Configuration guide

Google Cloud Storage

Access files from Google Cloud Storage buckets

Before you begin

Availability depends on your school's enabled tools, provider setup, and account permissions. These settings are managed in the web workspace. A class policy may restrict a feature described here.

How it works#

The Google Cloud Storage connector pulls in all documents from the specified GCS bucket. It supports various file formats including PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, and more.

Documents are updated every 1 day.

Setting up#

Authorization#

Open Interoperability settings#

Log into your Google Cloud Console. Navigate to "Cloud Storage" > "Settings" > "Interoperability".

Create service account key#

Click "Create a key for a service account". Click "Create new account" (or select an existing account and click Create key).

Set service account details#

Set a name for the new service account (e.g., "onyx-gcs-connector") and click "Create and continue".

Assign role and finish#

Click "Select a role" and select Storage Object Viewer or another, more permissive role. Click "Done".

Record HMAC keys#

Back on the Interoperability page you should see the new credentials. Record both Access key and Secret.

Indexing#

Open Google Storage connector#

Navigate to the Admin Panel > Add Connector > Google Storage.

Create credentials#

Click Create New to create a new credential.

Enter keys and connect#

Paste your Access key and Secret in the form. Click Create and Continue. Name your connector, specify the GCS bucket you would like to index, and click Create Connector.

Understanding Google Cloud Storage Structure#

Google Cloud Storage organizes data into buckets. Each bucket can contain an unlimited number of objects (files). You can think of a bucket as a root directory, and the objects as files within that directory.

For more information on Google Cloud Storage structure, visit the Google Cloud Storage documentation.

Before using this source with students#

Start with approved course material. Check which documents the connector can retrieve and how it maps source permissions. Test with a student account and a teacher account before widening access. A successful sync does not prove that the intended class boundary is correct.

Use source troubleshooting when a document is missing or visible to the wrong audience.