Business Requirements for Data Migration to OneDrive & SharePoint

Introduction

Business requirements for data migration are usually comprehensive and technically complicated. But no two business data migrations are the same as the migration needs largely depend on the goals a particular company has.

If you are planning your company’s data migration and are exploring the different requirements most businesses have, this post can offer you several actionable insights.

The factors listed below are the core requirements for data migration. Businesses can have more migration needs that may be secondary but equally important as primary migration needs.

1. Ensuring That the Migration Is a Copy-Transfer Process

Using a copy-transfer approach is one of the fundamental business requirements for data migration of all sizes. Businesses planning to move from the source storage (cloud or local storage) that is actively used every day need to choose a migration tool that copies the source data (and not move it). A copy-transfer approach helps avoid any kind of disruption in the source storage.

CloudFuze copies an infinite number of users and data from the source to the destination. The entire migration flows through CloudFuze’s SaaS servers in the background and does not interrupt any kind of activity in the source.

2. Transferring Individual User Data to OneDrive and Shared Data to SharePoint Online

Mapping which data goes where is another primary business requirement for data migration, especially during user-oriented storage to centralized storage migration (e.g., Box to Microsoft 365 migration).

This is because a collaboration-focused cloud suite like Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) has a centralized storage system that syncs individual data in OneDrive for Business and shared data of teams in SharePoint Online.

Businesses must map individual data to OneDrive for Business and shared data to SharePoint Online when migrating to Office 365 from user-focused storage clouds like Box, Dropbox, and Egnyte.

3. Retaining Sharing Permissions, Metadata, and Other Features

One of the mission-critical data migration business requirements is transferring critical features linked to the data. These features include:

• Root and inner folder permissions
• Root and inner file permissions
• Folder structure and user account hierarchy
• All and selective file versions
• Embedded links
• Timestamps
• External shares
• Shared links

Businesses that plan to retain and improve user collaboration structure in the destination cloud choose to migrate all the important features. On the other hand, companies that have a small number of users and data to migrate with a limited budget only choose to transfer the most critical features to keep the migration cost in check.

4. Adhering to Microsoft 365 File/Folder Naming Conventions

Every business planning to migrate to Microsoft 365 must adhere to the file and folder naming conventions of Microsoft in OneDrive for Business as well as SharePoint Online.

• File/folder naming convention 1 – Microsoft 365 does not support specific special characters in file and folder names. Therefore, it is crucial to modify the names of source files and folders that include unsupported special characters.
• File/folder naming convention 2 – Microsoft 365 also does not support specific names in files and folders. As such, tweaking the unsupported names in source storage’s files and folders is a must.
• File path length of 400 characters – File path length cannot exceed 400 characters in OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online. This limitation requires IT teams to trim the path length of files that exceed 400 characters.

CloudFuze helps businesses of all sizes overcome these Microsoft 365 limitations in an automated way. CloudFuze X-Change modifies source storage’s file and folders names automatically to overcome these limitations in a high-speed process.

5. Configuring Local Servers for Performing the Migration Locally

One of the additional business requirements for data migration for performing the migration in an on-prem migration environment is to configure local servers to which the migration tool will be based on. Configuring the right API and DB servers is a needle mover for deploying the migration tool in a local environment.

CloudFuze’s business migration team offers end-to-end assistance in preparing a local environment configuration for businesses that plan to perform the entire migration in an on-prem migration environment.

6. Segregating the Migration into Multiple Batches

Every data migration business requirement document of companies that plan to migrate many users and TBs/PBs of data must prioritize segregation of the migration into multiple batches. There are several benefits to migrating large volumes of users and data in batches:

• Timeline planning for each batch becomes easier
• The risk of API throttling (transfer rate throttling) reduces significantly
• Tracking the migration progress becomes simpler
• Validation the migrated users and data becomes more accurate

7. Using Delta Migration to Transfer the Incremental Changes

Delta migration is also a crucial aspect of business requirements for data migration. It helps businesses of all sizes transfer the incremental changes made on the source cloud data during the migration. Unlike regular migration, the delta migration feature transfers only the incremental changes and updates them in the destination cloud in the correct files and folders.

CloudFuze offers delta migration as part of the business migration package. Discuss your business data migration needs with our business migration team and request for a free and no-obligation quote. You can also request a demo or an assisted POC tailored to your needs.