At CloudM, we talk "cloud" everyday. We know our secondary servers from our SaaS Integrations, and our Managed Domains from our Multi-Cloud.
But, we understand that you might not get all the tech parlance that we throw around in our articles, so we have put together this handy glossary to give you a brief definition of each these terms.
💡 Tip: Press Ctrl + F (Windows) or Cmd + F (Mac) to quickly search for a specific term on this page.
| Terminology | Definition | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2FA / MFA | Two-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. | Security process requiring 2+ forms of ID to verify a user. |
| AD / Entra ID | Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service. | Formerly Azure AD; now Microsoft Entra ID. |
| Address/Domain Mapping | Defining how email addresses or domain names from a source platform correspond to a target platform. | Address Replacements Guide |
| Address Replacement | A specific type of mapping focused exclusively on replacing email addresses during migration. | Commonly used when moving to a new domain name. |
| Administrator | A user with elevated permissions to manage data or perform specific platform tasks. | E.g., An email signature management administrator. |
| API | Acronym for 'Application Programming Interface'. Defines how software components interact. | CloudM uses APIs to communicate with Google and Microsoft. |
| API Scopes | A mechanism that defines exactly what data a Service Account is permitted to access. | Ensures CloudM only sees the data required for migration. |
| Archive | Migrating offboarded user data to a Storage Bucket to retain information while freeing up licenses. | See the CloudM Archive solution. |
| AU | Acronym for 'Archived User'. | A specific Google Workspace license type for data retention. |
| AWS | Acronym for 'Amazon Web Services'. Amazon's cloud computing platform. | Amazon S3 is supported as a backup storage option. |
| Backup | Protecting data by storing copies on remote servers hosted by a third party. | See CloudM Backup. |
| BigQuery | Google's managed, serverless data warehouse for scalable analysis. | Used for processing very large datasets. |
| Business Continuity | The strategic ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during and after a disaster. | CloudM Continuity. |
| Cloud Storage | Data stored on servers hosted by a third party rather than on-premises hardware. | E.g., Google Cloud Storage or Azure Blob Storage. |
| CloudM Directory | The foundational user management database within CloudM SaaS. | Synchronizes automatically with Google Workspace Directory. |
| CloudM Migrate Hosted | SaaS version of CloudM Migrate. No setup required; ideal for migrations under 2500 users. | Infrastructure managed by CloudM. |
| CloudM Migrate Self-Hosted | Downloadable version of CloudM Migrate, ideal for large (500+) or complex migrations. | Installed on your own local or cloud infrastructure. |
| Concurrent Threads | The number of simultaneous data-transfer streams running during a migration. | Higher thread counts increase speed but risk Throttling. |
| Conversations | Data type referring to Google Spaces/Chats and Microsoft Teams channel/private conversations. | Â |
| Destination | The platform or domain that users and data are migrated to. | E.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365. |
| Disaster Recovery (DR) | Tools and procedures to restore IT infrastructure and data following a critical failure. | Focuses on the rapid restoration of services. |
| DLP | Acronym for 'Data Loss Prevention'. | Strategies to ensure sensitive data is not lost or misused. |
| Document Library | SharePoint Document Library. Centralized storage for documents on a site. | The backbone of file storage in Microsoft Teams. |
| Domain-switch migration | Same-platform migration where a primary domain name is moved from source to destination. | Google-to-Google or M365-to-M365. |
| Domain Transfer (Google) | PSO service offered by Google to merge environments. CloudM Migrate is the software alternative. | Â |
| Domain-Wide Delegation | Authorizing a Service Account to impersonate users to access data across a whole organization. | Configured in the Google Admin Console. |
| Dropbox Team Folders | Original version of consolidated folder structures for Dropbox teams. | Â |
| Dropbox Team Spaces | New centralized folder structure for Dropbox shared files. | Â |
| eDiscovery | Identifying, collecting, and producing electronic information for legal purposes. | Google Vault and Microsoft Purview are examples. |
| Environment Scan | A pre-migration discovery tool used to identify all supported entities in a source platform. | View Guide |
| File System | On-premises/local or cloud storage, e.g., Windows File Shares. | Â |
| GAM | Acronym for 'Google Apps Manager'. CLI tool for bulk Google management. | Open-source tool for advanced admins. |
| GAMLN | Acronym for 'Google Apps Migration for Lotus Notes'. | Â |
| GCDS | Acronym for 'Google Cloud Directory Sync'. | Â |
| GCP | Google Cloud Platform. Suite of computing services for storage and VMs. | Used for hosting infrastructure. |
| GCPS | Acronym for 'Google Cloud Password Sync'. | Â |
| GCS | Acronym for 'Google Cloud Storage'. | Infrastructure used for storing large volumes of data. |
| GDPR | Acronym for 'General Data Protection Regulation'. | Data privacy laws governing the EU and UK. |
| Google Vault | Governance and eDiscovery tool for Google Workspace. | Used for legal holds and archiving. |
| Google Workspace | Cloud productivity suite including Gmail, Calendar, and Drive. | Managed via the Admin Console. |
| GWMME | Migration tool for moving Exchange to Google Workspace. | Google-native tool. |
| HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. | US data privacy standard for medical information. |
| IDP | Identity Provider. System for managing digital identities. | E.g., Microsoft Entra ID or Okta. |
| IMAP | Email protocol for syncing servers with devices. | Used for standard mailbox consistency. |
| Inheritance (Profile) | The automated process where a user "catches" profile data from their parent container (OU or Smart Team). | Specific to Directory automation. View Guide. |
