SharePoint is the Microsoft 365 platform used to bring together in one place the communications, services, documents and apps that are useful for a company's activities. However, sometimes you need to move this content to different areas of your digital workplace. In other words, a data migration must be completed. In this article, we'll look at how to do exactly that, using Microsoft's SharePoint Migration Tool.
The SharePoint Migration Tool is a tool made available by Microsoft that facilitates the migration of data to SharePoint from other systems and vice versa. The tool simplifies the transfer process, making it efficient and smooth for both small and large scale projects. The Migration Tool automates the transfer of data from various sources to SharePoint with ease and thanks to its intuitive user interface, even inexperienced people can use it.
SharePoint Migration Tool supports various migration scenarios, the most important of which are migration from SharePoint on-premises, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and other cloud-based file storage systems.
Documents, lists, libraries, sites and web parts can all be migrated, and the Migration Tool also provides options for incremental migration. The tool also offers flexible planning options to minimize interruptions to users and also provides detailed reports and logs to monitor progress and identify any issues that may arise during the migration process.
Using SharePoint Migration Tool ensures that you don't lose vital information and that you no longer have to worry about losing essential data or interrupting your workflows, making data migration an infinitely less risky process and less costly in terms of time and money.
There are several reasons why a company might want to migrate corporate digital content to a SharePoint site.
For example, you might want to move your digital archives from an on-premise environment to a cloud space to allow all employees to access and collaborate on shared documents from any device wherever they are.
Or you might want to consolidate data from the different offices of your company into a single centralized environment, or the migration could simply be used to update the files to a newer version of SharePoint.
The constant in all the situations listed above (and all the others that we haven't had the opportunity to mention) remains the need to know which tool to use to carry out these operations safely and efficiently.
Several products offer data migration capabilities to and from SharePoint environments, such as ShareGate, Metalogix, AvePoint or Quest Software. In addition to the basic functionality of a Migration Tool, these tools also offer additional options that allow the migration of specific elements such as NTFS permissions and custom apps developed by the company for its sites.
However, despite the particular characteristics of these third-party tools, the SharePoint Migration Tool offered free of charge by Microsoft remains the best option compared to its third-party competitors for two main reasons.
The first is the natural compatibility that allows it to integrate with the configurations and processes of SharePoint environments. Having been created by the same developers who created the platform, the SharePoint Migration Tool supports all the functionality of the latter and, consequently, involves lower risks in terms of data loss during the migration.
The software therefore does not need special customizations, tweaks or modifications to do its job properly, while obviously the same cannot be said for products that are not based on Microsoft's know-how.
The second point, on the other hand, is technical competence. Migrating content stored in SharePoint can become a complex process for a company that must move a significant amount of data, perhaps characterized by dependencies such as workflows and integrated external sources.
A third-party product could face such complexity, compromising the security of the information being moved. If the company did not have capable people available to resolve the situation, it would be forced to contact the supplier's technical support, which could mean long waiting times and additional costs.
So on the one hand, Microsoft's Migration Tool has the functionality necessary to manage any type of migration to SharePoint, from the simplest to the most complex; on the other hand, any problems related to this tool can be solved by Microsoft certified teams at little or no cost.
Now that we have a general idea of what the Migration Tool is and why to use it, let's take a closer look at how it works. Among the main features we have:
SharePoint Migration Tool requires specific requirements for successful execution. It is essential to know the minimum system requirements for using the Migration Tool before starting the data transfer process.
To begin with, you need version 1709 or later of Windows 10 and have .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later for seamless integration and operation. For optimal performance, we recommend at least an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of HDD.
It is important to stress how necessary it is to provide enough resources, verify and test the compatibility of your system with the SharePoint Migration Tool before starting the migration process. Meeting all requirements minimizes any problems and leads to a smoother and more efficient data transition.
Controlling access permissions is also essential. The account used for the migration must have the right permissions and privileges in both the source and destination SharePoint environments to ensure file retrieval and transfer as hassle-free as possible.
