Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace Migration Watchpoints

This section details specific behaviors related to email data migration.

Watchpoint: Received Headers

• Behavior: Google always rewrites the 'Received' headers of messages to the date and time the message was migrated into Gmail. This is a strict platform limitation and cannot be avoided.
• User Impact: While the "Sent" date remains accurate, the internal metadata will reflect the migration date.

Junk Email Folder

• Behavior: The contents of the "Junk Email" folder from the source mailbox will not be migrated.
• Recommendation: Advise end-users to check this folder during their pre-migration cleanup to ensure no legitimate email is left behind.

Mail Folders & Labels

• Behavior:
  • Outlook email folders will be migrated as Gmail labels.
  • Sub-folders will automatically become sub-labels.
  • Categories: By default, CloudM Migrate maps Outlook Categories to Gmail Labels.
    • If a message is in an Outlook folder and has a category assigned in the source, both will be applied as Gmail labels in the destination.
    • Example: If an email in the source mailbox is assigned to an Outlook Category (for example, the "Red Category"), the migration tool will automatically create a corresponding label named "Red Category" in the destination Gmail account and apply it to the migrated message.
    • Note: Unfortunately, there is currently no option to place categories only into a top-level label, and there is no workaround to bypass this behavior.
• Special Character Handling: If a folder name contains a forward slash (/), it will be split into two labels (parent/child) to accommodate Google's label hierarchy.

Email Settings

• Behavior: Personal email settings such as signatures, canned responses, and inbox filters/rules will not be migrated.
• Recommendation: Users must manually re-apply these settings in Google Workspace post-migration.

Message Limitations (50MB)

• Behavior: If a message exceeds 50MB, attachments are removed and replaced with a [original_name].removed text file. If the body alone exceeds 50MB, the body is replaced with explanatory text.
• Note: Controlled via Configuration > Advanced > Email > Modify Invalid Messages.

Google Workspace Inbox Size Limitations

• Behavior: Google Workspace mailbox size limitations apply (can be found here: https://support.google.com/a/answer/175121).
• Recommendations: If a user's source mailbox is over the size supported by the destination mailbox, consider limiting the amount of items being migrated (e.g. migrate the past 3 years of email only), or archiving emails beyond the limits.

This section covers the migration of Teams Channel conversations to Google Spaces and personal 1-to-1 chats.

Teams Channels to Google Spaces

Refer to the Full Teams to Spaces Guide for detailed prerequisites.

• What is migrated: Private and shared channel attachments.
• Destination: Attachments are migrated to a Shared Drive created using the name of the destination Space.
• What is NOT migrated: Attachments added using the "Add from OneDrive" or "Browse Team Channels" options.

1-to-1 User Chats

1-to-1 Chats are migrated as Email only and are governed by the following configurations:

• Message Type: Configuration > Source > Microsoft Teams/Groups > Export chat message type must be set to Email.
• Licensing: Ensure the Teams chat API licensing model is correctly configured.
• Folder Destination: Specify the "Private chat top level folder name" under Configuration > Advanced > Email to define where chats appear in Gmail.

Watchpoint: Local Chat Attachments

• Behavior: Attachments shared in 1-to-1 chats from "My Files" (OneDrive) are supported. However, attachments uploaded from a local source (PC) are not supported and will not be migrated.

Permissions:

To ensure a clear understanding of data access post-migration, permissions are governed by the following four rules:

• General (User and SharePoint Site)
  • Internal Only: We ONLY support migrating internal permissions for folders and files.
  • Direct/Explicit Permissions: We ONLY support direct/explicit permissions - IE when a user is specifically added to a file or folder's ACL. This can be checked for a folder/file in OneDrive/SharePoint via Manage Access > Advanced Settings.
• SharePoint Site Specific
  • No Site-Level Members: We do NOT support migrating site-level permissions directly to Shared Drive members.
  • The 'Documents' Workaround: We migrate the permissions from the top-level 'Documents' document library (which typically holds the site permissions). These library-level permissions are applied to that folder and will trickle down throughout all the underlying content based on the rules above.

Document Metadata

OneDrive Structure

• Behavior: Because OneDrive is a SharePoint library named "Documents," all migrated files will be placed into a folder named "Documents" at the root of the user's Google My Drive.

Limitations

• Version History: Only the most recent version of a file is migrated. Any important information in the version history should be copied manually prior to go-live.

Linked Files/Images

• Behavior: Hyperlinks to other Microsoft 365 files may no longer work after migration. Embedded links, charts, and files will point to the original source location. Microsoft Forms lose connection to response sheets. External links (bookmarks) will continue to lead to the original Microsoft document location.
• Recommendations: Advise users they will need to update these links. Consider using Document Mappings to produce a report mapping the original source document URL/ID to the migrated document URL/ID.

Externally Owned & Shared Data

• Externally Owned Data: Migrate is unable to migrate any document owned externally. Documents owned by external users to the M365 tenant will need to be re-shared back to migrating users post-migration.
• Externally Shared Data: External sharing will NOT be migrated for internal documents shared externally. External sharing will need to be re-established post-migration.

Pinned/Favorite Files and Folders

• Behavior: Pinned or favorited files and folders from the source account will not be replicated. Flags are migrated to Google Workspace as stars.
• Recommendations: Advise end users that they will have to pin/star files and folders post-migration.

Watchpoint: Event Ownership

• Behavior: Edits to migrated events do not notify attendees as ownership remains with the source. For critical changes, delete and re-create the event in Google Calendar.

Appointment Attachments

• Configuration: Enable via Configuration > Destination > Calendar > Migrate attachments.
• Result: Attachments are migrated to the user's My Drive in a specified folder.

Meetings with Teams Meeting Links

• Behavior: Meeting links will be migrated, but they will still link to the existing Teams meeting. A Google Meet link will not be created in their place.
• Recommendations: For internal meetings, advise end users to create new meetings with Google Meet links.

Secondary Calendars

• Behavior: Secondary calendars will be migrated only if the original owner can be identified. Old calendars that were hidden before the migration will appear again at the destination.
• Recommendations: Advise users of the behavior regarding hidden calendars and review calendar sharing carefully to ensure it is shared out appropriately.

Calendar Sharing Notifications

• Behavior: Users will receive emails indicating that a calendar has been shared with them during a migration.
• Recommendations: Make users aware of this and advise that it is part of the migration process. No action is required.

Phased Migrations (Calendar Interop)

• Behavior: Using calendar between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace during a phased migration will cause users to experience difficulty managing their calendar invites cross platform.
• Recommendations: It is advised that an admin/technical resource sets up Google Calendar Interop.

My Contacts vs Other Contacts

• Behavior: The default migration behavior will mean that users' "Other Contacts" will be migrated into their "My Contacts" section. This is to help ensure the user email addresses are prompted when composing emails.
• Recommendations: Advise end users of this expected behavior.

The following services are not supported for migration to Google Workspace by CloudM Migrate:

• Microsoft OneNote: Notebooks must be manually exported. (OneNote is not migrated).
• SharePoint Sites: Layouts, web parts, and pages do not migrate to Google Sites.
• Recycle Bin: Items in the source "Trash" or "Recycle Bin" are not migrated. (If required, restore prior to migration).