How to Migrate a File Server to SharePoint

Microsoft constantly upgrades SharePoint Online. With these upgrades, you always get the latest features in file management. There are numerous benefits to migrating to SharePoint, which we outline here, but for today let’s focus on how to migrate your file server to SharePoint best.

What You Should Know About File Servers

In a business, a traditional file server will require basic security. Such a server stores files and folders. File servers have multiple names, including network drives and shared drives.

Thanks to the modern workforce, employees are expected to access their files as quickly as possible from anywhere. They also want security when migrating files, balanced with convenience. One of the biggest reasons people migrate a file server to SharePoint is that people do not need VPN connections to access their files.

What to Plan For With A Sharepoint Online Migration

Regardless of which firm you use or the size of your entire team, you cannot migrate data on a whim. Here are the top 10 questions to ask before choosing a migration process:

1. What active content do you need to migrate?
2. Can content be archived to help migration and document management performance?
3. Are there files that do not need to be migrated at all?
4. What security should be in place for the files that are being migrated? How will that security be set up before or after the migration?
5. Is there a document retention policy that should be set up before the migration?
6. Are there compliance or audit policies that must be set up before the migration?
7. Do you have MS Access databases? Those need to be fixed in SharePoint Online.
8. Do you have files linked together on the server? How will those links be updated?
9. Do you have huge files (1GB+)? Sometimes users have difficulty opening or working with huge files over the internet due to internet performance speeds.
10. Do you edit PDFs? PDFs open in a browser by default. How will those be managed going forward?

What to Avoid With Your Microsoft Sharepoint Migration Tool

Are there potential issues with a Sharepoint Online transition? Yes, if you don’t plan when creating tasks. Here are the top 5 things to avoid in your server migration:

1. Make sure to leave all the decisions to the end users. Provide guidance and recommendations to help them examine what they need to do.
2. Accountability is key. Make sure to leave tasks open with deadlines. File migrations are usually not top of mind for business users, so you must set expectations.
3. Only extend the migration for a short time. Long IT projects lose focus on business users. The more concise the timeline, the better.
4. Migrations are a chance to clean up your data. Don’t copy and paste the files. Also, copying and pasting will delete all qualitative information, such as when the file was created and who created it.
5. Complete end-user training. While SharePoint may seem extremely easy to use, some users may need to be more comfortable and show it. Ensure there is at least a basic training program in place, so the new user interface does not disrupt business.

Need help avoiding these pitfalls? Do other potential problems come to mind? We are here to help.

Optimize Your Company File Server With eSoftware Associates

With eSoftware Associates, you can start your migration project with minimal hassle. In addition to Sharepoint Online, we know how to work with multiple platforms and connecting servers to help the business reach their digital transformation goals.

Need help with your migration planning questions? Contact us to get some help. Let eSoftware Associates help you handle any Sharepoint Migration tool and help you transition from a traditional server.

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