Migrating an On-Premises File Share to SharePoint and OneDrive: Migration Agent Approach

Introduction

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of migrating from an on-premises file share to SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365. Whether you’re moving from a local network drive or a shared folder, this guide will help you seamlessly transition your files to the cloud.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

1. Access to Microsoft 365: You need a valid Microsoft 365 subscription.
2. Migration Manager: We recommend using the Migration Manager tool, which provides a centralized way to connect servers, create tasks, and automatically load balance migration tasks.

Phases of Migration

Most successful migrations follow these phases:

1. Planning: Understand your source environment, assess content, and plan your target environment.
2. Assessment and Remediation: Identify redundant, outdated, or irrelevant content. Communicate with users early about the migration.
3. Prepare Your Target Environment: Set up OneDrive and SharePoint sites.
4. Migration: Use the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) to move content.
5. User Onboarding: Educate users about the changes.

Migration Planning 

1. Assess your current source environment: 
   1. Map between source and target systems.
   2. Determine the amount of content to migrate.
   3. Identify redundant or outdated files.
2. Communicate with users: 
   1. Start early to prepare them for the change.

What is Migrated

When using the SharePoint Migration Tool, the following items are migrated:

• Migrated:
  • Documents
  • File and folder structure
  • User-level permissions
  • Files under 15 GB
  • Site, document, and folder metadata
• Not Migrated:
  • Conversion of embedded URLs in content
  • Windows hidden attributes on files and folders
  • Explicit deny permissions
  • Inaccessible or corrupted documents
  • Files or folders exceeding current SharePoint restrictions

Migration Process

Set Up Migration Manager Agents

Before initiating the migration, you’ll need to set up Migration Manager agents. These agents act as intermediaries between your on-premises file share and Microsoft 365. Here’s how to do it:

1. Install Migration Manager Agents:
   1. Install the Migration Manager agents on servers within your on-premises network. These agents facilitate communication between your local file server and the cloud.
   2. Ensure that the servers meet the system requirements for running the agents.
2. Configure Agent Settings:
   1. Specify the source file share locations (folders or drives) that you want to migrate.
   2. Set up authentication credentials for accessing the file shares.
   3. Configure any necessary proxy settings if your network requires them.
3. Test Connectivity:
   1. Verify that the agents can successfully connect to both the source file share and Microsoft 365.
   2. Test read and write permissions to ensure seamless data transfer.

Create Migration Tasks

Once the agents are set up, create migration tasks to define what content you want to move. Here’s how:

1. Define Migration Scopes:
   1. Select the specific folders or directories from your on-premises file share that you want to migrate.
   2. Consider grouping content logically (e.g., by department, project, or team) to maintain organization in SharePoint and OneDrive.
2. Set Migration Options:
   1. Choose migration options based on your requirements: 
      1. Incremental Migration: Migrate only new or modified files since the last migration.
      2. Full Migration: Migrate all content, including existing files.
      3. Permissions Mapping: Map on-premises permissions to SharePoint and OneDrive permissions.
      4. Content Types: Specify how different file types (documents, images, etc.) should be handled.
3. Schedule Migration Tasks:
   1. Decide when to perform the migration. Consider off-peak hours to minimize impact on users.
   2. Create migration schedules to automate the process.

Execute the Migration

With migration tasks configured, it’s time to execute the actual migration:

1. Start the Migration:
   1. Run the migration tasks using the Migration Manager.
   2. Monitor the progress and address any issues that arise during the migration.
2. Monitor and Troubleshoot:
   1. Keep an eye on the migration dashboard for real-time status updates.
   2. Address any errors or warnings promptly.
   3. Monitor performance metrics (e.g., data transfer rate, completion percentage).
3. Verify Data Integrity:
   1. After migration, validate that files and folders are correctly transferred.
   2. Check permissions, metadata, and folder structures.
4. Communicate with Users:
   1. Inform users about the migration progress.
   2. Provide guidance on accessing their files in SharePoint and OneDrive.

User On Boarding

• Regularly communicate with users.
• Provide training on using OneDrive and SharePoint.

Related Content

For detailed instructions, refer to the official Microsoft documentation: Migrate file shares to Microsoft 365 with Migration Manager.

Keywords:

Migrate, file share, migration, migration guide, Migrate file shares to Microsoft 365, SharePoint and OneDrive migration guide, Migration Manager setup, File share migration steps, Microsoft 365 file migration tutorial