Google Data Transfer API use case and limitations

What is the Google Data Transfer API?

The Google Data Transfer API is an API developed and supported by Google that can be used to manage the transfer of data from one user to another within a domain.

How is the Google Data Transfer API used in CloudM Automate?

As part of the “Transfer Ownership of Documents” offboarding step, you have the additional option to use the Google Data Transfer API instead of the default CloudM method. 

Advantages of using Google Data Transfer API

• The Google Data Transfer API resolves an expected behavior with the default step where files and folders from other user’s shared folders become orphaned from their original location if they contain owned folders of an offboarded user. The Google Data Transfer API changes the ownership and creates a drive shortcut for the new owner to the original, allowing everyone with permissions to still access it and revoking access from the previous, now offboarded, user.
• The Google Data Transfer API is the vendor recommended way for transferring Drive, Looker and Calendar data within users of one tenant and is executed on the Google infrastructure. This also means that if Google make changes to the data transfer process, they will also make changes to the API to accommodate.

Limitations

When using the Google Data Transfer API as part of the “Transfer Ownership of Documents” step, the following limitations apply:

• There is less fidelity in the statistics that CloudM Automate can produce when using Google Data Transfer API instead of the default CloudM method. This includes being unable to track the process of the step. The status will only state whether it is in process, successful or failed.
• Error logs exportable from CloudM Automate will not be as detailed as those from processes using the default CloudM method.
• There is also no method to control or filter the transfer files.
• When the “Use Data Transfer API” setting is enabled, the Folder name field will be disabled. Instead, the new folder name on the destination will use the email address of the source (offboarded) user.