Retention Policy

Along with other media systems Mediacentral does not have infinite data storage and from time to time we have to evaluate what content is being stored in the system. To ensure that we are not storing duplicated or test data, on an bi-annual basis, all content stored and delivered through Mediacentral is reviewed to see if it is being viewed regularly. 

Note: Mediacentral is a Video-on-Demand tool and as such should not be used as a data storage facility. All users should use either their N, S or OneDrive for long term storage, because the amount of content is increasing rapidly, the Mediacentral team is now following a policy of retention:

Content

All media files will be kept online for a minimum period of 1 year from upload and for 6 years in total, unless advised otherwise.

There is no guarantee that we will keep all files within Mediacentral as this in many cases is inappropriate. The Mediacentral team will ensure that all media files stored will be processed in a secure manner.

• A content owner is responsible for removing any content they have uploaded in a timely manner, where it has either been updated elsewhere or is no longer required.
• If creating a test file, content owners should remove these once the test is completed.
• If a video has been uploaded and viewed in the past 12 months, then it will be kept for a further 12 months.
• Where users (staff and students) left UCL over 1 year ago since their last upload, then all videos in their personal category will be deleted.
• It is important that before leaving UCL staff move their content into a category other than personal.
• Please request a change of ownership for content that may be required in the future. To do this contact the Mediacentral team for assistance.
• Where a staff member has left UCL but a colleague wishes to have access to their media, a request must come from a departmental adminsitrator of Head of Department.
• Content archival will be undertaken at any time throughout the year and can also be done upon request.
• In most but not all instances, content will be deleted during the summer break.
• Many Mediacentral users upload test files to either test the process, or to see how their content looks, all test files are removed from the system on a regular basis.

Content stored, but not viewed

• User content that resides on the server that is older than 24 months will be removed if it has not been viewed within the previous 12 months.
• Users will be informed that the content will be initially stored offline and if they require a copy, they can download before it is archived or make a request to the service team for a copy.
• The Mediacentral team will happily assist with any user who has difficulty downloading their content.

Duplicate Uploads

• The Mediacentral team has seen a significant rise in duplicated uploads, this process is not required if you are just updating your original upload as you can overwrite this, this keeps the same unique ID which is useful for the content shared and viewed on a webpage. 
• System administrators will ensure that duplicates are removed from the system as soon as it is practical to do so.

Student Submissions

• These will be kept for a period of 1 year in the system and for 6 years in total unless advised otherwise. There is no guarantee that we will keep these files within Mediacentral as this in most cases is inappropriate - The files will be stored securely offline.