Why it's important to select the right SharePoint migration tool
Organizations are increasingly moving to Microsoft 365, which includes SharePoint, for its cost benefits and enhanced security features. Whether it’s due to rising costs from current providers or the challenges of maintaining on-premises file shares, the long-term savings and improved capabilities of Microsoft 365 are compelling. In the pursuit of cost savings, many organizations seek out free SharePoint migration tools.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is selecting a cheap, basic migration tool for this. But these tools lack critical analysis capabilities. These migration tools may save money initially but almost always costs more money in the long run.
We recommend using our 6 steps to plan your SharePoint migration and ensure your migration tool meets all of the requirements to get the job done successfully.
A step-by-step approach to SharePoint migration
- Planning is Paramount: Begin with a thorough assessment of your current infrastructure. Understand the scope and scale of the data to be migrated. Set realistic timelines and milestones.
- Prepare Your Environment: Ensure your current system meets the prerequisites for a seamless migration. This may involve updates or configurations to your existing setup.
- Choose Your Migration Strategy: There are many different migration paths, including cutover, staged, and hybrid migrations. Select the one that aligns with your organization’s size, complexity, and timeline, and make sure you’re working with a migration partner with the expertise to get the job done without disruption.
- Execute the Migration: Utilize a field-proven enterprise migration platform for the migration process, that enables you to monitor progress closely and can automatically address any migration issues.
- Post-Migration Steps: Conduct a thorough post-migration review. Train your staff to maximize the benefits of Microsoft 365, and implement security and compliance measures.
Analyze your data before migrating
Unstructured data is complicated, and manual migration methods lack scanning abilities to identify files and flag potential migration issues. Understanding this data is crucial for planning a successful SharePoint migration.
With DryvIQ’s SharePoint migration tool, you can fully discover your data and predict migration outcomes. Before migration, you can identify potential challenges and understand what the migration will look like, before moving a single file.
DryvIQ’s data discovery and classification capabilities go even further, enabling your organization to understand file sensitivity and plan an intelligent migration that reduces cost and risk.
Easily manage user permissions across platforms
User permissions can differ greatly between Microsoft 365 and other platforms. As a result, there is no way to automatically map them when using manual or basic migration methods. The DryvIQ platform can transform and map user accounts and group permissions to Microsoft 365 at scale.
Microsoft 365 permission structures don’t always translate well to other cloud content repositories. For example, permissions in Google and Microsoft SharePoint seem similar; they both follow the concept of owner, editor, and viewer. However, both platforms differ in the way they store content.
To make a seamless migration, work with a migration platform that can automatically manage these types of discrepancies between platforms.
Automatically remediate Microsoft SharePoint file transfer errors
Manual file remediation after failed transfers is time-consuming and risky. Organizations risk losing file fidelity, history, or attributes due to incompatible name lengths, characters, or sizes between Microsoft SharePoint and other platforms.
DryvIQ offers a pre-remediation process to identify files it cannot migrate ahead of time. In cases like this, the DryvIQ migration tool can automatically truncate file path lengths or transform conflicting file names. In more complicated instances of incompatibility, DryvIQ will flag the administrator for any files requiring manual correction.
Eliminate business disruption during migration
During your SharePoint migration, employees may not be able to access content depending on the chosen migration methodology. Relying on end-users to move files themselves or a making a sudden cutover without a transition period can very easily disrupt business operations.
The DryvIQ platform’s real-time file synchronization eliminates this issue. DryvIQ calls this continuous copy, which constantly streams changes in files, folders, and even deletes between source and destination. The synchronization period aids change management and boosts user adoption, making users familiar with the new platform before migration.
Master your SharePoint migration
The migration to Microsoft 365 and SharePoint opens a new chapter of operational efficiency, collaboration, and security for organizations. While the path to successful migration requires careful planning, execution, and follow-up, the payoff in terms of productivity and modernization cannot be overstated.
Remember, every migration presents its unique challenges, but with the right approach and tools, these can be seamlessly navigated. Are you ready to take your organization’s collaboration and productivity to new heights with a Microsoft 365 migration?