Configure and Backup to Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage offers durable and highly available object storage. With Google Cloud Storage, you can store and retrieve any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the web.
Connecting and backing up to Google Cloud Storage is quick and easy. This guide will provide all the steps necessary to get you set up with Google Cloud and get your important data backed up to your own personal cloud.
SIGN UP FOR A GOOGLE CLOUD STORAGE ACCOUNT
If you already have a Google Cloud storage account, you can begin with the next step, CREATE A PROJECT. Follow these steps to sign up for a Google Cloud storage account:
- Go to the Google Cloud Storage website and click on the “Get started for free” button in the upper right.
- Log into your Google account. (If you don’t have a Google account, click on “Create account”).
- Go through the Terms and Agreement page.
- Fill out the Basic Information form. You must provide your credit card/banking information.
- Accept and start your free trial.
CREATE A PROJECT
In Google Cloud, projects are organized entities for which you store your buckets. You must have one or more projects before you can create buckets. You can create multiple projects and use them to organize your Google Cloud Storage data into logical groups. If you already have a project set up that you’d like to use, you can skip to the CREATE BUCKETS TO ADD TO PROJECT section. Here’s how you create a project:
- After signing up, you should be presented with an option to create a project. If so, give your project a name and click on “Create.”
- If not presented with the option to create a project, click on the 3 horizontal lines at the top left to activate the menu.
- Choose “Home->Dashboard.”
- On your Dashboard, click on the dropdown menu to the right of “Google Cloud Platform.”
- This pops open a window. In this window, click on “NEW PROJECT.”
- Give the project a name.
- Choose a billing account.
- Choose a location.
- Click on “Create.”
CREATE BUCKETS TO ADD TO PROJECT
If you already have buckets defined that you wish to backup to, you can skip to the next section, RETRIEVE ID & KEY FOR CHRONOSYNC.
A ‘Bucket’ is a container for objects stored in Google Cloud. You can create as many buckets as you’d like. In ChronoSync, once connected to the Google Cloud service, you’ll select one of your buckets to backup to.
To create a bucket:
- If you’ve followed the above steps, you should be on your Dashboard.
- On that page (you may have to scroll down), there is a “Getting Started” section.
- In that section, find and click on the “Create a Cloud Storage bucket” link. You may also click on the 3 horizontal lines to open the menu, scroll to “STORAGE” and choose “Cloud Storage->Browser.”
- Click on the “Create Bucket.”
- Provide a name, location/region, storage class, access control and data/object protection. Default values will work here.
Google recommends that all bucket names comply with DNS naming conventions and need to be unique. We recommend using hyphens, underscores or periods in the name, e.g. “smith-fred-pics-graduation” or “smith.fred.pics.graduation”. (Google bucket name requirements.)
- Click on “Create.”
- You will be taken to a “Bucket Details” page. Feel free to look over.
CONFIGURE OAUTH CONSENT SCREEN
Before creating an OAuth client ID, you must first configure your OAuth consent screen.
- Assuming you’re still on the “Bucket details” page, click on the 3 horizontal lines to open the menu, choose “APIs & Services->Credentials.”
- Click on “CONFIGURE CONSENT SCREEN.”
- You should be on the “OAuth consent screen.”
- Select “External” for “User Type.”
- Click on “Create.”
- Now you’re on the “Edit app registration” screen.
- Under “App information,” fill out the “App name” and “User support email” fields.
- Scroll down to “Developer contact information” and fill out the “Email addresses” field.
- Feel free to complete the other entries, if you’d like.
- Click on “SAVE AND CONTINUE.”
- You are now on the “Scopes” page. This can be skipped by choosing “SAVE AND CONTINUE.”
- You are now on the “Test users” page. This can be skipped by choosing “SAVE AND CONTINUE.”
- On the “Summary” page, review your settings.
- Now click on “OAuth consent screen” in the sidebar.
- Click on “PUBLISH APP” under “Publishing status.”
- A “Push to production” window appears. Click “CONFIRM.”
RETRIEVE ID & KEY FOR CHRONOSYNC
To make a connection to Google Cloud, ChronoSync needs your access key credentials in order to access the buckets under your account. ChronoSync requires two keys: the ‘Client ID’ and the ‘Client Secret.’ Follow these instructions to enable your access keys:
- Click on “Credentials” in the sidebar.
- Click on “CREATE CREDENTIALS” and then “OAuth client ID.”
- Choose “Desktop app” as the “Application type.”
- Give OAuth client a name.
- Click on “CREATE.”
- You are presented with your OAuth client information which is what ChronoSync needs to connect to Google Cloud.
- Save this information.
USE OAUTH INFORMATION IN CHRONOSYNC
Now that you have everything set up in Google Cloud, you can move over to ChronoSync and set things up so you can begin backing up to the Cloud. Follow the steps below to set up a Google Cloud connection profile. Once this is done, you can select Google Cloud as one of your targets and then back up to it.
- Open Preferences in ChronoSync.
- Go to Connections Preferences.
- Click on the plus sign to add a new connection profile.
- Provide a name.
- Choose “Google Cloud Storage” for Connection Type.
- Use the Client ID (including “apps.googleusercontent.com”) and Secret Key you received in the Google Cloud Platform.
- Click on “Sign in”. A browser window will open.
- Enter your Google email address and password to sign into Google.
- If you get the “Google hasn’t verified this app” screen, click on the “Advanced” link and then on the “Go to (unsafe)” link.
- Check all checkboxes to allow access.
- Click on “Continue.” Note: Gaining access to your information is part of the OAuth authentication scheme and it is Google, not Econ, that requires it.
- “Test” the connection.
- If valid, click on “Next” to set up the Advanced connection profile features.
- Set whichever Advanced options you’d like. For a thorough explanation of them, click on the Help button to visit the ChronoSync help.
- When finished, click on “Save” to save the profile.
- Now you’re ready to connect to it.
BACKUP TO GOOGLE CLOUD
To connect and backup to Google Cloud, you set up your targets just like you would with any task. Follow these steps to set up a Left-to-right Backup of a local folder to an Google Cloud bucket:
- Select your Source target by clicking on “Choose…” in the Setup panel’s Source pane.
- On the Destination pane, choose the Google Cloud connection you just created from the “Connect to:” menu.
- Click “Choose…” to select a bucket from your Google Cloud account.
- Click on “Select” to close the sheet.
At this point, your backup is ready to run. If you wish to set rules or options, visit the respective panel.
- Click the big right arrow in the middle of the Setup panel (or choose ‘Synchronize’ from the toolbar) to perform the backup.
That’s it! You have now backed up files to a Google Cloud bucket!
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
For most people, the above steps will work flawlessly for setting up a Google Cloud account, connecting and backing up to it. However, we live in an imperfect world and sometimes things just don’t work out as expected. If you encounter any problems following this tutorial, here’s some tips that may help you get back on track:
Google Cloud Help
The Google Cloud website has documentation and forums in case you run into any problems with your account.
ChronoSync Help
From the “Help” menu in ChronoSync, you can try some of the following search terms (minus the quotes):
- “Connections”
- “Profiles”
- “Google Cloud”
- “Targets”
Technical Support
Contact our technical support team and just ask! We don’t mind — we’re here to help!