Google Cloud Directory Sync Setup

Note

This post translated By AI and the original content was written in Traditional Chinese.

Purpose

Using GCDS for AD account migration tasks

AD environment for this test:

• OS: Windows Server 2008R2 x64
• CPU: 2 vCPU
• RAM: 4 GB
• HDD: 60 GB

Steps

Install GCDS

You can refer to this tutorial for migration:

Download and install GCDS - Google Workspace Admin Help

For GCDS download, please click the following link:

Google Cloud Directory Sync

If you can’t download, please use this direct link:

Downloading Google Cloud Directory Sync

Open the downloaded GCDS installation file and run as administrator

Click Next

Accept and continue

Click Next

Click Next to start installation

Installation complete

Use GCDS to Sync AD Accounts

Configure Google Domain Configuration

Open GCDS Configuration Manager

Enter GWS domain account and login to verify

Enter GWS super admin account

Allow relevant permissions

1. Check to use Primary Domains Name as main when syncing, to avoid AD domain name syncing to GWS
2. After successful verification, you’ll see the following screen

Set Excluded Accounts

Add account exclusions, usually adding the superadmin account to avoid deactivation during sync

Add to exclusion list to prevent account closure during sync

Configure LDAP Configuration

Click LDAP Configuration

1. Choose Standard LDAP
2. Enter 127.0.0.1 to use local AD
3. Choose simple
4. Enter AD account password
5. Enter LDAP DN, e.g., for example.com, enter DC=example,DC=com
6. Test connection

After successful test, you’ll see this screen

Configure General Settings

First, check User Accounts

Configure User Accounts

User Attributes

1. Click User Accounts
2. Click User Attributes
3. Click Use defaults
4. Uncheck this item to disable GWS accounts if they don’t exist during AD sync

Additional User Attributes

Simply click Use defaults

Search Rules

1. Click Search Rules
2. Add condition
3. Enter condition

Sync Specific Groups

• Can sync specific AD groups or users in specific OUs, this example syncs gws group users

• Ensure the gws group exists in the AD Users folder and contains users

(&(memberof=CN=gws,CN=Users,DC=sub-domain,DC=domain,DC=ooo)(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(mail=.)(!(userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))

Configure Sync

1. You can first perform a simulation sync
2. After confirming no issues, proceed with the actual sync

If the simulation looks good, you can close this window

Click to start the actual sync, you’ll be asked to confirm, click continue

After completion, you’ll see GWS users synced

FAQ

Group Recursion

• Can you add other groups to an AD group to sync to GWS?
  • No, it won’t retrieve users from subgroups, GCDS FAQ - Google Workspace Admin Help

Query AD Objects

You can open cmd and use the dsquery . command to query

LDAP Server & User Details | Greenview Data

Regular Sync

Run sync from the command line - Google Workspace Admin Help