IT Tips & Tricks
SharePoint Online Migration Checklist: Practical Pointers
Published 20 June 2024
Faced with a SharePoint® migration and wondering what you need to focus on? The outcome of a SharePoint migration — its success or failure — is often directly impacted by how well you plan for it. Like anything complex, it requires instructions, a user manual, a recipe or a checklist to get you through the process — avoiding the typical pitfalls and errors (such as breaking links resulting in data missing from the linked files) — and arriving at your destination with a brag-worthy successful final result.
For most organizations, transitioning to Microsoft 365™ typically involves migrating all their data to SharePoint Online. Renowned for its capabilities in collaboration, communication, automation, content and document management, millions of users rely on SharePoint Online as a cornerstone of the digital workplace.
Performing your migration in one huge jump reduces the time spent on the actual migration, but is not without its risks.
While the allure of SharePoint Online is obvious, migrating files to this platform isn’t always straightforward. Meticulous planning for a migration — including essentials such as department layout and permissions — is not only the smarter way to go, it’s essential to ensure smooth sailing and a successful outcome.
This practical checklist aims to steer you through your migration project. In other words, our goal is to help you cross the finish line to the deafening roar of an appreciative crowd — as you marvel that you made it without injury. Ready? On your mark, get set, go!
Migration Motivation: Do You Know the “Why”?
Do you know why your organization is considering this migration? What are they hoping to achieve? There are various motivations for a move to SharePoint Online and identifying your primary goal (or goals) may inform other decisions further down the line. Here are some commonly stated goals:
- Minimizing Certain Costs: As a cloud-based solution, SharePoint Online eliminates the need for dedicated on-prem servers, software (such as a VPN to access your files) and the team to run and maintain it all, resulting in cost savings over time.
- Advanced Security Features: SharePoint Online offers advanced security features such as state-of-the-art encryption, access control (by IP address, geographical region, or managed devices in Azure®) and auditing, which enhances data protection and mitigates security risks.
If you want the users on your side, help them to understand how the migration benefits them.
So how safe is your data with Microsoft®? Well, to start with, only a limited number of essential personnel have access to Microsoft data centers and their identities are verified by multi-factor authentication.
Next, in SharePoint, files are encrypted both at rest and in transit. For files at rest, SharePoint uses Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) which uses 256-bit AES encryption. This encryption is applied automatically to all files stored in SharePoint Online.
For files in transit, SharePoint uses HTTPS (TLS 1.2) encryption. This ensures that the data sent between the client and server is secure and cannot be intercepted by any unauthorized parties. The Microsoft 365 anti-malware engine scans documents at upload time for content matching an anti-virus signature that is updated hourly.
Additionally, as a SharePoint Administrator or Global Administrator in Microsoft 365, you can block or limit access to SharePoint and OneDrive™ content from unmanaged devices.
Finally, location-based policies can be set up by IP, ensuring data can only be accessed from specific locations (such as the office). An external sharing source can provide access to companies or businesses you’re required to share information with. Geo-location settings can limit access to only specific countries.
- Operational Efficiency: SharePoint’s centralized data storage and management streamlines collaboration, enables easier access to essential documents and enhances overall operational efficiency. Additionally, SharePoint Online only requires internet access, making the data far more accessible.
- Leveraging the Microsoft 365 Suite: Since SharePoint Online is included in the Microsoft 365 suite of products, it makes integration with other M365 products such as Teams®, OneDrive, Planner, OneNote®, Viva Engage™ and Microsoft Forms® easy. This means that migrating to SharePoint Online has the added benefit of easy accessibility to a multitude of other Microsoft tools.
- The Benefits of a Supported Environment: If you currently (or will soon) find yourself coping with an environment that is no longer supported or that is rapidly approaching its end of life (EOL) and end of extended support, it’s time for a new, supported environment such as SharePoint Online, where Microsoft will keep you up-to-date and secure, as outlined below.
End of life is a game-changer. Are you ready for something new?
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- Reliability: Supported environments generally undergo thorough testing and debugging. This reduces the likelihood of unexpected errors or crashes. For critical systems (such as file servers or content management) — where downtime is not an option — this kind of reliability is crucial.
