For successful SharePoint Migration, your present set up has to be prepared and synchronized for proper working in the future in a changed environment. This involves reducing the risks involved with migration along with architectural alterations, cost incurred, time and complexity.
A governance plan in place will mitigate risk and ensure more security in terms of data security, consolidation and restructuring of content, usability and search ability in the new set up. Where’s the room for any error? However, none can deny that migrations are complex as well as time-taking processes. More so with native tools that may leave behind metadata, workflows and permissions.
Today, Microsoft SharePoint is much in demand. If the migration of enterprise-wide content is not restructured properly, it may lead to disruption of the restructured content, leading to disorder in business enterprises or even end-user chaos.
Essentials for Successful Migration
What are the essential points of preparation to be followed before migration? For seamless migration to the SharePoint environment, the following points need to be heeded to:
- Resort to pre-migration analysis
- Plan comprehensively
- Look out for potential issues such as blocked file extensions or checked out documents, etc. This refers to scanning your own environment first.
- Decide on whether you will go for bulk migration or phased migrations as per your business requirements.
- Keep an eye on costs and time. For instance, migrating SharePoint site lists and libraries in one go can help reduce costs.
- Data consolidation to one single location will help to curb the risk of data loss. For instance, metadata can be added in to content before migration, so that it may be easier to search for content.
- Scheduled steps in the migration will fetch you real-time development reports for timely completion of the migration process.
- Retaining associated metadata and permissions during the migration process, detailed data analysis, migration of content and applications and also post-migration verifications can fully support hassle free migration.
- Analysis and detection of any user names, user domains or user permissions should be mapped for a successful migration. It is also suggested that migrating to SharePoint 2013 or Office 365 from an earlier version in one hop is the right way to go through migration. Also, all aspects must be covered during migration which includes business content, libraries, documents, workflows etc.
Diverse migration processes have their own unique types of data which have to be migrated which calls for a different approach. However, migration or up gradation should be seen as a prospect of freeing SharePoint content where end-users and developers profit from enhanced functionality and improved collaboration.
One thing is for sure that the more you understand the source environment, the better equipped you will be to take right decisions regarding SharePoint migration. So, plan and prepare well by considering all variables involved and get a successful SharePoint migration.
It is always advisable to outsource the SharePoint Migration task to any renowned SharePoint Development Company, because they in-house expert development team, who know all the essentials of a successful migration.