How to Minimize Downtime During SharePoint to SharePoint Migration?

Migration of data between cloud platforms is never a lift-and-shift endeavor. It involves a multi-level planning followed by detailed research and a well-drafted migration strategy. This will help you unlock access to maximum benefits, boosting collaboration and productivity among your teams.

However, the biggest concern for most business planning SharePoint to SharePoint migration, irrespective of the reason, is the downtime. This is something that can make the complete migration process a failure. Therefore, you need to take steps in advance that help you minimize it without causing any data loss. This article helps you with the methods that guide you to migrate SharePoint data with zero interruptions.

How does downtime in SharePoint migration impact businesses?

SharePoint migration, when not done correctly, can lead to business downtime, which can have:

1. Adverse effect on the productivity and collaboration of teams.
2. Interfere with the essential operations of the businesses.
3. Downtime can lead to discrepancies in the business operations.
4. Have a bad impact on user adoption of the upgraded platform.
5. Results in poor user experience and lost revenue.

Step by step process for a smooth SharePoint transition

Let’s check out the best practices that help in running smooth migration with complete accuracy:

Pre-migration analysis

Pre-migration analysis of the source environment gives you the ability to take sorted and organized content into the destination. You can decide on what to carry forward and what to discard. With a strategy, you can:

1. Determine the data volume and structure in the source
2. Number of existing users, sites, and other documents
3. Identify old, outdated, or irrelevant data within the source server
4. Defined workflows and customizations to migrate without change
5. Structure and hierarchy of user access levels and permissions

Audit and clean up the source

Migrating data to a new SharePoint server comes as the opportunity to clean up the existing system, which has accumulated years of insignificant and redundant data. With an audit, you can diagnose the system for inactive sites/ subsites, duplicate files, and useless documents. What you can do is remove all the unnecessary files and other content from the system to avoid disorganization in the new environment.

Create a detailed plan

The next step in the strategy is to create an actionable migration plan. This step will answer most of your queries. Never migrate entire data in one go; rather create small batches and schedule them to transfer incrementally. Following a phased migration approach always proves to be better than a cutover migration.

Use effective tools and methods

A successful SharePoint migration demands the correct choice of tools and methods that simplify the process. You can use Microsoft’s SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) for effective content migration. However, it lacks the capability to handle complex metadata and permissions.

To avoid this, you can use a professional SharePoint to SharePoint online migration solution that allows migration of a complete SharePoint site. Such tools help you deliver productivity and business continuity under all circumstances.

Run pilot migrations

Test migrations helps in avoiding errors experienced during real-time migration. Migrate a small amount of data to make sure that your approach, methods, permission, and user mapping is done correctly.

If any errors are found, resolve them and then migrate entire SharePoint server without any hassle. However, always run test migrations during non-peak hours to avoid performance bottlenecks.

Consider post migration care

Collect feedback from the users and use it to deliver an improved user experience. Regularly monitor the destination to detect and handle any unusual user activity to protect your critical business data.

Contact an experienced SharePoint service provider

With the help of a professional and experienced SharePoint migration service provider, migrating between SharePoint servers is not a tricky job. They have the resources and expertise required to help you with your issues, fulfilling the objectives and goals of the migration.

Conclusion

SharePoint to SharePoint migration requires a carefully drafted process. Plan each stage wisely to avoid errors and inefficiencies after the data transfer. Always remember that transparency in communication helps with easy user adoption and minimize downtime. Moreover, use a professional tool like Kernel Migration for SharePoint that migrates sites, subsites, lists, libraries, etc., along with their permissions, metadata, and version history. You can easily download migration tool for SharePoint free trial version to get a clear understanding of the software.

Read also: Migrate SharePoint Without Losing Customizations or Workflows