- Security: Supported environments often benefit from regular security updates and patches by the provider, helping to mitigate vulnerabilities and protect against cyber threats. This is particularly important in today’s landscape of ever-evolving security risks.
- Compliance and Regulation: A supported environment generally includes built-in compliance features and adheres to industry regulations and standards. In sectors such as healthcare, finance and government — with mandatory regulatory compliance — this is particularly important.
- Performance Optimization: In a supported environment, providers frequently optimize their systems for performance, scalability and efficiency, which results in faster processing speeds, better resource utilization and improved overall performance.
Is the IT department buried three feet deep in complaints, euphemistically known as “service tickets”?
If you’re looking at migrating to SharePoint for a different reason, congrats on being an outside-the-box thinker. Next question: Have you considered your migration style?
Choosing a Migration Style: Determining
the “How”
A migration to SharePoint Online typically falls into one of three migration styles and you’ll need to assess which style will be best for your organization. Note that the migration style you choose could be determined by your ultimate goal (above), so bear that in mind.
- Single Event Migration: Performing your migration in one huge jump reduces the time spent on the actual migration, but is not without its risks. In this situation, a third-party tool is a must to help automate the process, protect your data and ensure as little disruption as possible to both the users and your organization.
A single-event migration can be a good option for organizations that want to move to SharePoint Online quickly and easily. However, due to technical limitations, it is not always possible to perform a single-event migration. For example, if your current environment is heavily customized, it may be difficult — or even impossible — to migrate it to SharePoint Online without first making changes. If, however, you insist on a single-event migration — which we don’t necessarily recommend — a third-party migration tool is essential. Be aware that the software will not build your new environment, but will simply migrate your data to the relevant destination. Managing this third-party software might best be achieved by hiring a competent and experienced migration consultant.
- Side-by-side Migration: This type of migration involves creating a new SharePoint Online environment and then incrementally trickling your data to it from your existing source location. Also known as a phased approach, this can be a good option for organizations that must keep their current environment operational while migrating to SharePoint Online. An example would be to migrate the smaller departments and their files to SharePoint first, helping to identify any possible issues, and providing the opportunity to set any global admin rules or policies before migrating larger teams or users.
It’s a pain, potentially causing downtime and disruption, complaining end users and bosses with a glare that could freeze the blood in
your veins.
- Hybrid Migration: This type of migration involves maintaining your existing environment and migrating portions of your data to SharePoint Online. This can be a good option for organizations that want to take a very gradual approach to migration or organizations that need to rely on both on-premise and online environments, perhaps due to compliance requirements.
Data Inventory: Defining “What”
Who will dig you out if you’re buried in complexity and unnecessary data?
When you’ve identified your goals and how to get there, it’s time to move on to the next phase. Taking inventory of your source data is one of the most important pre-migration steps you will take. It helps to determine how big and complex your migration will be, plus how long it will likely take and if there are any additional requirements.
Evaluate or assess your existing situation and determine how much data you have, how it’s organized and categorized, how much of it genuinely needs to be moved, how much is redundant, obsolete or trivial, how much can be archived, and what — if anything— can be deleted, so that you’re only migrating what’s necessary. Are there any unique permissions? Are there any departments or teams using files that are linked and what types of files are they? Are there any personal or user drives that need to be migrated to OneDrive? Are there any specific graphic or design files — not supported in SharePoint?
If, for example, you’re shifting from SharePoint on-prem to online, you need to take inventory of things such as:
- Site collections.
- Sites.
- Documents.
- Lists.
- Libraries.
- Workflows.
If files are shared between departments, you need to know that as part of your inventory process.
- Anything else you plan to include in the migration.
- The size of your files and folders you need to migrate.
- Work with managers and users to confirm the location of their data and where it is stored. Some may have personal drives and some may store their files on their desktop.
- Who are the managers or owners of files in a department, and who are the members in each of these departments? Do members or managers share files across departments and is there any need to restrict folders and files?
- Are any of the teams using files that contain links? Determine how many files and links, as this could cause delays in migrating. (Hint: LinkFixer Advanced™ for the win.)
How Important is the Plan?
Create a migration plan to serve as your guiding light.
