Prerequisites Check: Before proceeding, ensure you have completed the following:
- Verified all Backup Prerequisites.
- Created your Google Cloud Storage Bucket.
- Assigned Backup Permissions in CloudM.
- Configured your Service Account with Domain-Wide Delegation.
Now that you have checked the prerequisites and set up the required settings in your cloud provider, you can access and configure the Backup feature in the CloudM platform.
1. Configure Storage Connection
- Log in to the CloudM Platform.
- Navigate to Backup Storage Configuration.
- Select your Cloud service provider from the dropdown list.
Option A: Google Cloud Storage (GCS)
Use this option if your bucket is hosted on Google Cloud Platform.
- Service Account for Google Cloud Storage: Upload the JSON Key file for the Service Account that has access to the storage bucket.
- Bucket Name: Enter the exact name of your storage bucket.
- Encryption Key ID (Optional): If you configured a Customer-Managed Encryption Key (KMS), paste the full Resource Name here.
Option B: Amazon S3 (AWS)
For instructions on connecting an Amazon S3 bucket, please see our dedicated guide: Connect your Amazon S3 bucket.
2. Test and Save
- Click Test Connection to check that the connection details are valid.
- Success: You will see a confirmation message.
- Failure: If the test fails (e.g., credentials do not match the bucket name), rectify the error in your cloud provider settings and test again. Ensure all permissions are enabled and credentials have been properly uploaded without error.
- Click Save to confirm your configuration.
3. Configure Domain Defaults
Once connected, configure the following connection-level (domain default) settings. These settings apply globally unless overridden by specific policies.
Retention Period
Configure how long you want to keep backups for when a user has left the organization, or when a User/Shared Drive no longer has a backup policy assigned to them.
- Indefinite retention: The data is kept indefinitely and never purged from the storage bucket.
-
Retain for X days: Enter the number of days that the data will be kept after the user no longer has a backup policy assigned. After this time, the data will be purged from the storage bucket.
Note: These values can be different for each data type (e.g. Email vs Drive).
Backup Frequency
Configure how often CloudM should perform backups for each item type (e.g., Mail, Drive, Contacts). Frequencies can typically be set to intervals such as Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
Include and Exclude File Types
Define specific file types to include or exclude from User and Shared Drive backups to optimize storage and relevance.
- Include: Only back up files matching these extensions.
-
Exclude: Back up everything except files matching these extensions (e.g.,
.iso,.tmp).
Select Save to confirm your domain defaults.
Important Notes
- Avoid Cloud Provider Retention Policies: It is not recommended to have a retention policy set directly on the storage bucket through GCP, as it will conflict with the policy set in CloudM Backup.
- Retention Policy Changes: If a retention policy changes, any existing Users or Shared Drives data currently in a retention period won't be affected. The "purge date" is calculated and stored at the time the user becomes inactive. CloudM Backup does not retroactively update purge dates for existing inactive data if the policy is subsequently changed.
For more detailed scenarios, please refer to our Retention in CloudM Backup FAQs.