Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 -Step by Step Guide Print

Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 requires careful planning to ensure a seamless transition for all users in your domain. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of the migration process, including DNS configuration and user data migration steps.

Prerequisites:

1. Access to both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Admin accounts.
2. A domain to use with Microsoft 365.
3. Backup of user data (optional but recommended).
4. Migration permissions set up in both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Step 1: Prepare Your Microsoft 365 Environment

1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center:

   • Go to https://admin.microsoft.com and sign in with your admin credentials.

2. Add Your Domain to Microsoft 365:

   • In the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to Settings > Domains and select Add domain.
   • Enter your domain name (e.g., example.com) and select Use this domain.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to verify domain ownership. This typically requires adding a TXT record to your domain's DNS settings in your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Register.com, Networksolutions etc.) or in DNS Panel of Cloudflare, Plesk, cPanel.

3. Set Up DNS Records:

   • After verifying your domain, you’ll need to update your DNS settings to enable services like email in Microsoft 365. Refer to the DNS settings provided in Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Domains.

   Key DNS Records for Microsoft 365:

   Type	Name	Value	TTL
   MX	@	<domain>.mail.protection.outlook.com	3600
   CNAME	autodiscover	autodiscover.outlook.com	3600
   CNAME	sip	sipdir.online.lync.com	3600
   CNAME	lyncdiscover	webdir.online.lync.com	3600
   CNAME	msoid	clientconfig.microsoftonline-p.net	3600
   CNAME	enterpriseregistration	enterpriseregistration.windows.net	3600
   TXT	@	v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all	3600
   SRV	_sip._tls	sipdir.online.lync.com	3600
   SRV	_sipfederationtls._tcp	sipfed.online.lync.com	3600

4. Activate Licenses for Microsoft 365:

   • Assign licenses to all users in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under Users > Active users. Each user must have a license to migrate their data to Microsoft 365.

Step 2: Prepare for Data Migration

1. Enable API Access in Google Workspace:

   • Go to Google Admin Console.
   • Navigate to Security > API Controls and ensure API access is enabled.

2. Create a Google Service Account for Migration:

   • Go to the Google Cloud Console.
   • Create a new project and enable the Gmail API and Calendar API for this project.
   • Under IAM & Admin > Service Accounts, create a new service account with the role Project Editor.
   • Generate and download the private key (JSON file format).

3. Grant Data Access for Migration:

   • In Google Admin Console, navigate to Security > API Controls and click Manage Domain-Wide Delegation.
   • Add the Client ID for the service account created earlier and grant the following OAuth scopes:
     • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly
     • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar
     • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/contacts.readonly

Step 3: Start Data Migration in Microsoft 365

1. Access the Exchange Admin Center:

   • Go to https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com and log in.
   • Navigate to Migration > Migrations > New Migration and select Migrate to Exchange Online.

2. Choose Google Workspace as the Migration Source:

   • Select G Suite (Gmail) as the migration source and IMAP migration as the migration method.

3. Upload Service Account Credentials:

   • Upload the JSON file containing the Google service account credentials created earlier.

4. Configure Migration Endpoint:

   • Set the migration endpoint using your Google Workspace domain (typically imap.gmail.com with port 993 and SSL enabled).

5. Map Users for Migration:

   • Download the user list template from the Migration Wizard.
   • Populate the user list with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 email addresses and upload it back to the Migration Wizard.

6. Start the Migration:

   • After mapping users, initiate the migration process. Microsoft 365 will begin transferring emails, calendar events, and contacts from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.

Step 4: Update MX Records and Complete the Migration

1. Update MX Records:

   • To complete the migration and route emails to Microsoft 365, update the MX record in your DNS settings to Microsoft 365’s value:
     • example.com. IN MX 0 <domain>.mail.protection.outlook.com
   • Allow up to 24–48 hours for DNS changes to propagate globally.

2. Verify DNS Changes:

   • Use MX Toolbox or similar tools to confirm that your MX records point to Microsoft 365.

3. Finalize Migration and Test:

   • Once the migration completes, test email functionality for each user in Microsoft 365.
   • Check email flow, calendars, and contacts to ensure everything has migrated correctly.

4. Decommission Google Workspace (Optional):

   • Once all users confirm the data migration and Microsoft 365 setup, you can decommission Google Workspace to avoid duplicate costs.
   • Ensure any needed data backups are created before final deactivation.

Troubleshooting Tips

• User Not Found Error: Ensure the user exists in Microsoft 365 and is properly mapped to their Google Workspace account.
• API Access Errors: Double-check that the Google API access is enabled and the correct OAuth scopes are assigned to the service account.
• Partial Data Migration: If some emails or contacts are missing, verify the migration endpoint settings and re-run the migration for specific users.

This comprehensive guide should assist in successfully transitioning from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, minimizing downtime and preserving essential data for all users.