Once we have reviewed the functionality and requirements, to start using SharePoint Migration Tool, we just need to install SharePoint Migration Tool on your device, open the tool and log in using your Microsoft 365 credentials.
Then we just need to create a new migration project by selecting the 'New' option, specifying the source and destination for the migration, such as SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business sites.
Once this is done, the tool will allow us to configure the migration settings according to our needs, including file permissions and metadata mapping. Once the configuration is complete, all we have to do is finally start the data migration process and wait for its conclusion.
In addition to helping users migrate their data and archives, SharePoint Migration Tool provides an intuitive user interface that allows them to check that the operation goes smoothly, giving them the ability to monitor the progress of the migration in real time and highlighting information such as:
The tool also allows you to verify that the moved contents have arrived at their destination intact, comparing them with their original version and gives users the opportunity to track the files registered with invalid or too long names. This way, changes don't have to be made manually for each individual content transferred.
A second functionality that is accompanied by monitoring is that relating to the creation of personalized reports, to be able to collect, analyze and build graphs based on information such as:
All of this is a very useful addition to the normal functionality of a migration product, but it doesn't end there. In fact, the migrations that the tool helps to create, coordinate and monitor involve the movement not only of files and documents, but also of data from external sources or integrated with legacy archives and workflows built with the old SharePoint Designer before the advent of Power Automate.
Finally, it should be noted that to minimize any errors during the migration and evaluate your contents to be transferred before carrying out the operation, Microsoft has provided an additional tool called SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool (or SMAT) to evaluate the current distribution of files and identify potential problems that could affect data migration procedures.
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Now that we know how the Migration Tool works in a little more detail, let's now see how to use it in practice with a small guided plan to better understand what are the steps to take to carry out an efficient migration of your data.
First, let's download the tool from the official Microsoft site or the Microsoft Store and install it on our device. Once this is done, start the tool and log in using the credentials of our Microsoft 365 account.
At this point, once on the main screen, we select the option to create a new project and provide a name to identify the migration process. We then indicate the sources of the data to be migrated, such as local SharePoint sites, shared files, or other cloud platforms.
Next, we specify the destinations in the new SharePoint environment, such as SharePoint Online sites, document libraries, or OneDrive for Business.
We evaluate whether the target environment is compatible with the data and customizations coming from the source and verify that any custom configurations, workflows, and integrations can be replicated or replaced appropriately in the new SharePoint environment. This may involve using tools such as the SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool to identify potential problems.
Let's now make sure to configure the migration settings according to the needs of our project. This configuration process includes among its steps the management of metadata, the analysis and preservation of the permissions already set on the affected files, the option for incremental migrations and other advanced options to take into account according to your needs.
Once we have selected the options that interest us, we then check that the metadata and permissions of the data to be migrated are correctly mapped and configured for the new SharePoint environment to maintain the organization and security of the data during the migration.
We identify any data transformation or conversion requirements based on the capabilities and standards of the target SharePoint environment and determine if there is a need to convert file formats, map or standardize metadata, or reorganize the content to be transferred.
We then set up a migration schedule, deciding when to start the process in order to minimize the impact on users and business operations. It is also possible to schedule the migration for periods of low activity so as not to excessively impact the performance of your digital infrastructure during regular business hours.
Before starting the migration, it is advisable to carefully review all the configured settings to ensure that they are correct and avoid taking risks or running into problems related to distractions or oversights.
Once the configuration is complete, we start the migration process by clicking on the 'Start Migration' button. The SharePoint Migration Tool will begin to transfer data from the sources to the specified destinations.
During the migration, make sure to use the tool's dashboard to monitor the progress of the transfer in real time. We constantly monitor the number of files migrated, the speed of migration and any errors or alerts in order to be able to intervene as promptly as possible.
If errors occur during the migration, we consult the migration reports to identify, isolate, and resolve these issues. In the unfortunate event that we find ourselves in this situation, it may be necessary to temporarily interrupt the migration to make the necessary corrections or adjustments.
