
Google Pooled Storage is a feature in Google Workspace that allows administrators to allocate a shared storage space across all users in an organization. This storage space is divided equally among all users, and each user's storage is pooled together to create a shared resource.
Each user in an organization gets a default storage quota, which is 5 TB for Google Workspace Business and Enterprise customers. This quota is the amount of storage space each user is allocated by default.
This pooled storage is a game-changer for organizations with many users, as it allows administrators to manage storage space more efficiently. By allocating a shared storage space, administrators can avoid the hassle of managing individual user storage quotas.
Admins can also set up custom storage quotas for specific users or groups, which can be useful for large files or datasets that require more storage space.
A fresh viewpoint: Google Storage Quota
Storage Capacity and Limits
Google's Pooled Storage allows administrators to set a storage limit for each user, making it easier to manage storage for large organizations. This is a game-changer for businesses with 100+ users.
The storage limit is calculated based on the subscription and the number of users purchased, and is known as the "Organization storage limit". This limit is the maximum amount of storage all users combined can use.
To set up pooled storage, administrators must first log in to the Admin console and select Storage from the left side menu. From there, they can choose 'Manage' under Storage settings and turn ON the settings to set a storage limit for each user.
The storage limit can be set to a specific amount, such as 1 TB, and can be specified in different units like TB or GB. For example, to allocate 1 TB of storage, an administrator would enter 1 in the storage limit box and choose TB as a unit.
Here's a breakdown of the different storage limits that can be set:
If an administrator wants to override the inherited storage size, they can click the "Override" button to make it permanent. This will change the storage limit for the user, and they can verify the new storage limit by checking the user's Google Drive account.
It's worth noting that the storage limit can be changed at any time, and administrators can adjust the storage limit for each user as needed. This flexibility is a key benefit of Google's Pooled Storage feature.
Discover more: Google Workspace Storage Limits
Storage Features and Settings
Google Workspace users have a predefined storage limit, which can become difficult to manage for large organizations. Starting from GSuite basic and GSuite Starter editions, users are allocated a fixed amount of storage for their Mail, Docs, and Photos.
The storage limit for individual users can be set by the administrator, but this can be a tedious task for organizations with 100+ users. To simplify storage management, Google introduced pooled storage.
The organization storage limit is calculated based on the subscription and the number of users purchased, and this is the maximum amount of storage all users combined can use. This limit is also known as the "Organization storage limit".
For more insights, see: Google Chrome Local Storage Limit
About Storage
Storage is a crucial aspect of Google Workspace, and understanding how it works can help you manage your organization's data effectively. There are different types of storage available, including pooled storage, storage pools, OnVault pools, and snapshot pools.
Pooled storage is a feature that allows administrators to set a user storage limit for their organization, making it easier to manage storage for large organizations. The organization storage limit is calculated based on the subscription and the number of users purchased.
On a similar theme: How to Use Google Storage

Storage pools, on the other hand, act as a container for volumes and share the same location, service level, and Virtual Private Cloud network. You can assign capacity to volumes within the pool, and billing is based on the location, service level, and capacity allocated to the pool.
OnVault pools are typically used for long-term retention of data and can use Google nearline, coldline, and archive class storage. You can create an OnVault pool to store data and adjust the pool warning and safe percentages.
Snapshot pools are used for replicated data and can be selected as the destination snapshot pool for incoming StreamSnap replication data.
Here's a summary of the different types of storage:
Auto-Tiering
Auto-tiering is a feature that can significantly reduce the overall cost of volume usage. It's especially useful for users who have large amounts of inactive data.
Auto-tiering needs to be allowed on a storage pool before it can be enabled for any volumes in the pool. This selection is permanent once made.
Enabling auto-tiering on a pool doesn't change existing volumes or affect how new volumes are created by default. Instead, you need to explicitly enable it for individual volumes.
To do this, you'll need to update existing volumes or create a new volume with auto-tiering enabled.
Related reading: Google Drive as Backup Service
Volumes
Volumes can be assigned to storage pools. This allows you to group related volumes together for easier management.
To create a volume, you need to provision a storage pool to host it first. This sets the stage for the volume's settings.
You can move a volume within a pool to a different pool with the same settings, as long as the service level allows and the target pool has enough spare capacity. This means you can reorganize your storage without affecting the volume's settings.
Assigning capacity to a storage pool allows you to allocate it to volumes within the pool. This is a flexible way to manage your storage resources.
Storage Availability and Management
Google Workspace pooled storage offers a more manageable storage solution for organizations with a large number of users. This is particularly important for businesses with over 100 users, as managing individual storage limits can become challenging.
Pooled storage allows administrators to set a user storage limit, which is a more efficient way to manage storage. The total storage amount depends on the subscription and the number of licenses purchased. This is known as the "Organization storage limit".
Pooled storage is set to OFF by default when setting up a new Google Workspace standard subscription. This means that users will receive an error message when their storage reaches its limit, indicating that the organization has exceeded its storage capacity.
Availability
Availability is a crucial aspect of storage management, and it's great to have options to choose from. Pools in different service levels have varying availability, and you can select the one that suits your needs.
A regional pool maintains two synchronous replicas of your data in two different zones. This setup ensures high availability, as one zone acts as a standby in case the other fails.
In a regional pool, you can choose the active zone and a replica zone, and all volumes will be available from the active zone. This means that your data is always accessible, even if one zone is down.
If the active zone and your workload VMs are in the same Google Cloud zone, it optimizes I/O latency and improves performance. This is a significant advantage, especially for applications that require fast data access.
A zone switch can cause a pause in file service activity, but it's a necessary step to ensure data availability. After the switch is completed, file services start again, and your data is available as usual.
Explore further: Google Storage Transfer Service
On Vault Pools
On Vault Pools are designed for long-term retention of data, and they come with a default compression option to minimize network traffic and storage consumption.
The compression option helps reduce the amount of data that needs to be stored, making it a great feature for organizations with large data sets.
On Vault Pools can use Google nearline, coldline, and archive class storage, giving you flexibility in choosing the right storage solution for your needs.
You can create an On Vault Pool by following the instructions in the "Use OnVault pools" section, and adjust the pool warning and safe percentages as needed.
After the initial full backup, only the changes to data are sent to the On Vault Pool, using the incremental forever model that's also used by other Backup and DR policies.
Tìm Hiểu Bộ Nhớ Của Google Workspace
Google Workspace Pooled Storage is a game-changer for organizations with multiple users, especially those with over 100 users. This feature allows administrators to set a user storage limit, making it easier to manage storage for their organization.
Broaden your view: Whatsapp Is Ending Complimentary Google Drive Storage for Android Users
The storage limit for an organization is calculated based on the subscription and the number of users purchased. This is known as the "Organization storage limit."
Having a pooled storage system means that a whole sum of storage is allocated to the whole organization, and the same storage is divided among users depending on their requirements.
In a Google Workspace standard subscription, the "Organization storage limit" is set to OFF by default. This means that users won't inherit storage from the organization, resulting in an error message when they log in to their Google Drive account.
Sources
- https://www.bdrsuite.com/blog/an-overview-of-google-workspace-pooled-storage/
- https://cloud.google.com/backup-disaster-recovery/docs/concepts/storage-pools
- https://blog.whogohost.com/google-workspace-pooled-storage/
- https://cloud.google.com/netapp/volumes/docs/configure-and-use/storage-pools/overview
- https://googleworkspace.adtimin.vn/giai-thich-bo-nho-gop-pooled-storage-google-workspace/
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