All You Need To Know About SharePoint Migration

In this technological shift era, we rely on the latest technologies and cloud-based applications for most of our business needs. SharePoint is one such technology driving the business sector since 2001 with its outstanding collaboration efficiency. However, since its inception, SharePoint has progressed significantly. Microsoft has continued to upgrade SharePoint regularly, expanding its features and making it an excellent collaborative platform. As a result, SharePoint Migration has become essential for long-term business benefits. Let's take a closer look at what SharePoint Migration is and how it's done.

What is SharePoint Migration?

SharePoint Migration transfers existing content and solutions to a new SharePoint environment, usually an upgraded one or Microsoft 365. This migration is usually required to take advantage of the latest features and productivity tools with a newer version. However, your SharePoint Migration options depend entirely on your company's demands, strategy, and goals.

Types of SharePoint Migration

Microsoft has benefited businesses by offering two types of SharePoint migrations: SharePoint On-Premise Migration and Microsoft 365 Migration. You can pick one based on your specific business needs, migration goals, and budget.

SharePoint On-Premise to On-Premise

This form of migration allows you to move your data to a newer version of SharePoint On-Premise. You can transfer your data to an improved environment if you don’t want to modify the solution architecture, collaboration technique, or IT infrastructure. Because your data remains on your company's grounds, this method is entirely secure. You can upgrade your SharePoint versions as needed to meet your business needs. However, you have to take a route, meaning you will first need to upgrade to SharePoint Server 2013 before upgrading to SharePoint 2016 and further versions. For example, from SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint 2013, SharePoint 2013 to SharePoint 2016, and so on.

SharePoint On-Premise to SharePoint Online

SharePoint migration to SharePoint Online provides businesses with all of the advantages of the cloud, including any-time, anywhere access, easy maintenance, and significant cost savings. In addition, it takes care of infrastructure and team maintenance, as well as upgrades. You can also Migrate SharePoint to Cloud at any moment to take advantage of the latest features, regardless of your SharePoint On-Premise version.

SharePoint Migration Tools

Many tools are available to help you with your SharePoint Migration Process, each with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. You can select a tool or combine them to suit your needs and maximize its effectiveness.

Microsoft provides two fundamental tools for SharePoint migration: Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool (SMTP) and Microsoft Mover. Other third-party solutions may be used in conjunction with these Microsoft tools to help with seamless migration. ShareGate, AvePoint, Metalogix, Layer2 Cloud Connector, Dockit Migrator, and HarePoint are some of them.

SharePoint Migration Guideline

If you haven't planned everything ahead of time, SharePoint migration can be difficult. However, some planning ahead of time will help you service your particular needs, allowing your SharePoint Consultant to provide the most effective SharePoint Development Services. So, whether you're upgrading to a newer version of SharePoint or switching to Microsoft 365, here's a checklist to consider.

Create a detailed Inventory List

A precise inventory list can assist you in making better migration decisions and estimates. The more information you have, the better your planning will be and the more likely you will achieve your Migration deadline.

• Site Collections

• Sites

• List and Libraries

• Pages

• Custom Solutions

• Workflows

• Content types

• Site Columns

• Permissions

• User Alerts

• Branding

• Blocked File Types

• Retention Policies

• All files having a dependency on other files using a URL

  
  

Cleaning Your Old Environment

You don't need everything, and there are probably certain items in your old environment that should be deleted. So, take some time to look for, remove, and rearrange items in your environment.

• Locate and eliminate orphaned users.

• Delete any SharePoint Groups that are no longer in use.

• Return users with explicit permissions to their original groups.

• Remove any custom content types, workflows, or site columns that aren't in use.

• Look for underused sites and evaluate if you still require them.

• Ensure the most recent version of the documents is migrated.

• Break up massive site collections into multiple site collections.

• Large sites should be promoted into site collections.

• Remove any duplicate content.

• Clear items with excessive custom permissions

• Remove versions from the version history that you don't want.

• Reorganize large lists

  
  

Prepare your Destination's Environment

Migration allows you to start over, so make sure your new environment is clean. Before making any plans, you must first understand the differences between your old and new environments.

• Map out the architecture of your destination.

• Back up all of your files.

• Check the restoration

• If you find any corrupt data in the database, delete it.

• Perform a number of migration tests.

• Make a metadata strategy for your content.

• Examine your customizations and, if necessary, adapt them to the new environment.

  
  

Get in Touch with Your Users

Migration would result in a big change, so the users must be kept informed. They are the ones who use SharePoint; thus, they must be aware of the situation.

• Before you begin, explain why you're migrating and why it's crucial. They must also plan for the anticipated downtime and migration schedule.

• Users should be aware of potential changes in the environment, such as URL changes, bookmarks, and document references, among other things.

• Create sandbox sites for testing purposes.

  
  

Begin SharePoint Migration

The actual migration becomes easy if you follow all the previous steps. However, it is recommended that you contact a SharePoint Consultant to implement it.

• Workflows that will be migrated must be completed or stopped.

• Migration Scenarios include manually copying files using the SharePoint Explorer view, using the Office 365 Migration API for simple migrations, Microsoft FastTrack for sharing across Microsoft 365, or using third-party SharePoint Migration Tools like ShareGate.

• Multi-stage migration is required for huge sites.

  
  

Post Migration Procedure

Migration results in significant changes. Knowing if anything has been overlooked is crucial. Before you open it to the public, make sure everything is in order.

• Run all of the workflows to test your destination environment.

• Examine the user's permissions.

• Ensure that everything has been successfully moved.

• Create a backup of the new environment.

• Delete the previous SharePoint account.

  
  

Conclusion

Whether from an old on-premise SharePoint version to a new one or the cloud, SharePoint Migration can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Furthermore, whether SharePoint Migration is performed manually or using tools, it necessitates meticulous planning and a high level of technical skill.