Top 5 Must-Do’s to Migrate ShareFile to Microsoft 365

Knowing what steps to take and what to avoid when planning to migrate ShareFile to Microsoft 365 can help your company achieve 100% success. Whether it is transferring individual user data to OneDrive or shared data to SharePoint Online, having clarity on the “Do’s” of the migration can make the journey seamless.

In this post, we have shared the top five must-dos to migrate ShareFile to Microsoft 365 with no downtime.

Create a Migration Plan

Before you start the ShareFile to Microsoft 365 migration whether to OneDrive or SharePoint, you need to create a detailed migration plan and risk assessment (e.g., data loss, downtime). This plan should cover your specific needs, such as which ShareFile files/folders to migrate, the migration timeline, post-migration verification, permissions mapping, metadata preservation (file versions and timestamps), user adoption strategy, and the tools or services required.

Also, one of the key components of the pre-migration plan is to decide between a one-time migration (moving all data at once) and a delta migration (incremental transfers after the initial data load). Delta migration is often preferred for large datasets as it allows you to move only changes made after the one-time migration, so minimal downtime.

A clear migration plan and checklist will help you avoid challenges and delays and make sure you don’t lose critical business data during the ShareFile to Microsoft 365 migration.

Choose the Right Migration Tool with Advanced Features

When migrating ShareFile to Microsoft 365, choosing the right migration tool is key. CloudFuze is a powerful tool with many advanced features such as root and inner permissions migration, timestamps migration, and more, along with a fully managed migration service.

• Root and Inner Permissions: Maintains folder-level and file-level permissions during the migration so users will have the same access rights after migration.
• Timestamps Migration: Preserves creation and modified timestamps during migration so file histories remain intact for future reference.
• Special Characters and File Path Length Handling: CloudFuze replaces unsupported special characters with either an underscore (_) or a hyphen (-) so Microsoft 365 can understand. For files with path lengths over 400 characters, it creates separate folders to avoid file access issues.

CloudFuze supports these features and makes the entire migration process cohesive.

Backup Your Data Before You Start

Always backup your ShareFile data before you begin the migration to Microsoft 365. Data can get lost during the migration process if there are connectivity issues or transfer tool errors. Having a backup means you can recover any lost files quickly.

• Make sure you have a complete backup of your data stored outside of the migration process. That gives you peace of mind and an extra layer of protection for your files.
• Do incremental backups so data is continuously saved and updated, and you don’t lose data during the migration process.

Get Your Microsoft 365 Tools Ready

Now that your data is backed up, you need to get your Microsoft 365 business collaboration tools ready to take over. Whether your team uses OneDrive, SharePoint, or Teams, make sure those tools are set up to receive the data. That means setting up sharing, and permissions, and training employees on the new platform as part of following Microsoft 365 migration best practices.

Test and Verify

After you’ve migrated ShareFile to Microsoft 365, validation is key to make sure the migration is successful. That means validating all files are moved, permissions, timestamps, and metadata are preserved and data is accessible across the Microsoft 365 suite. Post-migration testing should focus on:

• File Integrity: Verify all files were transferred correctly and are accessible.
• Permissions: Verify root and inner permissions are preserved so users have the right access.
• Timestamps and Metadata: Verify original timestamps, metadata, and version history are intact.
• File Structure: Verify folder hierarchy and file paths are the same.

Testing early will allow you to find and fix any issues before full deployment and make sure collaboration tools are working smoothly. CloudFuze’s managed migration service includes post-migration testing to ensure data is functional and ready in the Microsoft 365 environment.

Conclusion

Now you know the 5 must-dos. Start with a plan, choose CloudFuze, backup your data, get your tools ready, and test your migration. Your business will be up and running Microsoft 365 business collaboration tools in no time. Contact us today to talk to migration experts.