Tips for a successful SharePoint Migration strategy

1. Tips for a successful SharePoint Migration strategy
AND HOW TO ACTUALLY GET IT DONE…

2. Who am I?
• IT for 18 years – Network Admin, Exchange
Admin, System Admin.
• Sr. SharePoint Administrator – Lumeris
• Previous SharePoint experience: Perficient,
Washington University, Monsanto
• Married, 4 Kids, love horror movies, and
Musician.
• Twitter: @SharePointRoxs
• Blog:
https://sharepointadminstuff.wordpress.com
Don Daubert
SharePoint Rocks Too!

3. Migration Options
Version currently on can help determine method used.
• Current Version?
• MOSS 2007
• SP 2010
• In-Place Upgrade
• Database Attach Method
• 3rd Party Migration Tool
• Manual
• Discovery also helps
determine method used
SP 2007: • In-Place not recommended
• Database Attach must go to SP
2010 First
• Migration Tool ♫
• Manual – Don’t complicate your
migration. If manual will work for you
use it.
SP 2010: • In-Place is an option but we want
“successful”.
• Database Attach
• Migration Tool♫
• Manual – Don’t complicate your
migration. If manual will work for you
use it.
3rd Party Tools: • Metalogix Content Matrix
• ShareGate
• DocAve
• Dell

4. Discovery
 SPDocGen - https://spdocgen.codeplex.com/
 SPSFarmReport -
https://spsfarmreport.codeplex.com/
 Powershell scripts for Site Collections, Size,
Last Modified etc.
 If time allows Visio existing architecture, think
about how it can be improved. Move subsites
to Site Collections, Site Collections to new
DB’s.
 Inventory current Permission implementation.
Will you keep this in place or Architect
something new?
 This is one of the most underrated and
overlooked pieces to the puzzle.
• Farm Reports
• Servers
• DB’s
• Site Collections
• Susbites
• Size Reports
• What type of content exists?
• What can be archived?
• Strategy
• What has to migrate?
• Features
• Custom Code
• Strategy
• Existing Architecture
• Search
• Content Owners
• Modified
• WebAnalytics

5. Planning
• Customizations
• Upgrade code or rewrite?
• Recreate functionality?
• Improve functionality?
• OOTB vs Code
• Infrastructure Architecture
• What can you improve?
• What meets Microsoft best
practices?
• Migration is the best time to
address this common problem
• End User Experience
• Navigation
• SiteTemplate Design
• Redirection
• Downtime
 No matter how much discovery or planning, you will break something
 Spread Site Collections across multiple DB’s
 Should some subsites be a site collection?
 Procrastination and not wanting to redesign this
usually results in it never getting done.
 Yes Admins this IS important!
 ClientsUsers being migrated to something new expect it to work better
and look better. Look and Feel?
 Will OOTB work
 Work closely with a Developer if you have one at your
disposal.
 How to redirect users as old is migrated to new
 DB read onlySite Collection Permissions
 Think about how to be efficient with the least amount of user impact
 Network and Farm Specs

6. Implementation
• You’ve determined how you
want to migrate and the
method
• You have a plan
• Allow time for content
cleanup and archiving
• Work with Content Owners
on timelines
• Plans can change
• Tools and method can
change as plan develops
• Test, Test, Test your
migration plan in a Dev
Environment
 You have all this, time to execute
 For all the discovery and planning, something always breaks
 DB attach is a great way to do a “cutover” migration: Same
url, smaller content DB’s etc however more can go wrongs
and relies on much deeper discovery and planning.
 Migration tools allow for a gradual migration: Different URL, Stale content
 If possible have content owners cleanup and archive as much data as
possible. Try not to migrate what doesn’t need migrated
 In some cases Owners cannot be identified. Content won’t be archived or
cleaned up. In some cases you simply have to migrate it and deal with it after
migration.
 Testing the migration plan, method, and tools is essential

7. Caveats
• DB Attach
• 3rd Party Migration Tools
• Manual
• In Place
Large DB’s means a lot of content, sites, etc. More to go
wrong, more discovery, more planning. Double-Hop
You can move Site Collections to new DB’s before migrating and make
subsites Site Collections. Break out the architecture ahead of time.
Budget. Can be expensive and not cost effective
Migration tools are not perfect. Workflows, Missing Users, Content Types,
Custom Columns, BDC Models
Time consuming
Metadata is not retained. Version history as an example
Old hardware usually won’t support a newer version
Too much that can go wrong and very risky

8. Pros
• DB Attach
• 3rd Party Migration Tools
• Manual
• In Place
Can migrate large amount content of rather quickly
Fully supported by Microsoft
Allows migration to be as meticulous and gradual as you would like.
Allows 2007 to 2013 migrations
Can assist in Owners cleaning up stale content
Allows users to re-think their content
Cost effective from a hardware perspective if hardware supports new version
No tools to buy and requires very little SharePoint expertise to perform

9. Sources
 Upgrade from Office SharePoint Server 2007
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee947141.aspx
 Overview of the upgrade process to SharePoint 2013
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262483.aspx
 Plan for upgrade to SP 2013 https://technet.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/cc303429.aspx
 What might not work http://en.share-gate.com/blog/not-working-
after-sharepoint-migration-to-2013
 DB Attach http://en.share-gate.com/blog/step-by-step-upgrade-
sharepoint-2010-database-to-sharepoint-2013
 Roadmap http://en.share-gate.com/blog/sharepoint-migration-
roadmap-and-planning

10. Post Migration
• Is content missing?
• Are webparts missing?
• Are features missing or not
activated?
• We’re any steps missed
• Was there any functionality
implemented that may have
been missed
• User access
• Support

11. Questions and
Discussion