Maybe you’ve got questions. “How do I know when we’re ready?” “What should I move?” “How the heck do I do this?” This is precisely why you need a migration plan — regardless of what type of migration you’re considering. The plan is your constant — like the North Star — guiding you home, and is divided into three sections: Pre-migration, Migration and Post-Migration.
Pre-Migration Planning
Ardent doomsday preppers — who prepare for every eventuality — would probably make great data migrators. Thoroughly prepping for your migration will dramatically improve the outcome, so let’s take a look at the kind of things you should be considering.
Housekeeping at the Source
Now that you have a reliable inventory, your next step is to clean house. It’s time to start straightening out the mess, organizing the chaos users sometimes create, and getting rid of that redundant, unused or out-of-date data you located during your inventory.
Trimming down your data means you’ll only have to migrate what you genuinely need, not a bunch of extraneous stuff that’ll simply take up valuable real estate for which you’ll be paying. Additionally, creating a more efficient source environment makes for a more manageable migration, so optimize now for enhanced performance. This will give you additional horsepower to get through your migration efficiently.
Another important part of the planning phase is identifying any links contained in your data. Links commonly break during migration resulting in lost or missing data. See the “How to Avoid Those Questions” section below.
Housekeeping at the Destination
You wouldn’t choose to move into a disorganized, chaotic home. If your data had feelings, it would feel the same way. Now is the time to prep and organize your data’s new home. Consider the structure required to accommodate your data and plan according to your organization’s needs.
Use third-party migration software to speed up your migration and hire a professional migration consultant. Seriously, it makes your life so much easier, plus you’ll have support throughout.
- Design and build the architecture you need in your new environment.
- Next, create and configure the appropriate settings and permissions for your SharePoint sites.
- Decide whether you want to include version history.
- Optimize the mapping of templates, columns
and users.
- Evaluate or assess any customizations in your data. If required, convert them so that they’ll function in your new environment.
- Create a governance plan, as required.
- Run a pilot or test migration.
- Did you discover unsupported elements?
- Can you resolve any problems that occurred?
- Were you able to determine your migration speed?
- With everything you now know, create a migration schedule that works for your organization.
Users: Friend or Foe?
If you want the users on your side — cooperative and supportive — help them to understand how the migration benefits them. Maintain good, clear communication. Work out exactly what you need to offer in terms of training and support. Long-term success isn’t built overnight. You’re in it to win it in the long term.
Users who understand the benefits of a migration will support you. Help them to understand.
- Discuss your migration plan and make sure it’s understood.
- Identify and include managers or champions in each area of the organization and work with them during the migration.
- Let users know in advance when downtime is planned.
- Reiterate the reason for the migration and the payoff for them.
- Give them a heads-up about potential changes so they’re not unpleasantly surprised.
- Outline the estimated timeline — and emphasize that it’s an estimate.
- Emphasize that no work can be done in the source environment during the actual migration and post-migration.
- Don’t forget the training! Users who know how to use SharePoint effectively are users who won’t bug you. (That’s as much a benefit to you as it is to them.) Schedule this training for teams or departments in conjunction with your migration.
Migration: The Day of Reckoning?
We dream of the day when we can command, “Alexa, migrate my data,” and it all happens flawlessly. That day will come, no doubt, but today is not that day.
In your data, how many opportunities for sabotage lie quietly, treacherously waiting?
If your planning has been meticulous, if your team has paid attention to detail, consulted the key users, stuck to the plan, selected the correct migration tool for the task ahead, taken their vitamins and refilled the coffee pot, you should be in good shape.
Don’t be surprised or disappointed if you hit a snag or two. It happens in even the most well-planned migrations — despite all that planning — but here are three tips to smooth the road:
- We’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating: Use third-party migration software to speed up your migration and hire a professional migration consultant. Seriously, it makes your life so much easier, plus you’ll have support throughout.
- If you’re migrating from SharePoint on-prem to online, make sure that no workflows are running when you embark on your migration. To help ensure smooth sailing, either complete current workflows or stop running them in advance.
- Ensure you have a migration account that offers access to both the source and destination environments. Anything less is like asking a pilot to fly with only half the controls. Chances of a good outcome under those conditions? We’re not willing to bet on those odds.
