Google Workspace Overview
Overview of Google Workspace as a Cloud Storage platform
Google Workspace is designed as an all-in-one suite of apps which includes cloud storage, email, calendars, live chat, and more.
Feature Overview
Shared Content
Objects owned and managed by the organization
Known as "Shared Drives"'
Individual Content
Personal user content
Known as "My Drive"
Mailbox
Emails, contacts, and calendars
Unique mailbox included for each user
Versions
Historical snapshot of documents that can be restored
Up to 100 stored per file.
Document Collaboration
Real-time simultaneous editing
Permissions can be set for individual users.
Account Administration
Managing users, account, and organization information
Called and available to organization admins
Auditing and Reporting
Usage and access information
Accessible through the Auditing tool or the Security Center
SFTP , FTP, AS2 transfers
Secure file transfer protocol support
Not supported natively; Supported via a 3rd-party solution like Couchdrop
Additional Features
Other features included with a subscription
Access to realtime chat, video meetings, and Gemini AI
What makes Google Workspace unique
A Google Workspace subscription includes access to Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which are applications for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, respectively. Multiple users can work on these files simultaneously, with permissions settings for editing, commenting, and viewing that can be set per user or group.
Google Workspace uses a flat hierarchy instead of a nested folder structure. Directories are sorted virtually in a traditional structure for organizational purposes. This is important because files and folders are handled differently compared to other storage platforms. Access is comparatively fast with the tradeoff of reduced organization.
Google allows for multiple files and folders to share the same name. Although allowed technically, it is highly recommended to avoid duplicating file and folder names as it makes searching for and managing files and migrating away from Google more challenging.
Sharing with Google is also handled differently, which can lead to complex scenarios over content ownership and permissions. For example, Google My Drive sharing allows owners of folders located in shared folders to adjust the permissions and hide content from the original user.
How storage is allocated and handled
Each user in Google Drive as a personal My Drive and the organization can add Shared Drives. Google Workspace calculates storage as "pooled storage per user", which is a flexible pool for the organization. Items in Shared and My Drives both count towards the pooled storage limit.
For example, Enterprise plans give 5TB per user. With 10 users, that would be 50TB for the organization. If 2 users use 20TB each (40TB total), there would be 10TB left for the remaining 8 users to share.
Shared files count towards the quota of the owning user only. Chats, shortcuts, and versions do not count towards storage, unless a version is explicitly saved.
How user management works
A User is an individual in a Workspace organization with a unique email address. A license is required for each User, and each user receives a personal My Drive.
Users are managed through the Admin console or the Google Workspace API. They can also be imported in bulk via CSV.
Groups are Users that have a shared set of permissions. Users added to a group will inherit the default permissions, but these can be further adjusted on an individual level.
Proprietary document types
Google Docs has three native document types: .gdoc for Docs, .gslide for Slides, and .gsheet for Sheets. These files can be opened within Google Workspace, but will need to be converted to a Microsoft Office equivalent to be opened in many other storage platforms.
When native Google doctypes are converted, there is a chance for page discrepancies in longer documents and slight formatting changes when complex design elements are involved.
How content ownership works
In Google Drive, the Owner role has the highest level of control, including the ability to edit, move, share, and delete files or folders.
When a user creates or uploads a file or folder, it is owned by that individual user, even when uploading into another user's My Drive.
In contrast, items created in a Shared Drive are owned by the organization, not any one user. This ensures that the data remains accessible to the team, even if the person who created it leaves the organization or tries to restrict sharing.
How sharing and permissions work
Files and folders within a user's My Drive are private to them by default. Users can opt to share these items out with individual users or groups. Admins can control which content can be shared and who it can be shared with.
The following permissions can be applied at the folder level or to individual files:
Viewers can only view objects.
Commenters can make comments on a file, but can't make changes directly
Editors have full control to directly make changes, including deletions.
Access expiration can optionally be added, down to a specific hour.
Files and folders within Shared Drives can also be shared with additional users or Groups.
All files/folders can have a link generated that can be shared externally.
How syncing with local storage works
The Google Drive for Desktop application allows cloud folders to be mounted virtually on a local drive. Files can be configured to sync locally or to the cloud only. This behaviour can be overridden for individual objects.
The application gives two options for syncing, mirroring and streaming.
Streaming keeps files stored in the cloud until they need to be accessed offline, or for frequently used files. An active internet connection is required for streaming.
Mirroring stores a copy of the file on the local device, so all mirrored files can be accessed offline. An active internet connection is not required, but changes won't be synced back to cloud files until there is an internet connection.
There is the potential for conflicting edits when multiple users are working on files offline. Conflicts in Google are resolved by the most recent save taking precedence, and others are saved as a version for 30 days.
How billing works
Google Workspace bills on a per-user basis, with different tiers adding more features across the organization. Business tiers require a 1-year commitment, with higher tiers including more pooled storage per user.
Upgraded support is a separate add-on, and additional storage can be added if needed.
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