continuous Doctoral Status would be considered a student, not an employee.
18. Is my area responsible for students in our department?
    1. If the student, regardless of Undergrad, Grad, PhD or professional status, also has an Administrative Professional (AP), Faculty, or Civil Service appointment then they will be considered an employee first and be the responsibility of the department. In other words, the department is always responsible for all Administrative Professional, Faculty, or Civil Service employees they have regardless of any other status.  They are also responsible for all hourly, contingent, affiliate, and courtesy people in their area, unless those people also have a student status, in which case the department would not be responsible for their storage. Appointments can be determined by the role groups of the user.

Below is the full list of role groups:

RG_Affiliates.Active
RG_Employees.Active
RG_Employees.Active.AdministrativeProfessional
RG_Employees.Active.Assistantship
RG_Employees.Active.CivilService
RG_Employees.Active.Courtesy
RG_Employees.Active.Faculty
RG_Employees.Active.Hourly
RG_Employees.Appointed
RG_Employees.Appointed.AdministrativeProfessional
RG_Employees.Appointed.Assistantship
RG_Employees.Appointed.CivilService
RG_Employees.Appointed.Courtesy
RG_Employees.Appointed.Faculty
RG_Employees.Appointed.Hourly
RG_Employees.FormerWD
RG_FID.Users
RG_NID.Users
RG_Students.Admitted
RG_Students.Admitted.Graduate
RG_Students.Admitted.IALC
RG_Students.Admitted.NonDegreeSeeking
RG_Students.Admitted.Professional
RG_Students.Admitted.Undergraduate
RG_Students.Applied
RG_Students.Applied.Graduate
RG_Students.Applied.IALC
RG_Students.Applied.NonDegreeSeeking
RG_Students.Applied.Professional
RG_Students.Applied.Undergraduate
RG_Students.Enrolled
RG_Students.Enrolled.Graduate
RG_Students.Enrolled.IALC
RG_Students.Enrolled.NonDegreeSeeking
RG_Students.Enrolled.Professional
RG_Students.Enrolled.Undergraduate
RG_Students.Former
RG_Students.Matriculated
RG_Students.Matriculated.Graduate
RG_Students.Matriculated.IALC
RG_Students.Matriculated.NonDegreeSeeking
RG_Students.Matriculated.Professional
RG_Students.Matriculated.Undergraduate

Purchasing Data

1. What is a storage pack? What is the price and process to purchase a storage pack? 
   1. Storage packs allows departments to increase the storage limits for an individual Outlook account, individual OneDrive account, Team, Microsoft 365 Group, or SharePoint site as needed via the purchase of additional storage. There are currently two steps for storage pack purchases:
      1. Until June 1, 2026, storage packs may be purchased at no cost from Information Technology Services. These storage packs will also expire on June 1, 2026. This time period will serve as  a "mock" process allowing areas to request storage packs before the new Microsoft contract begins on the July 1, 2026 date. ATOs, or their delegate, may request a no cost storage pack by submitting a ticket in the Crimson Service Desk Portal. 
      2. Units planning to purchase a storage pack with CDW for storage needs post July 1, 2026 are encouraged to work with CDW to initiate storage pack purchases by June1, 2026. Storage packs should be co-termed with the July 1, 2026 date.
      3. Departments can purchase the 10 TB storage packs from CDW under the following options:
         
         

         Purchasing Model	Annual Cost (Approximate)
         Individual areas purchase their own storage packs through our existing contract.	$3,888
         ITS purchases storage packs for areas unable to do so, and bills back to the area.	$4,084
         ITS purchases storage packs for areas that take no action and remain over quota, and bills back to the area.	$4,280

         
         Please Note - Annual costs are an approximate value given current tax and labor rates. Rates are subject to change over time.
         
         

2. How do I allocate purchased storage to users in my department? For example, can I assign different allocations to individual OneDrive users or set unique quotas for specific Teams?

   1. You may access the tool at https://quota-management.it.wsu.edu.

3. Is my area required to purchase additional Microsoft storage?
   1. No, but areas are responsible for all employees' usage of OneDrive, email, Teams, SharePoint sites, and Microsoft 365 Groups that their area uses.
4. Is my area responsible for additional storage due to electronic discovery, legal holds, or other compliance storage utilization?
   1. No, not unless that compliance function is managed or performed by the employee or department. Storage consumed for compliance and legal reasons managed by ITS is not charged to the department.
5. If additional storage is purchased, are we committing to the full Microsoft contract term, or is it a year-to-year commitment similar to the M365 license add-ons?
   1. Storage pack purchases must be renewed on an annual basis, or allocations revert to centrally managed allocation quantities.
6. What can I do with purchased storage?
   1. Increase a quota for an individual Outlook storage, individual OneDrive account, a SharePoint site, or a Team.
7. How do I track how much of my purchased storage I have utilized?
   1. The Storage Quota Tool will provide visibility to purchased storage utilization. You may access the tool at https://quota-management.it.wsu.edu
8. Who is responsible for covering the cost of additional storage?
   1. Departments are responsible for funding any additional storage they choose to purchase for mailboxes, OneDrive, Teams or SharePoint sites.
9. Can storage pack purchases be co-termed and pro-rated?
   1. Yes
10. I need to increase the online archive for a shared account, what are my options?
    1. Users may purchase an A3 license for that account to increase the archive size. An A3 license allows for the archive to grow to 1.5 TB with auto expanding archive. This license can be applied to any A1 mailbox that is oversized in the archive. A1 mailboxes will hold 50 GB in the online archive. Steps to purchase an A3 license can be found here: Microsoft 365 - Procedure for requesting Microsoft 365 A La Carte Services
11. How do I view the size of my online archive?