| ISO 27001 | International standard for Information Security Management Systems. | Compliance certification for security. |
| JML | Joiners, Movers, Leavers. Process for managing staff lifecycle. | Automated via CloudM Automate. |
| MaaS | Migrate as a Service. Used for Archiving data into storage. | Â |
| Managed Domains | Partner feature for accessing multiple domains without separate logins. | Centralizes partner administration. |
| Microsoft Graph | The primary "gateway" API for Microsoft 365 data (Mail, Files, Users). | The modern standard for M365 interactions. |
| Microsoft 365 | Cloud productivity suite including Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook. | Managed via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. |
| Microsoft PowerShell | CLI tool and scripting language for task automation. | Used for bulk administrative changes. |
| Migration Methodology (Phases) |
The strategic stages of data transfer:
|
See Strategy Guide. |
| Migration Machine | The dedicated hardware or virtual instance used to execute migration tasks. | Synonyms: Migration Server, Node. See Primary Server. |
| Multi-Cloud | Use of multiple cloud services to avoid single-vendor reliance. | Â |
| Multi-Server Migration | Migration using a "farm" of multiple machines to scale throughput. | See Primary and Secondary Server roles. |
| Offboarding | Removing access and data for departing employees. | Often involves archiving data for legal reasons. |
| On Premises | Data stored within local servers and physical infrastructure. | Â |
| Onboarding | Provisioning assets and licenses for new employees. | Ensures ready-day-one access for users. |
| Organization Details | Shared profile attributes describing a role or location (e.g., Office Address, Job Title) rather than an individual. | Primary target for automated inheritance. |
| Organizational Unit (OU) | Google feature for hierarchical group and permission management. | Used to organize users into logical groups. |
| Permissions | Task enablement (view, edit, delete) within CloudM Platform. | Combined into Roles for management. |
| Platform | The domain environment being migrated from (Source) or to (Destination). | Â |
| Precedence (Priority) | The "Search and Claim" logic CloudM uses to decide which Smart Team or OU wins when configurations conflict. | Precedence FAQ |
| Primary Server | The "Engine" of a migration farm that delegates tasks to secondary servers. | Can also perform "worker" duties. See Secondary Server. |
| Profile | Unique user entry containing metadata like contact details. | Â |
| Profile Fields | Data fields (Title, manager, license) within a profile. | Â |
| Profile Variables | Dynamic placeholders (e.g., {{title}}) used to insert user-specific data into email signatures. | Mapping Reference |
| Provisioning | Configuring user accounts, groups, or resources in the destination platform. | Analogy: Provisioning builds the house; Migration moves the furniture. |
| PST | Personal Storage Table. Local file format for Outlook mail. | Used for local archives. |
| Rate Limiting | Google's term for restricting API request volume to ensure stability. | Optimization Guide |
| RBAC | Role Based Access Control. Managing feature access via Roles. | Â |
| RDP | Remote Desktop Protocol. Control another computer over a network. | Used to access migration servers remotely. |
| Readiness Scan | A pre-migration health check to identify configuration issues before a live run. | Essential validation for migration health. |
| Roles | Sets of specific permissions. Default roles include Admin and User. | See RBAC. |
| SaaS | Software as a Service. Delivery over internet via subscription. | E.g., Microsoft 365 or CloudM. |
| SaaS integration | Applications exchanging information to automate commands. | E.g., Slack deactivation during offboarding. |
| Secondary Server | The "Workers" of a migration farm that carry out processes and threads. | Assigned tasks by the Primary Server. |
| Server | Computer delivering data to another device over a network. | Â |
| Service Account | A special account used by CloudM to interact with APIs securely. | Google uses Service Accounts; Microsoft uses App Registrations. |
| Serviced Migrations | Professional migration planning and execution by the CloudM team. | Managed services for complex projects. |
| Single-Server Migration | Self-Hosted only. Migration using one machine (20 concurrent thread limit). | See Basic Installation guides. |
| Smart Teams | Enhanced groups within CloudM that allow for dynamic membership and policy inheritance. | Acts as a "Virtual Field" for directory data. |
| Source | The domain or platform data is moved from. | Â |
| SSO | Single Sign-On credentials for multiple apps. | Reduces password fatigue for users. |
| Team Site | SharePoint Team Site. Collaboration space for groups. | Â |
| Throttling | Microsoft's term for restricting throughput during high usage. | Equivalent to Google's Rate Limiting. |
| Throughput | The amount of data successfully migrated within a specific period (e.g., GB per hour). | Key metric for migration performance. |
| Token / App Registration | Authentication credentials allowing CloudM to interact with APIs securely. | Required for password-less data access. |
| VFE | Vault Former Employee license type. | Â |
| Virtual Field | A concept where a container (OU or Team) "holds" data and pushes it to all members automatically. | Central to the CloudM Inheritance methodology. |
| Virtual Machine | Software-based computer running on physical hardware. | Used to scale speed via secondary servers. |
| VM | Virtual Machine instance. | Software-based computer running in the cloud. |
| WYSIWYG | What You See Is What You Get. Visual editor for content. | CloudM Signatures editor. |
SaaS UI Navigation Icons
Understanding these industry-standard UI elements will help you navigate the CloudM platform effectively.
| Name | AKA / Description | Icon |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | "Three lines". Expands or collapses side menus. | |
| Waffle / Chocolate | "App Launcher". Switch between apps (Google Workspace). | |
| Kebab | "Three vertical dots". More actions/overflow menu. | |
| Meatballs / Ellipsis | "Three horizontal dots". Secondary horizontal options. |