Google Migration: Non-Owned Content Logic
This article explains how CloudM Migrate handles folder structures and items within a Google Drive migration when those items are owned by a user who is not part of the current migration project.
ℹ️ Important Watchpoints
- New File Creation: To achieve this, CloudM Migrate creates a NEW copy of the files in the destination, which will then be owned by the migrating user.
- G2G Requirement: For Google-to-Google migrations,
Configuration > Destination > Document > Allow Alternate Item Ownershipmust be enabled. - Scope Limits: This feature only migrates non-owned files for non-migrating source domain users; it does not support external users (e.g., @gmail.com).
- Configuration Conflicts: This option cannot be used in conjunction with 'Migrate Items Only From Listed Users'.
- Data Integrity: Some files may be orphaned during the process. If this option is used and then disabled for subsequent passes, duplicates will likely be created.
- Performance: Enabling this setting will decrease migration performance substantially.
- Testing: It is strongly recommended to test this setting in a pilot migration before using it in production.
A non-migrating user cannot "push" a folder into a migrating user's My Drive. For success, the migrating user must provide a "hook"—either a parent container or a Shortcut—to allow the tool to pull the content into the destination.
Migration Scenarios and Results
| Scenario | Location / Path | Migration Result |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Root Share | My Drive > [External Folder] |
❌ BLOCKED |
| Root Shortcut | My Drive > Shortcut (to Folder) |
✅ SUCCESS* |
| Nested Share | My Drive > [Owned Folder] > [External Folder] |
✅ SUCCESS |
*Note: The shortcut is recreated as a physical folder in the destination.
Deep Dive: Understanding the Logic
1. The Blocked Path (Direct Share)
If a non-migrating user shares a folder directly to a user's root, the tool ignores it. Without ownership or a parent container at the top level, the tool lacks the authorized "anchor" needed to recreate the folder.
2. The Shortcut "Bridge"
A Shortcut acts as a bridge. Because the migrating user owns the shortcut metadata, the tool follows that reference to the external data and recreates it as a physical structure at the destination.
3. The Unlocked Path (Parent Ownership)
Placing an external folder inside a folder the migrating user owns "unlocks" the branch. Ownership of the parent folder authorizes the tool to recreate any sub-structure found within it.
Required Configuration Settings
Source Setting
Configuration > Source > Document > Migrate contents of non-owned folders
Destination Setting (Required for G2G)
Configuration > Destination > Document > Allow alternate item ownership