ARCHIVED: Google Storage FAQ

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Overview

Due to increased pricing from Google, the amount of data you can store in Google at IU is changing. While the majority of the IU community are not be affected by the new storage limits, you should be aware of these changes.

What is the new limit for individual data storage?

The allotment for your individual Google at IU storage is 5 GB.

How do I know how much storage I'm using?

To view your total Google at IU usage, go to https://drive.google.com/settings/storage. Be sure you are logged into your Google at IU account, and not a personal Google account. To be sure, you could use a private browser.

Your total includes:

Why is this change happening?

Until recently, Google offered services to higher education institutions at no cost. Because of Google's new caps on storage, the university must limit the total storage footprint used by all IU services in Google systems to avoid drastically increased costs.

How can I be confident that I won't have to migrate data again if Microsoft raises prices?

The industry as a whole, including major vendors that offer cloud storage as a significant component of their service offerings, has shifted toward monetizing storage rather than offering it as a free component associated with other services.

IU's investment in Microsoft, including Microsoft storage, is not contingent on this vendor being an exception to this trend. In fact, Microsoft is already charging significantly for storage, but IU is nowhere near the existing storage limit. IU's existing investment in other Microsoft products also make these sustainable.

What's the timeline for these changes?

View the timeline.

What should I do if I'm over the storage limit?

If you are using more than 5 GB, you will need to reduce your Google storage. Start by seeing how much storage you are using. Then review your files to see if any can be removed or deleted. This might include files you no longer need, or large files (photos, videos, or music).

Learn more about migration options for your Google My Drive data.

What happens if I'm still over the storage limit by the migration deadline?

If your Google at IU account is over 5 GB for files that you own, you will receive a notification. If you remain over the limit, your account will be made read-only and you will be unable to edit or add files. Once you reduce your storage, the restrictions will be lifted.

If another user shares files with me in Google at IU My Drive, do those files count against my storage limit?

See details about shared files.

Can I continue to use Google at IU for storage and document collaboration?

Yes! As long as your account remains under the limit, Google at IU will remain available to you, and your account will continue to work as it does now. You will still have access to Google My Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Meet, Google Chat, Jamboard, Chromebook management, and the majority of services Google offers.

Is there a tool to help me migrate my data?

You can use a tool called Mover.io to copy files from Google at IU My Drive to Microsoft OneDrive at IU. Mover.io will convert file formats including Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides to their counterparts in the Microsoft Office suite.

Note:
If you wish to manually migrate data instead, see Migrate content manually from Google to Microsoft storage. Also, see ARCHIVED: more details about migrating data.
  • Mover.io will not remove files from Google My Drive after copying them to OneDrive. After confirming your files and folders have successfully migrated, you'll need to manually delete them in Google My Drive.
  • It will only copy files you own, not files shared with you, even if those files are inside folders you own.
  • Mover.io will copy folders that are shared with you, even if you don't own them. Consider asking the folder owner to migrate and share it, rather than migrating it yourself. This will ensure there is a single authoritative copy.
  • It will not retain sharing permissions on collaborations. Following migration, files and folders will be available only to you; you will need to share them with collaborators from the new location. A report listing collaborators is available in Mover.io.

Can UITS move my data for me?

UITS has completed administrative migrations.

What is DryvIQ and why does it have access to my data?

UITS uses the DryvIQ Admin account to migrate data administratively between Google and Microsoft storage. If you're a collaborator on a file or folder shared with you, you may receive notification when your collaborator's migration starts.

What are my options for migrating files over 250 GB?

Files larger than 250 GB cannot be stored in Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft Teams at IU/SharePoint Online. Work with your IT Pro to investigate migration options for files of this size. The file size limit for Google cloud services (Google My Drive, Google Shared Drives) is 1 TB.

Can I convert proprietary Google files to Microsoft file formats in bulk?

Yes, Mover.io will automatically convert:

  • Google Docs to Microsoft Word documents
  • Google Sheets to Microsoft Excel workbooks
  • Google Slides to Microsoft PowerPoint slide decks

Will these changes impact our IU YouTube channels?

No, there will be no impact on YouTube.

Is Microsoft Teams at IU/SharePoint Online now the only option for creating a secure institutional storage location?

Yes, at least within enterprise IU IT services.

Does Google at IU My Drive share the same Data Classification approval as Google Shared Drives?

No, Google Shared Drives were approved for higher data classification levels in some data domains than Google at IU My Drive. While Google Shared Drives were an appropriate location for institutional data, Google at IU My Drive is not.

For more on data privacy, security, and storage, consult IU Data Management.

Can I migrate content from Google at IU My Drive or Google Shared Drives to a non-IU account?

Any files stored in your Google at IU account that are institutional, and not personal (individual), must remain in a storage platform that's appropriate for IU data. Personal Google Drive accounts and personal accounts in other platforms and services are not appropriate for storing IU data.

For help, see Determine whether your files are individual (personal) or institutional.

When will limits be imposed?

View the timeline.

Will IT Pros be able to access usage information about accounts and Google Shared Drives in their departments?

Yes, IT Pros can view a dashboard showing individual accounts using more than 5 GB of storage, as well as Google Shared Drives usage information.

If you are an IT Pro and cannot access the dashboard, contact IT Community Partnerships at talk2uits@iu.edu.

This is document bhpj in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2023-02-23 13:35:50.