Migrating From Google Workspace to Office 365
We've gone over the differences in the offerings between Google Workspace and M365 in another blog that we wrote, so check that out for a comprehensive comparison, but what does the migration look like when moving from Google to M365? The migration tends to be a pretty straightforward process, but, although, they do offer similar functions, it's possible to have some kinks along the way since they are two completely different platforms. This is why it's best to get a professional to do the migration for you to ensure smooth sailing. Let's take a look at what a migration can look like to get a clearer view of the process.
What Can Be Migrated
Generally, everything that you have stored on a Google Workspace tenant can be migrated into M365. This includes email from Gmail into Exchange Online, and files/documents from Google Drive into OneDrive/Sharepoint. Typically, getting all of the data from one and into another is pretty simple, especially when using the proper tools, and we will certainly confirm that all data is there before calling it complete.Migration Process
Here are the steps that we follow when migrating from Google Workspace and into M365:
- Gain Super Admin access to Google Admin Center - This typically needs to be added by a current admin user in Google Workspace and will instruct to do so when ready
- Setup M365 tenant - This is a must from the start to ensure we have somewhere to migrate the data into
- Add domain(s) to the new tenant - We set these up as-is from the current Google tenant and can match it exactly. This includes any secondary domains that may be there as well
- Set up necessary user accounts, groups, sites, etc. - Again, we can set this up as-is from the Google tenant and any can be added as needed. We will then licenses those accounts based on the M365 licensing that was chosen for each
- Setup migration batches - This is in preparation for the actual migration from Google Workspace into Exchange Online/Office 365. This helps to organize the data and ensures that we don't have to move it all at once, which can be problematic at times
- Cutover - This will include mail flow and services into M365. This does not happen until we confirm with the end users that all their data looks the same as they had it in Google
How to Make This Migration Successful
Migrating email from Google Workspace to M365 could potentially be tricky due to some of the differences in how functions work between the two. For example, Google has "Categories" where Exchange doesn't. With differences like this, it helps to build a strategy around your specific usage of Googe Workspace and your planned usage of M365.- Understand the differences - It's important to detail the differences of your current G Suite configuration and how you want to configure those changes in M365. With how ambiguous this phase can be, we recommend building a strategy with a provider like us or conducting research, in detail, on the differences between both cloud platforms
- Prepare your new environment - Your new M365 environment is a fresh start for your infrastructure to be built from, so we recommend spending some time outlining SharePoint site structure, folder structure, naming conventions, etc. If these are outlined prior to a move, we can help implement those changes during a migration
- Test it - With any type of technology, we always stress testing before moving to production. We test a small batch of users with these new rules and make sure we are all happy with the outcome
- Cutover to M365 - With our migration solutions, we sync your old data to M365 with daily updates. This is in case new data shows up in Google after the migration
- Review configuration and policies in M365 - We utilize a 50 item checklist we created that reviews security and efficiency for your organization prior to completion
As we've said before, it is always best to reach out to professionals with experience in migrating from Google to M365, if that is your plan, and RyanTech has it. We help every step of the way and walk you through the process while doing the hard work for you. Everything will be addressed by our migration team during the process while you get to sit back and relax... relatively speaking :)
