DriveMerge

Unified Cloud Storage Management Platform

A cloud storage aggregation system for intelligent multi-account Google Drive integration

DriveMerge is a middleware platform that aggregates multiple Google Drive accounts into a unified storage interface. The system intelligently distributes files across linked accounts, overcoming individual storage limitations while maintaining complete transparency from the user's perspective.

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Table of Contents

• Overview
• Problem Statement
• Proposed Solution
• Hosted URLs
• Key Features
• Technology Stack
• Setup Instructions
• Current Limitations
• Future Scope
• Contributors

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Overview

Google Drive's free tier limits individual account storage to 15 GB, forcing users with larger storage needs to maintain multiple accounts and manually manage data fragmentation. DriveMerge addresses this critical gap by implementing an intelligent middleware layer that seamlessly integrates multiple Google Drive accounts into a single virtual storage pool.

The system employs three key innovations:

1. Storage-aware distributed allocation that respects individual account quotas
2. Parallel chunk uploading to reduce total transfer time
3. Transparent file reconstruction that reassembles distributed files on download without user awareness

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Problem Statement

Users seeking to utilize multiple free-tier accounts face significant constraints:

Challenge	Impact
Storage Limit	15 GB per Google Drive account restricts users unable or unwilling to purchase premium storage
Account Switching Overhead	Manual switching between accounts consumes user time and creates workflow interruptions
File Fragmentation	Data spread across accounts complicates search, discovery, and collaborative workflows

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Proposed Solution

DriveMerge delivers a comprehensive solution with four core components:

Unified Interface Seamlessly combines multiple Google Drive accounts into a single, intuitive interface for effortless management.

Automated Segmentation Files are automatically segmented and intelligently distributed across linked accounts to optimize total storage usage.

Transparent Reconstruction Files are transparently reconstructed on download, providing a seamless user experience without manual intervention.

Secure Access Leverages industry-standard OAuth 2.0 for secure, credential-less access to linked Google Drive accounts.

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Hosted URLs

Component	URL
Frontend	https://drive-merge.vercel.app/
Backend	https://drive-merge-server.vercel.app/

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Key Features

Authentication & Account Management

• Multi-account OAuth login with secure Google authentication
• Seamless account linking and concurrent authentication flows

Storage Management

• Unified storage management interface combining all linked drives
• Combined dashboard showing total and used storage across accounts
• Real-time storage capacity tracking and quota monitoring

File Operations

• Automatic file chunking and smart distribution logic
• Parallel chunk uploads to multiple accounts (up to 3 concurrent transfers)
• Seamless file reconstruction during download
• Memory-safe streaming downloads for large files

Performance & Optimization

• Large file handling supporting uploads beyond single-account limits
• Parallel uploads significantly reducing overall upload time
• Efficient storage distribution across connected accounts

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Technology Stack

Frontend

• React.js with TypeScript for type-safe development
• Responsive user interface with real-time state management
• Intuitive file management with drag-and-drop upload capabilities

Backend

• Node.js with Express.js for robust API services
• OAuth2 authentication handler managing refresh tokens
• Upload engine implementing chunking logic and parallel transfer coordination
• Download proxy reconstructing files from distributed chunks

Database

• MySQL for relational data storage
• Prisma ORM for schema management and efficient database interaction

Cloud Integration

• Google Drive API for authentication, file operations, and quota monitoring

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Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm or yarn package manager
• MySQL database
• Google Cloud project with Drive API enabled

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/nandu-99/DriveMerge
cd DriveMerge

2. Setup Backend

cd server
npm install
cp .env.example .env

Configure environment variables with your Google Cloud credentials and database configuration.

Run Prisma migrations:

npx prisma migrate dev

Start the backend server:

node index.js

3. Setup Frontend

cd ..
cd client
npm install
cp .env.example .env

Configure environment variables with your API configuration.

Run the development server:

npm run dev

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:3000

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Current Limitations

• Google Cloud Test Mode: Application is in test mode — only developer-approved users can authenticate with Google Drive
• Single Account Upload: File uploads currently target the first connected Drive only
• No Encryption: Access tokens stored in plain text (encryption planned for Phase 2)
• Authentication Scope: Limited to Google Drive integration (multi-cloud support planned)

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Future Scope

End-to-End Encryption Client-side encryption before upload to ensure zero-knowledge data privacy and protection from unauthorized access.

Multi-Cloud Support Extend integration to platforms like Dropbox and OneDrive, creating a universal storage aggregation system.

Advanced File Versioning Introduce version control and rollback capabilities to track file changes and restore previous versions across connected accounts.

Analytics Dashboard Provide detailed insights on storage usage trends, distribution patterns, and system performance metrics.

Content-Based Deduplication Identify identical files across accounts and eliminate redundant storage to optimize capacity utilization.

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Contributors

Name	Student ID
Charan Adithya	230075
Vivekananda	230077
Aditya Kammati	230145

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