Different methods to migrate data to SharePoint intranet!

SharePoint has become a necessity for businesses with large amounts of data management. It provides great services for managing your data and sharing it. However, it can be quite a challenge to develop a good application using SharePoint technologies.

Moving data to the SharePoint intranet has proven quite a challenge in the past but now with the help of SharePoint development tools, the experts have developed some convenient methods to meet this challenge.

In this article, we are going to talk about some of the methods to migrate data to the SharePoint intranet which is, by the way, part of SharePoint development services.

Use of the OneDrive sync client

Before you can use OneDrive sync, you must set up a SharePoint Online site and a document library synced to your computer. With a click on the “Upload or drag & drop approach” the user can select the data to be transferred to SharePoint Online. OneDrive sync works like copying/pasting files from one folder to another.

Unless you are using Windows 10, a pop-up window will appear called the OneDrive sync client. After the OneDrive app is successfully installed, the document library will appear as a folder on your PC.

Now you can select the files you want and paste them into the folder. Depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection, the synchronization/migration to your SharePoint Online environment can take a few minutes or several hours – so be patient.

Your files are already in the cloud!

Advantages:

  • Simple and easy, no special technical knowledge is required
  • Only select those files that you need in the SharePoint Online intranet
  • Metadata is preserved (e.g. Data Modified remains unchanged)

Disadvantages:

  • Works with small amounts of data
  • The internet connection must be stable
  • 300,000 files sync recommendation

SharePoint migration tool

The SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) is Microsoft’s recommended tool for migrating SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint 2016. It is a free and easy-to-use solution to help you migrate content from on-premises SharePoint intranet sites to SharePoint Online supported in Microsoft 365. To do this, first, download the SharePoint Migration Tool free of charge.

Required Permissions:

The SharePoint Migration Tool works with tasks. When you create a migration task, you can choose to migrate your sites, just your SharePoint Server lists or document libraries, or restructure your site collections.

There is also a bulk method that allows you to enter all of your task information into a CSV or JSON file and upload the file to SPMT.

  1. The SharePoint Server option allows you to migrate content from SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, or 2016.
  2. The file share option allows you to migrate files and folders from a local drive or network share.
  3. The bulk migration JSON or CSV file option allows you to save and upload the information about your migration tasks in a JSON or CSV file. This method is useful when you create a lot of such tasks.

The SharePoint Migration Tool generates log files, summaries, and task-level reports to help you manage, audit, and troubleshoot your migration process.

Advantages:

  • The tool is free
  • Suitable for mass migration
  • Extended log summary
  • Incremental migration is possible
  • Data is encrypted during transmission

Disadvantages:

  • SharePoint Designer workflows are not supported
  • Files that are checked out cannot be edited
  • SharePoint Server 2019 is not supported
  • Office 365 Germany is not supported

Use of Mover.io

Mover.io is a highly specialized cloud-to-cloud migration tool. The Mover company was acquired by Microsoft on October 21, 2019. The tool is currently free – whether as a single user or a larger partner. You can access it through Mover.io or through the migration features in Microsoft 365 SharePoint Admin. The experts in SharePoint development should be consulted before using this method.

Step 1: Select the source

  • Amazon S3
  • Dropbox
  • Egnytes
  • Google cloud storage, Drive or G Suite
  • OneDrive / SharePoint Online

Step 2: Select destination

  • Azure blob storage
  • OneDrive / SharePoint Online

Step 3: Migration Manager

  • Go to Migration Actions and choose to Add to Migration
  • Choose a CSV file to start the migration

Advantages:

  • It’s free
  • Dashboard overview with advanced details about the migration
  • Capable of transferring an unlimited amount of data, ideal for business migrations
  • scheduling engine
  • Preserves file permissions and sharing rules
  • Verbose logging

Disadvantages:

  • Not easy to use
  • A limited number of cloud storage providers
  • Use of third-party tools

Another way to migrate your intranet to SharePoint Online is to use third-party tools, but they can put a significant strain on your project budget.

Leave it to the experts

You shouldn’t be on your own when it comes to a large-scale migration project. With a reliable partner, you create added value with your intranet in many ways. At Al Rafay Consulting, we specialize in strategy, information architecture and SharePoint intranet migrations and other SharePoint development services. Companies of different sizes and industries have already entrusted us with the management of their migration project. Talk to us to convert your intranet to SharePoint Online in a hurry!

Conclusion

As you have noticed, migrating to SharePoint Online is not an easy task. There is a lot of planning, tools and methods to choose from before the actual migration can go ahead. Whatever you do when introducing SharePoint Online to your organization, remember to educate your users so they can get the most value from this new suite of tools!

Al Rafay Consulting is happy to help with Microsoft 365 training and support if your learning and development teams are already overwhelmed.