Once the migration is complete, we then perform a final check to ensure that all data has been transferred correctly and that the new SharePoint environment is working as expected. We carry out sweeping tests to confirm that permissions, metadata and functionality have been successfully migrated and that the integrity of our data has not been compromised in any way during the migration process.
Solving common problems when using the SharePoint Migration Tool requires a systematic approach. Therefore, in this bonus step, we present a small list of general steps to follow to solve some of the simplest and most common problems that you may encounter when using the software:
It is important to remember that each troubleshooting scenario may require a different approach depending on the specific problem, but with these few moves to keep in mind, it is possible to effectively address the common problems encountered while using the SharePoint Migration Tool.
In addition, it is worth remembering that the SharePoint Migration Tool is a product developed and maintained by Microsoft, so it would be preferable when looking for specialized technical support to rely exclusively on official technical support or certified Microsoft development partners whose experience with Redmond software is verified, extensive and secure.
To effectively use the SharePoint Migration Tool, it would be preferable to follow the best practices recommended by the experts in order not to run into problems and obstacles that could have been avoided otherwise.
So here are some useful tips to ensure that you follow the best procedures during the process of migrating your data:
These practices can help tremendously in simplifying and speeding up the SharePoint Migration Tool processes, ensuring the best possible data migration experience. Needless to say, it is essential to keep the SharePoint Migration Tool updated to the latest version to take advantage of any new features and take advantage of the improvements and bug fixes made to the tool.
The organization of the source content is, as we have already said, essential for a smooth, fast and efficient data transfer. So let's make sure that we implement the following tips in our migration process:
The SharePoint Migration Tool is, in conclusion, the best option available for users and companies that want to implement data transfer procedures on SharePoint, thanks to its operation and ease of use.
The Migration Tool guarantees not only the safe movement of documents, lists and libraries and the quick and precise mapping of source and destination sites, but also the possibility of tailor-organizing your data migration processes, with detailed planning options and assistance and monitoring tools that allow comprehensive control of the process from its preparation to its conclusion.
So, for those interested, we just have to warmly invite you to put the SharePoint Migration Tool to the test to experience first-hand its potential in offering the most convenient and fastest data migration experience available. In this case, we suggest at the beginning that you test it with a small data set before implementing it for larger migration plans in order to test its functionality and identify any specific needs or problems with your configuration.
The SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) is a Microsoft tool designed to help users migrate content from on-premises SharePoint sites or file shares to SharePoint Online, OneDrive, or Teams.
The SharePoint Migration Tool works by connecting to your source environment (e.g., on-premises SharePoint or file shares) and copying the data to your destination environment in SharePoint Online, OneDrive, or Teams.
The SharePoint Migration Tool offers features such as support for bulk migrations, the ability to retain metadata, scheduling capabilities, and the option to migrate file permissions along with content.
The SharePoint Migration Tool is available to anyone with a valid Microsoft 365 subscription, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes for migrating their content to the cloud.
Yes, the SharePoint Migration Tool can be used to migrate content from file shares to SharePoint Online, OneDrive, or Teams, ensuring a smooth transition of your files and data.
Yes, the SharePoint Migration Tool supports bulk migrations, allowing you to move large volumes of data from multiple locations to your target environment in one go.
The SharePoint Migration Tool is primarily designed to migrate content from SharePoint 2013 and later versions, as well as from file shares to SharePoint Online, OneDrive, or Teams.
Yes, the SharePoint Migration Tool is capable of preserving metadata such as file properties, version history, and permissions when migrating content to the cloud.
The SharePoint Migration Tool has some limitations, such as the inability to migrate certain customizations, large list data, or workflows directly. It’s important to evaluate these factors before migration.
The SharePoint Migration Tool provides real-time monitoring and detailed reports, allowing you to track the progress of your migration and identify any issues that need attention.
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