    1. To view the Online Archive size, it's almost the exact the same as viewing your storage in Outlook web access (Settings -> Account -> Storage -> In-Place Archive) , with the only difference being selecting the Online Archive tab, labeled In-Place Archive, instead of stopping after clicking on storage. 

       This is also a direct link that takes you to the Storage pane. https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/mail/options/accounts-category/storage

Managing and Adjusting User Allocations Data

1. How do I adjust the allocation levels for individual users?
   1. The Storage Quota Tool will allow ATOs to adjust storage levels per user. You may access the tool at https://quota-management.it.wsu.edu
2. How do I request access to the Storage Quota Tool?
   1. Access to the Storage Quota tool is limited to ATO's and their delegates. Upon initial release users must attend the Storage Quota Tool training, and also request access via crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu to be granted access to the tool. After initial release, ATOs are responsible for training any delegates.
3. Am I able to increase quotas to a level where the sum of all quotas in an area exceeds the allocation?
   1. It is technically possible, however it is the responsibility of the unit to monitor and be aware that any usage over allocation will incur a charge.
4. Can I edit the quota for Shared Mailboxes, Managed Accounts, or Resource Accounts?
   1. Yes, if they have reported usage, Shared Mailboxes and Resource Accounts are available in the Quota Tool and may have their quotas increased.
5. Can I adjust storage quotas of students?
   1. Yes students may be claimed by an area, then have their quotas adjusted. Please note that once a student is claimed, 100% of their storage usage becomes the responsibility of the area claiming the student. Student usage will be reflected back to the claiming area's allocation in the storage dashboard. The update to the storage dashboard is scheduled to be complete by February 2026.

   2. Areas can grant students and affiliates custom quotas, but that storage is drawn from the area's overall allocation, not separately reserved. Usage is reflected in the M365 dashboard automatically.

6. How do I un-claim a resource or student account in the Storage Quota tool?
   1. Please submit a ticket to crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu to remove a resource.
7. How do I mass-claim users or resources in the Storage Quota tool?

   1. At this time, there is no self-service process for mass claiming resources within the storage quota tool. ITS will continue to manually coordinate and process all mass claiming requests. If you need to claim multiple Microsoft 365 resources, submit a mass claiming request directly to ITS. To support processing, email crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu and attach an Excel spreadsheet that lists the WSU emails associated with the resources that need to be claimed. This email should also specify which area the resources should be assigned to.

8. How long does a change to a quota to take affect?
   1. Changes to quotas should be reflected in 1-2 minutes.
9. Can I reduce Microsoft storage limits for one user, and reallocate that saved storage to another user?
   1. Quotas may be reduced, but the reduction in quota to an individual will not increase the total allocation of the area.
10. How much total storage allocation does an area have?
    1. Allocation for an area would be the sum of all default storage quotas for the AD/Okta defined roll groups of Faculty, AP, CS & Hourly in that area + any potentially purchased storage packs.
11. I adjusted the quota for a user, will these changes be overwritten by ITS with bulk quotas are applied on April 15th?
    1. No, any custom quotas your unit sets before April 15 will remain in place after the university-wide storage allocation changes take effect. Quotas you set in the tool will take precedence over the upcoming reduced default allocations on April 15th.
12. What options do I have with the quota management tool?

    1. Grant a larger quota - Give an individual more headroom than their current use. Draws from your area allocation. Good for high-output roles or known growth needs.

    2. Set at current use plus small buffer - Pin the quota just above what someone uses today. Efficient use of area allocation and gives the user a natural nudge to clean up.

    3. Restrict to prompt reduction - Set a quota below current use to require storage reduction. Coordinate with the employee and give adequate time before the deadline.

13. What are the storage warning thresholds for users with custom quotas?
    1. ITS is adjusting the usage percentages at which Microsoft 365 storage warning notifications are sent for users who have been assigned custom quotas. This change will improve the user experience by reducing premature warnings when substantial storage capacity remains available.

       1. 0–50 GB Quota → 90% Warning message threshold

       2. 50–100 GB Quota → 95% Warning message threshold

       3. 100–500 GB Quota → 98% Warning message threshold

       4. 501 GB–1 TB Quota → 99% Warning message threshold

       5. 1.01 TB–5TB Quota → 99.8% Warning message threshold

       6. 5.01 TB–10 TB Quota → 99.9% Warning message threshold

Alternative Storage Services

1. Is WSU evaluating alternative cloud storage vendors for departments with high-volume data needs?
   1. At this time, WSU is not pursuing enterprise-level alternatives to Microsoft 365 storage. Due to funding limitations and the diverse needs across departments, decisions about external cloud storage solutions are left to individual units to determine what best meets their requirements.
2. Can my department use external services to store large datasets or files?
   1. Departments may consider external storage services, provided they meet university security and data protection standards. It is critical that any service used complies with WSU policies, as well as applicable state and federal regulations. Data security and responsible handling should be prioritized when selecting or working with an external vendor.