Google Project FAQs

Google Project FAQs

Google Project FAQs

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What are the storage limits for Berkeley Google accounts?

Current information:

The final storage limits will be applied in multiple phases.

July 5, 2023 All newly created individual accounts will have a 50 GB limit applied All individual accounts with 35 GB of content or less will have a 50 GB limit applied. All individual accounts with 36 - 150 GB of content will have a 150 GB extended limit applied. All individual accounts with more than 150 GB of content will maintain their current limit until January 24, 2024 January 24, 2024 - all remaining individual accounts...

How do I check my Google account storage usage?

To see the breakdown of usage in your Google account, go to https://drive.google.com/settings/storage

To see all the files in your Google MyDrive sorted by usage, go to https://drive.google.com/drive/quota

To see the usage in a SPA, log into Google or Box as that SPA, and then follow the links above.

Be sure you are...

How do I know if I will be affected by the new storage limits?

All accounts will be given a storage limit. To find out how much storage you are currently using, go to this URL and log in with your CalNet ID: https://drive.google.com/settings/storage . As we continue to develop the quotas, if you are directly impacted we will email you.

What services do the storage limits apply to?

The quota applies to Google Drive, bMail, and Google Photos.

If Berkeley IT can see how much storage I’m using, do they have access to my content and data?

On a day to day basis, we apply the model of privileged access, meaning we access the minimum of what is necessary in order to perform the requested or required task. We only access an account’s data without permission in very specific and rare cases such as legal holds. In those cases, we never look at the contents, but pull the requested information without further perusal.

Are Google Drive or other Google core services going away?

The Google services you access at Berkeley will remain available to you, and your account will continue to work as it does now, as long as your account remains under your quota. You will still have access to all the same Google services you use now.

Will you delete my data if I’m over the storage limit?

We always make absolutely every effort to communicate when content is at risk of deletion. Sometimes content can be automatically deleted as part of the account lifecycle, where we deactivate and then delete accounts that were used by people no longer affiliated with the university. If an account holder repeatedly ignores our attempt to contact them in order to assist with lowering usage and no engagement or reduction has occurred, we may consider deleting content in that account. It is our goal to never have to delete content on your behalf!

What kinds of accounts will be affected by the changes to the Google service?

The Google quotas and service changes will apply to all Google account holders at UC Berkeley, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, emeriti, and retirees; however, only a very small number of people are storing content over the new storage limits and will need to take action. Most people are not impacted by these changes.

Who do I talk to if I think my circumstances are unique?

If you have more than 5 TB of content in your account and you would like to work with a specialist to assess and develop a data plan, please submit a ticket at https://technology.berkeley.edu/contact-us. We’ll reach out via your ticket to discuss or set up a meeting. If you currently have less than 5 TB of content please don’t take any action at this time. We will contact you with further information in mid-2023.

Will you be communicating directly with departments? Can you present this project to my department?

If your department has members whose accounts hold more than 1 TB of data, we have probably already contacted your department. If you’d like us to present the details of the project to your department, just email us at google-storage-project@berkeley.edu. We'd be happy to present the project or provide a workshop for your department to develop a content management strategy.

How do the storage limits impact email?

If you are over quota, some services such as creating a new Google Doc may cease to function, however Gmail will continue to send and receive email normally.

In Gmail, when you attach something to an email, if that item is below 25 MB it stays in Gmail and applies to the Gmail portion of your overall usage. Larger attachments are saved in Google Drive and apply to the Drive portion of your overall usage. In both cases, the usage contributes to your overall quota.

If another account shares files with me in My Drive, do those files count against my storage limit?

No, they are attributed to the owner’s account.

What happens if I go over my storage limit?

You will not be able to create new documents or do any activity that adds to your storage consumption. Once you remove content so that you are below your quota your account will go back to operating normally. You can find more information about the various storage limit banners and notifications in the Knowledge Base.

How will the storage limits work with SPAs and shared drives?

SPAs will need to reduce content in their My Drive space to be below 150 GB by June 2024. Shared Drives that do not have a special arrangement in place will also need to be within 25 GB by June 2024. These details are still unconfirmed and may change in the future.

How can I learn more about what kind of data can be stored in Google Drive or other storage services at UC Berkeley?

https://security.berkeley.edu/uc-berkeley-box-and-google-data-use-agreement

When are the new storage limits going to be enforced?

We will be implementing the final storage limits for individual accounts on July 5, 2023. A small portion of account holders who are over the final limit will be granted additional time, until January 23, 2024.

SPAs and Shared Drives will need to be within their new limits by June 2024, and the details are subject to change.

What do I need to do now to prepare for the new storage limits?

The vast majority of the community will not need to take any action at all! However, If you would like to prepare for lower storage limits that will be implemented later in the project, you can review your existing content in Google Drive, Google Photos, and bMail and delete anything you are comfortable with deleting, especially backups of backups, archives, and extremely out of date records/emails. Make sure you are staying within compliance requirements for records retention.

This is just a recommendation; you are responsible for determining...