Overview

Migrating from DigitalOcean Spaces to Google Cloud Storage (GCS) enables integration with GCP's powerful analytics and machine learning services. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of the migration process using Cloney.

Migration Benefits

Google Cloud Storage offers seamless integration with BigQuery, Cloud Functions, and AI/ML services, plus global edge caching and competitive pricing.

Prerequisites

  • A Cloney account with an active subscription
  • DigitalOcean Space with data to migrate
  • Google Cloud Storage bucket created (destination)
  • Appropriate credentials for both services

Setup Access Credentials

Before proceeding, ensure you have configured least privilege access for both services:

DigitalOcean Spaces: Least Privilege AccessGoogle Cloud: Least Privilege Access Setup

Step 1: Add Your DigitalOcean Source

  1. Log in to your Cloney dashboard
  2. Navigate to Jobs → Create New Job
  3. Select DigitalOcean Spaces as your source provider
  4. Enter your Spaces credentials:
    • Access Key: Your Spaces access key
    • Secret Key: Your Spaces secret key
    • Region: The region where your Space is located
    • Space Name: The name of your source Space
  5. Click Validate Connection to verify access

Step 2: Configure Your GCS Destination

  1. Select Google Cloud Storage as your destination provider
  2. Upload your GCP service account JSON key file or enter credentials manually:
    • Project ID: Your GCP project identifier
    • Service Account Email: The service account email address
    • Private Key: The service account private key
    • Bucket Name: The name of your destination GCS bucket
  3. Click Validate Connection to verify access

Step 3: Configure Migration Options

Customize your migration with these options:

OptionDescriptionRecommendation
Prefix/Path FilterMigrate only objects matching a specific prefixUse for partial migrations
Preserve MetadataCopy object metadata along with dataEnable for full fidelity
Storage ClassSet the GCS storage class for migrated objectsStandard for frequent access
Overwrite ExistingReplace objects that already exist in destinationEnable for sync operations

Step 4: Start the Migration

  1. Review your migration configuration
  2. Click Start Migration
  3. Monitor progress in the Jobs dashboard
  4. Cloney will provide real-time updates on:
    • Objects transferred
    • Data volume migrated
    • Transfer speed
    • Any errors encountered
Migration Complete

Once finished, verify your data in the GCS console and update your applications.

Storage Class Options

Choose the appropriate GCS storage class based on your access patterns:

Access PatternGCS ClassUse Case
Frequent accessStandardHot data, frequently accessed
Monthly accessNearlineBackups, data accessed monthly
Quarterly accessColdlineDisaster recovery, quarterly access
Yearly accessArchiveLong-term archival, compliance

Best Practices

  • Enable Object Versioning: Turn on versioning in GCS for data protection.
  • Set Up Lifecycle Management: Configure automatic storage class transitions.
  • Use Autoclass: Let GCS automatically manage storage classes based on access patterns.
  • Integrate with BigQuery: Use BigQuery external tables to query data directly in GCS.