Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Google logo in the sky, surrounded by clouds

GCP is an industry-leading provider of cloud-based solutions including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) compute, storage, database, web, cloud functions and fully-managed services. 

Features/Benefits

  • Anytime, anywhere access to your data
  • Infrastructure as a Service (cloud-based, on-demand, and scalable computer networking services) 
  • Scalable storage to fit your needs
  • Pay only for what you use (pay-as-you-go pricing model)
  • Access to GCP and third-party applications and services (e.g., numerical and data analysis, databases, high-performance computing); run applications 

Who is Eligible for GCP?

All active faculty and staff are eligible for GCP. (Note: Security review and GMS work tags are required before access to GCP can be provided.)

What is GCP Best Suited For?

GCP is highly adaptable and well suited for the processing, storing and sharing of large volumes of data including research and archive data.
Notes: 

  • GU recommends Google Cloud Platform (GCP) as our premiere cloud-based platform over AWS. GCP offers many of the same features as AWS and is fully supported. 

    The advantages of GCP are:
    • Greater discount (contact UIS for details on cost)
    • Better support (we have a dedicated Google Support Engineer)
    • Faster provisioning
    • More intuitive technical and project controls
  • For storing low-risk academic and administrative files, we recommend using Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. 
  • For storing video files, we recommend using Panopto.

Data Security Considerations

GCP can be used to store and share all data types and data classifications as defined by the University Information Security Organization (UISO). Personal files should not be stored in GCP.

How to Get GCP

Contact the UIS Research Technologies group at UIS-RT@georgetown.edu to schedule a consultation on custom cloud storage and computing solutions. Or you can contact the UIS Service Center by going to help.georgetown.edu.

Getting Started with GCP

To start a discussion regarding your project, UIS recommends first reviewing GCP documentation, and then reaching out to the UIS Service Center with questions or to schedule an appointment.

Getting Help/Additional Resources

For assistance and questions, contact the Georgetown Service Center by going to help.georgetown.edu.