How to Migrate Google Vault Mail Archives to Office 365
Learn how to migrate Google Vault mail archives to Office 365 archive mailboxes. Step-by-step guide covering PST export, Microsoft Import Service, and best practices.
Overview
Google Vault mail archives contain valuable historical email data, including permanently deleted items that are no longer accessible in regular Gmail mailboxes. Cloudiway provides a specialized solution for migrating these archives to Office 365, ensuring complete data preservation during your cloud transition.
The migration process leverages Microsoft's Import Service for secure, efficient data transfer while using an intelligent algorithm to avoid data duplication.
Unified Migration
How It Works
Intelligent Data Extraction
The Google Vault archive functions as an exact copy of the online mailbox but additionally contains permanently deleted items. Rather than duplicating all content, Cloudiway's algorithm:
- Identifies items that exist only in the Vault archive
- Extracts only permanently deleted items
- Prevents duplication of already-migrated content
Migration Process
PST Export
Cloudiway exports permanently deleted items from the Google Vault archive into a PST file format. This industry-standard format ensures compatibility with Microsoft's import tools.
Upload to Azure Blob Storage
The PST file uploads directly to Microsoft's secure Azure Blob Storage through the Data Import Service. This ensures data security and optimal transfer speeds.
Import to Office 365
Initiate the import job in Microsoft 365 to transfer the PST content to either the user's online mailbox or their archive mailbox (In-Place Archive).
Archive Mailbox Destination
Key Benefits
No Data Duplication
Intelligent algorithm selectively migrates only permanently deleted items, avoiding duplication of content already in the online mailbox.
Secure Transfer
Leverages Microsoft's native Import Service and Azure Blob Storage for enterprise-grade security during data transfer.
Compliance Preservation
Maintains complete email history including deleted items, supporting legal hold and compliance requirements.
Flexible Destination
Choose to import to the primary mailbox or archive mailbox based on your organization's retention policies.
Best Practices
- 1. Plan Storage Requirements
Vault archives can be substantial. Ensure target mailboxes have sufficient quota or enable archive mailboxes before migration.
- 2. Migrate Mailboxes First
Complete the online mailbox migration before or alongside the Vault archive to ensure proper data correlation.
- 3. Verify Compliance Requirements
Document your Vault retention policies and ensure equivalent policies are configured in Microsoft 365 before migration.
- 4. Test with Pilot Users
Run a pilot migration with a small group to validate the process and verify data integrity before full-scale migration.
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