Upgrading files.kent

Upcoming improvements and expected impact

Files.kent is an online file storage and sharing service provided by the University of Kent. It enables students and staff to securely store, access, and share files from anywhere with an internet connection.

What is happening

We’re upgrading the University’s file storage system (known as ‘files.kent’ or the ‘Kent network’) to provide a more reliable and robust service for staff and students. This is not the same as OneDrive, which is your individual storage space in Microsoft 365. Access to OneDrive is not affected by any of this work. The upgrades will happen in two phases: a brief upgrade in early December, followed by a larger upgrade in January 2025.

What to expect

December Upgrade (Thur 5 Dec 2024): On this date, the system will undergo a minor update in the early hours. 

  • Time: Early morning (06:30 – 07:30) 
  • Expected Impact: Files may be temporarily unavailable during a short period

January Upgrade (Sun 5 Jan – Fri 10 Jan 2025): We’ll complete the larger upgrade to fully transition to the new system in early January. Work will focus on completing all user/personal folders at the start of the week, with shared/departmental folders following on after.

1. User/Personal folders:

  • Time: Overnight (from 7pm) on Sunday 5th January
  • Expected Impact: The whole of files.kent will not be accessible during this overnight upgrade, meaning files saved on files.kent cannot be viewed or edited during this period

2. Departmental folders:

  • Time: Either overnight or early morning (dates to be confirmed based on consultation with departments)
  • Expected Impact: Departmental folders will not be accessible during their upgrade, meaning those files cannot be viewed or edited during this period.

We’ve scheduled this work to take place before the start of term to keep disruption to a minimum. As work progresses, our teams will be monitoring closely and provide updates, including timings for your department’s folder migration.

End result

These upgrades won’t change how you access or work with your files. Once completed, everything will look and work the same way it does now. The improvements are all behind the scenes, so while you may not notice any visible changes, this upgrade will make the file storage system more reliable and better equipped to support your needs for years to come. 

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