Strategy to Copy Petabytes of Files to SharePoint from Box

Copying petabytes of files and folders to SharePoint Online from Box is not a small feat. The sheer size of data along with complex metadata makes it challenging for SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) and enterprises to ensure accurate replication of Box structure in SharePoint.

In this article, we have shared advanced actionable insights to help you plan the migration of petabytes of files and folders.

Key Takeaways:

  • Copying petabytes of files from Box to SharePoint requires several strategic approaches.
  • One of the most important approaches is preparing SharePoint sites in advance to which you can map files and folders to.
  • It’s best to migrate users in batches to avoid API throttling issues and keeping the validation process lightweight.
  • Using dedicated instances is a must to avoid downtime when migrating petabytes of files.
  • Plan a timeline that sets realistic expectations in respect to the massive scale of the migration.
  • Creating a proper change management plan helps avoid user impact which is a common issue in large-scale migrations involving petabytes of files and folders.

Prepare SharePoint Sites in Advance

When planning petabytes-scale migration, we recommend avoiding the reactive approach of creating SharePoint sites post-migration and manually organizing files and folders there. The best approach is to create the sites well ahead of the migration, so that you can map to the relevant SharePoint sites and have the shared folders and files migrated there.

With this approach, your IT team can also maintain the integrity of shared folders and files by preventing them from being organized in non-native libraries.

You can also read our guide on preparing sites when switching from Box to SharePoint.

Migrating to SharePoint Sites

Plan and Perform the Migration in Batches

Another strategic approach to take is to divide the total number of users into several equal batches and migrate them one at a time. There are many benefits of this approach, including:

  • Simplification of the migration and validation process
  • Prevention of API throttling risks
  • Ease of managing the overall migration project

migration batches

Here’s an example of creating migration batches:

  • Let’s assume you have a total of 10,000 users to migrate
  • So, if you want to migrate 1000 users together, you need to create 10 batches

Use Dedicated Instances to Avoid Downtime

Since migrating petabytes of files requires optimal performance, it’s a must to use dedicated instances. Apart from files, if you have other types of data, such as emails and chat messages to migrate, implement the parallel processing approach.

Parallel processing migration

Plan a Timeline That Sets Realistic Expectations

Copying petabytes of files to SharePoint Online from Box storage often takes a long time. Therefore, when planning the roadmap and timeline, set realistic expectations. Unanticipated roadblocks and additional steps like cloud authentication take extra time. Therefore, it’s important to factor in every aspect as well as dedicate some buffer time.

At CloudFuze, we have a track record of completing terabytes and petabytes of file migrations within the schedule.

Streamline Change Management Processes

Since migrating petabytes of Box files to SharePoint Online takes considerable time, the risk of user impact increases. To avoid this, it’s important to focus on change management.

Plan around various aspects of change management, such as establishing proper communication, providing users with proper training, and more. Our team can guide you in preparing a solid change management plan.

Copy Petabytes of Box Files to SharePoint with CloudFuze

At CloudFuze, we have a proven record of helping some of the world’s biggest companies migrate petabytes of data securely and successfully. Our migration solutions are purpose-built for large enterprise-scale migrations.

Contact us today to learn more on how we can help you move PBs of data without any downtime and security compromises.

What Do Customers Say About Us?

Here’s one of our 2025 Gartner reviews that highlights one of the many migration success stories we have created. As per the review, the customer was able to migrate data as well as permissions with our tool. Our flexibility in adapting to changes in plans also contributed to their success.

SharePoint migration success story

Watch our Box to SharePoint Migration Tool in Action:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I copy files to a SharePoint site?

You can copy files to a SharePoint site by mapping the user (owner) and his/her folders to that particular site. The best way to do this is through CSV mapping. Tools like CloudFuze Migrate use CSV mapping to ensure accuracy in migration.

2. Can u drag and drop files into SharePoint?

Yes, you can drag and drop files into SharePoint Online. But there are a few things you must consider, such as limitations in file and folder names and specific special characters.

3. Which is the best Box to SharePoint migration tool?

CloudFuze Migrate is one of the best Box to SharePoint migration tools in the industry. It is purpose-built for large and complex Box to SharePoint migrations while ensuring enterprise-grade security.

Start Migrating Today

Leverage our one-stop migration solution to securely migrate files, folders, emails, chat, hyperlinks, tenants, and more. We have 12+ years of experience in tackling migrations of all sizes and complexities!