Overview

Many users in Google Drive work with files and folders that have different permissions than the top-level folder. Permission levels in Google Drive and OneDrive seem similar; they both follow the concept of owner, editor, and reader. however, Google Drive and OneDrive differ in the way they store content. Google Drive stores data in one, centralized location. Permission levels on the drives, folders, and documents are used to build a dynamic interface, allowing users to visualize the content as they need it. This allows them to have very complex scenarios. OneDrive for Business, on the other hand, has user-based storage. Each user has a site collection where OneDrive files are stored that he/she owns. No matter what the permissions are on the folder or document, this user is a “super owner” capable of overruling any permissions on his/her OneDrive.

When content is migrated from Google Drive to OneDrive for Business, the Google Drive permissions set on documents, files, and folders will be retained as is. When migrated from Google Drive to OneDrive for Business, top-level owners will maintain ownership of content from the top down and on through the folder hierarchy. Anything beneath the root location that is not owned by the Google Drive top-level owner will “split” from the owner and will stay with the top-level owner when migrated to OneDrive for Business.

Google Drive

Below is a representation of a complicated sharing structure for three different users within Google Drive. It illustrates the following scenarios:

• Alice owns the top-level “QA” folder, which is shared with Bob and Charlie.

• Bob has created a shortcut to “QA” in the root of his MyDrive, whereas Charlie has created a shortcut underneath his own “Project Files” folder. The ❮ symbol represents a “shortcut.” (DryvIQ does not transfer shortcuts.)

• Bob and Charlie have created folders and files underneath this “QA” shared folder.

• Bob has also created a shortcut back to the “Falcon” folder, which resides in his own MyDrive.

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The ❮ symbol represents a “shortcut.” (DryvIQ does not transfer shortcuts.)

OneDrive for Business

Based on the example above, when DryvIQ is configured to preserve Ownership and Permissions, the resulting transfer of owned content and permissions is detailed below:

• All of the contents of the “QA” folder are migrated into Alice’s OneDrive.

• Since the “Falcon” folder underneath the “QA” folder was a shortcut, it is skipped.

• The “Falcon” folder resided in Bob’s MyDrive, so is migrated to his OneDrive.

• The folders are shared with the users who had access in MyDrive and visible under OneDrive’s “Shared with me” section.

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