Microsoft’s new SharePoint release 2016 is not an option but a real necessity for those working on SharePoint 2010 or 2013. With the new functionalities offered by the Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016 version, it is a smart business move to migrate to SharePoint ASAP. However, the migration process itself is pretty challenging if you are from a non-technical background. Hence you need to ensure that your valuable data, process, and configuration is protected from the potential damage caused by a failed migration attempt. So, while you will be looking at expert SharePoint consultants to carry out SharePoint migration for you, you could do well to remember these critical pointers to ensure a safe and successful migration to SharePoint 2016.
1) Perform a site content audit-
You need to assess which SharePoint content is obsolete and no longer needed so that it can be kept out of the migration process and thus speed up the process. While it is a common tendency to bring on everything, we advise you to be rigorous about what you want and what you don’t want.
2 ) Have you factored in security?-
Manual data migration is more vulnerable to the security issues, therefore the company needs to be extra cautious to make sure that the security policies are kept intact. Since you are planning to migrate the data to a cloud platform, you need to assess what content is compatible with this platform and what can be done about the ones that are not.
3 ) Formulate a migration strategy-
There are three different ways to migrate the content.
Manual- It is easy but time-consuming
Automated- It doesn’t require any manual effort but a deep expertise is required
Manual and automated- The best bet is to select a mixture of both
4 ) Think about the Server farms required-
The concept of server farms is challenging. Throughout its existence, SharePoint has had a flexible topology, thus allowing the services to run on different servers in an efficient way. While the basic concept is simple to understand, determining exactly how much server space is required and where to run certain services is a complicated scenario.
Moreover, in the recent times, Microsoft is faced with a new challenge on how to manage traditional server farm. To better address the challenges, SharePoint 2016 has introduced the concept of MinRole, where a server in a server farm can run a specific set of services without turning on any other services. However, it’s important to note that organizations looking to obtain benefit from MinRole need to install more servers than they had earlier.
5 ) Reflect about downtime patching that your site experience-
Installing bug fixes and security patches in the SharePoint 2013 version and previous versions was a painful activity for the organizations, as it led to a downtime that could span as much as 40 hours for a larger company.
To address this concern, Microsoft made several adjustments in its new version, which allows the servers to be updated to coexist with the farms that have not been updated yet. If you are facing the same challenge, then you are a good candidate for migration to SharePoint.
SharePoint Migration Services
Migrating to SharePoint 2016 may be the right choice for your business and can lead you to the next level of growth, but only if you carry out the migration process right.
If you are looking to migrate to SharePoint, outsource SharePoint development or want to upgrade your website to the SharePoint platform, then you can consider SharePoint consulting services from Neologix, a top rated SharePoint development company in India. You can hire SharePoint designers and expert SharePoint consultants who will provide your organization comprehensive support and smooth migration from SharePoint 2007 or 2010 to SharePoint 2013 or the latest Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016 with a cost-effective approach and lower risks.
