I'm planning a tenant-to-tenant migration of Google Workspace for about 28 users and could really use some advice from anyone who's done it before. The source tenant has three domains and a total of over 100 users, but I'm specifically moving users from one domain to a new dedicated tenant. I've got a pretty detailed plan that includes using a mix of tools like CloudM, rclone, GAM, GYB, Folgo, and even some AI scripting with Claude Code.
Here's a bit of context: The source tenant's super admin is on a different domain than the users being migrated. Before detaching the domain, I'm renaming all the migrating users, including the super admin, to an old subdomain. This way, the super admin will remain in charge of the source tenant, just under a new domain.
For Google Drive, I'm planning to use rclone to create a hard copy of all files in a Shared Drive on the new tenant because the source data is in a super admin's My Drive and has a lot of external collaborators attached to it. I'm concerned about some issues I've encountered with rclone, like it skipping Google-native files and running into permission errors. My big question revolves around using Folgo for permissions cleanup—if I remove external permissions from folders in someone's My Drive, will the folders remain intact and accessible to the owner?
I've also set up plans for email migration using CloudM and GYB, and I've noticed some potential issues with calendar visibility due to different ACL references that may need to be addressed after the domain switch.
I'm really looking for feedback on my strategy and to identify any pitfalls to avoid, especially concerning the super admin role post-migration, the legacy Drive permissions, and finalizing calendar access. Any insights would help as this will be my first multi-domain migration.
3 Answers
Your plan seems a bit overcomplicated for Google Drive. I suggest creating a shared drive in the destination workspace, giving the source super admin manager access, and then using the "move" function to transfer files. This way, the resource URLs remain the same. Just remember to test it with a couple of files first!
Honestly, your setup seems really complex. CloudM can handle Drive, Mail, and Calendar migrations all in one project, so you might want to rethink this approach or you could end up with a mess on your hands.
Have you thought about using BitTitan for your migration? It simplifies a lot of the processes and can be a smoother option if you're looking to reduce complexity.
That sounds like a good plan as long as "don't" is off the table.
CloudM is great for standard migrations. But since your source is a My Drive with so many individual permissions, going with rclone for a clean slate at the destination makes sense, plus it keeps the original data untouched as a backup.