SharePoint migration involves moving lists and libraries, permissions, metadata, and many other components. However, SharePoint migration is not an easy task for everyone without proper knowledge. The transfer of data from SharePoint on-premises to SharePoint online needs proper planning and resources. If anything goes wrong or unplanned, then you may end up having some major data losses. Getting an idea of the challenges before executing the migration and taking proper precautions will help in achieving successful migration. Let’s know what are the top 10 unexpected challenges that you may face while performing the migration process. We’ll also learn about how we can overcome them.
Unexpected challenges in SharePoint migration and their fixes
Here is a list of top 10 challenges that come in between migration SharePoint data procedures, along with the fixes to overcome them.
Challenge 1. Improper planning
Proper planning and concentration are required to execute the data migration process accurately. If any organization migrates SharePoint data without any proper planning, then it will create many severe issues such as data loss, corruption and many more.
Solution: Before migration, make sure you have a proper plan and enough knowledge to perform an error-free process. Additionally, set your objectives clear to achieve success in smooth data transfer.
Challenge 2. Permissions and metadata
The organizations must take care of permissions (controls) and metadata (author, file type, modification date, etc.) during the migration process. Even a small mistake can lead to compromise of confidentiality and breaches.
Solution: To make sure everything goes correctly, you can perform a pre-migration audit for permissions and metadata or use some reliable software which guarantees 100% security to protect your data.
Challenge 3. What to migrate and what not to migrate?
If you don’t know what to migrate and what not to migrate, then you may end up creating a mess. The unnecessary data, old files, folders, etc. also get migrated, which makes the migration process complex and lengthy.
Solution: Get rid of all the unnecessary data by deleting or archiving to external drives to cut off the extra time and effort. Organize your SharePoint sites, libraries, lists, etc. correctly for easy mapping and migration.
Challenge 4. Incomplete testing before executing migration
Ignoring some steps while executing the process or not having a pre-migration test can automatically give rise to some critical issues. You may get to see lost files, incorrectly configured permissions, and other symptoms.
Solution: Carry out a pre-migration test to make sure everything’s correctly configured. If you did find some issues, then you need to re-check everything before conducting a migration.
Challenge 5. Lack of training and adoption
When migrating from SharePoint to another platform, it is necessary to inform the employees about the change. If employees are not well trained and don’t know how to use advanced technology, then there are high chances of human errors, and their productivity will also decrease.
Solution: It’s the organization’s duty to provide post-migration training to their employees so that they can work easily. This is only possible with good communication and providing proper instructions.
Challenge 6. Neglecting regulations and compliances
If an organization doesn’t follow the rules and regulatory compliances, then they are putting the organization at very serious risk which leads to penalties and a falling reputation.
Solution: SharePoint migration should be performed by following the regulatory compliances to avoid penalties.
Challenge 7. Complexity due to bulk migration
Executing bulk migration of large files results in performance issues. If large files don’t get migrated correctly, then they will take longer than expected.
Solution: The solution to deal with this challenge is to perform small batch migrations instead of mass migration, or organizations can perform migration off-hours to avoid interruptions. Additionally, using reliable software can help organizations with migrating large files easily.
Challenge 8. Incompatibility between source and destination environment
If the destination environment is not prepared with the required permissions, and security policies are not put together correctly, then it will create compatibility issues. Due to incompatibility, the data may get corrupted or lost.
Solution: Make sure the destination environment has required permissions similar to the source environment. If permissions are not allocated properly, then you need to contact an expert or redesign your destination environment.
Challenge 9. Neglecting regular monitoring post-migration
Business organizations are not aware that post-migration monitoring is crucial to improve their performance. Once SharePoint data migration is completed, organizations skip the regular monitoring part.
Solution: Keeping an eye on and taking regular reviews from employees and users about the platform switch helps the organizations to increase their efficiency. With post-migration monitoring, organizations can manage and utilize their costs and expenses efficiently.
Challenge 10. Limiting users request with API throttling
Organizations use API throttling to limit the number of requests a user can make. This makes the large file transfer complex for users and slows down the transfer process. It prevents overusing of resources by users.
Solution: If organizations start using reliable tools, then the need for API throttling will decrease or be avoided. On the other hand, performing incremental migration can also help to utilize the storage space efficiently.
Avoid SharePoint migration challenges with automated software
To avoid the challenges coming between SharePoint migration, you can go for an automated SharePoint migration tool. Kernel Migration for SharePoint tool can easily migrate data such as list & libraries, versions, site collection, permissions, and metadata. It is a reliable and trusted SharePoint migrator which provides accurate results. With the advanced features of this software, you can perform a pre-migration analysis and can even schedule migration. You can even migrate data from cloud-based applications (AWS, Box, Dropbox) to SharePoint Online.
Conclusion
There are many challenges which come while migrating SharePoint data. If there’s no proper planning or knowledge, you’ll eventually end up having errors and faults. With effective migration planning and methods, you can perform a smooth migration process. Additionally, for instant solutions, use Kernel Migration for SharePoint. Try out the trial version of the software and learn how the tool works and its exceptional features.