Download Google Cloud Bucket as a file (zip)

Question

I use Firebase. If you want to backup a Firebase bucket, they recommend doing this: https://firebase.google.com/docs/firestore/manage-data/export-import

What is the problem? You are backing up a bucket inside other bucket. I want to backup my bucket in an external device. I just want to download all my bucket content (or a folder inside that bucket) as a zip file, and save it in my awesome pendrive.

Is there a way to do it? I could not find a way to: 1. Download a bucket as a file in my computer 2. Or, download a folder that is inside a bucket.

How I'm currently doing the backup? Running this in the Google Cloud console

gcloud beta firestore export gs://my-product-name-backup/12-31-2018 --collection-ids=users,problems,seeds,feeback

So, my bucket is called my-product-name-backup. I'm OK with downloading the whole bucket, or just a folder (for example: my-product-name-backup/03-03-2019)

Answer 1

You seem to be confused a bit about how Firestore stores data and what Google is suggesting you do.

What is the problem? You are backing up a bucket inside other bucket.

This is not correct. Firestore stores its data inside some sort of mostly opaque database format. If you are copying this out to a GCS bucket, that really is an export into a different storage medium and a different format.

That being said, it's still reasonable that you might want to keep your data backups outside of Google (although GCS has a good SLA). To do that, after you've exported your Firestore data to a GCS bucket, use the gsutil utility to copy that bucket down:

gsutil cp -r gs://your-bucket-name .