You Did It!
Bravo! You made it across the finish line as crowds of fans roared and cheered you on. Ok, realistically maybe the latter was all in your imagination, but at least the first part was real, right?
Before you put your feet up — smiling smugly at the boss — or race down to the local watering hole for a celebratory round with the team, there are a couple of important details to take care of, so let’s get this done and wrapped up for you.
You did it, proving once again that not all superheroes wear capes.
There are obvious things such as making sure that everything is where it should be, that you’ve tested to ensure the transfer was successful and you’ve run through your post-migration checklist. Wait, you don’t have one? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Post-Migration Pointers
Important tip: Run through your post-migration checklist before you let the users back in. You don’t want them messing things up before you’ve been through your checklist. Here are things to consider for your post-migration list:
Backups and testing are like CPR when things go wrong.
- Check that everything has been successfully migrated. Most third-party migration tools offer an insightful post-migration report.
- Immediately create a backup. You never know when you’ll need it.
- Do a test run of all your workflows.
- Check all the user permissions.
- Switch your source environment to read-only mode so that the users can’t inadvertently continue working and making changes there. This can be done in stages for a staggered approach suitable for side-by-side or hybrid migrations.
- If you previously had an older version of SharePoint, remove access to it now.
- Your migration reports will tell you everything you need to know about your migration.
- If you happen to have migrated from an on-prem SharePoint server, run a full crawl.
- Provide the users with access and a link to the SharePoint site.
- Answer any questions and assist with any support.
Your New Normal
As the dust settles on your victory, just remember that you’ll need to monitor what’s going on in your new online file repository. The “newness” will eventually wear off and it’ll just be part of your regular workload, your daily “usual.” But you’ll have done it. You’ll have achieved a major milestone for your organization — and one that should make your life easier too. Of course, projects such as automation or customizing pages should be on your next to-do list.
How to Avoid Those Questions
One of the most common questions users have — after a migration — pertains to apparently “missing” data. You know, Ethel in Finance says that the quarterly reports linked to her spreadsheets are missing — or some variation thereof. Within hours or days, the IT department is buried three feet deep in complaints, euphemistically known as “support tickets.”
Protect yourself against a common cause of user complaints.
Do you know what happened? Have you guessed it yet? Yup, the links contained in your data broke during the migration. Why? The simple answer: That’s the nature of links. The reality? A link breaks when the file or folder it directs to is moved or renamed, resulting in the apparency of missing data.
It’s a pain, potentially causing downtime and disruption, complaining end users and a boss with a glare that could freeze the blood in your veins. And it can take weeks or months to fix the mess. But here’s the good news. If you’ve not yet embarked on your migration, you can prevent the nightmare of broken links. How?
Protect your links before your migration with LinkFixer Advanced. Imagine no user complaints, no overwhelmed IT department, a boss who’s his usual friendly self and your blood happily coursing through your veins at its normal temperature.
If you’ve already got broken links, LinkFixer Advanced is the fastest way to repair links and restore your missing data.
LinkFixer Advanced supports over 70 of the most popular file types such as Microsoft Access, Excel, Word and other Microsoft file types, plus JavaScript, CSS, Adobe and so much more.
Plus, it turns out that LinkFixer Advanced is the gift that keeps on giving. Outside of a migration scenario, LinkFixer Advanced can be used as part of your regular maintenance routine. That way, the end users can rename or move files and folders around to their heart’s content — without constantly “losing” data and expecting you to fix it.
If you’re now nervously wondering just how many links are hidden in your data, how many opportunities for sabotage lie quietly, treacherously waiting, there’s an easy way to figure that out.
One tool gives you eagle-eyed insight. And it’s free.
Link Reporter™ goes in like an undercover agent and reports back to you via three different comprehensive reports. This eagle-eyed tool will tell you how many links you have, where they’re located and what their status is. But you want to know the best part? It’s free.
If you have any questions, call a LinkTek Consultant at 727-442-1822 or, for more information, visit us at LinkTek.com where you can also chat with us online. We wish you all the best for your migration journey. Bon voyage!
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