This guide shows how to create a Google Cloud Storage bucket in your Ursa Major project. To upload, download and share files afterward, see Accessing an Ursa Major storage bucket.

Choose a storage class

The storage class decides how the bucket is funded:

• Standard (and other classes for active data, such as Nearline): Tier 2, recharged to a lab funding source under an MOU.
• Coldline and Archive: Tier 1 under current terms, within limits and subject to eligibility. Use them for data you need to keep but rarely read. Reading data back carries retrieval charges, and these classes have minimum storage durations. See Cloud archive and KB012: Using Ursa Major archive storage.

See KB005: Ursa Major service tiers and Google's storage classes page. For large active datasets, also consider HPCC storage and CephRDS.

Sensitive data: P3, P4 or regulated data needs a review before it is stored. See Security and Data.

Web console

1. Go to the Google Cloud console and select your project (for example my-lab-project).
2. Open the navigation menu and select Cloud Storage, then Buckets.
3. Click Create.
4. Name: enter a name. Bucket names are globally unique across all of Google Cloud, so include something specific to your lab (for example my-lab-bucket). Do not put sensitive information in the name.
5. Location: choose where the data is stored. Use the single region us-central1 (Iowa), the Ursa Major default, unless your work needs another region.
6. Storage class: choose a default class (see above).
7. Access control: keep Prevent public access on and choose Uniform access control.
8. Click Create.

Command line (gcloud)

Use the Google Cloud CLI, or Cloud Shell in the console.

1. Sign in and set your project:

   gcloud auth login
   gcloud config set project my-lab-project
   

2. Create the bucket:

   gcloud storage buckets create gs://my-lab-bucket \
       --location=us-central1 \
       --default-storage-class=STANDARD \
       --uniform-bucket-level-access \
       --public-access-prevention
   

   For an archive bucket, use --default-storage-class=COLDLINE or ARCHIVE.

3. Check that the bucket exists:

   gcloud storage ls
   

Replace my-lab-project, my-lab-bucket and the location with your own values. Google's guide: Create buckets.

Questions: research-computing@ucr.edu.

Owner: Research Computing Reviewed: 4 Oct 2026

Related guides

GuideTransferring Data from UCR HPCC to External Centers using Globus Connect PersonalKB001Research data storage at UCR: choosing by stageKB012Using Ursa Major archive storageKB013Connecting to CephRDS (S3 Object Storage)KB018Accessing CephRDS with Python (boto3)KB019Accessing CephRDS via Graphical S3 ClientsKB020Mounting CephRDS Buckets as Local DrivesGuideMounting Google Cloud Storage on Linux with rcloneGuideHow to Mount Google Drive on Linux using RcloneGuideHow to Automate Data Deletion in AWS S3 with Lifecycle PoliciesGuideUrsa Major cloud storageGuideAccessing an Ursa Major storage bucket