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OneDrive for Business by Microsoft 365 has become a go-to option for users to store and access data online, anywhere, and on any device. It has promoted the influence of remote work to a great extent by providing access to the data at the speed of the business. When businesses plan mergers, acquisitions, or just rebrand themselves, they often need to migrate data between multiple OneDrive accounts. OneDrive migration is not just about data lift and shift; it is about moving the collaborative efforts between accounts. Even a single hour of business downtime can cost your business a lot, which might impact you in the long run.
Therefore, you need to follow some best practices that stimulate effortless migration of OneDrive files, as explained in this article. Before moving ahead, let’s learn why you need to migrate data to OneDrive.
Why OneDrive is a good option for enterprises?
Microsoft offers advanced features even in basic subscription plans, making it attractive for small businesses and individuals. Also, its integration with the Microsoft Office suite makes it a convenient choice for those who are already using MS Word, Excel, etc. Availability of applications like Exchange Online, Yammer, Teams, etc., in Office 365, along with OneDrive, makes it the most sought-after cloud storage platform in all respects. So, OneDrive from Microsoft is a good option for enterprises.
Why and how to migrate to OneDrive?
Users come to OneDrive from various platforms: some from file shares, some from on-premises SharePoint, some from G suite, and some from other content management systems. Also, there are many users who need to migrate content from one OneDrive account to another. Foreseeing the need for enterprise-level OneDrive migrations, Microsoft has provided some basic migration features in OneDrive itself. Also, it has some migration services and migration tools. But OneDrive migration is a complex task that needs comprehensive planning and precise execution. It needs the services of technically adept administrators and co-operation from end-users. Availability of professional solutions definitely can smoothen the planning and execution of OneDrive migration to a considerable extent.
OneDrive Migrations – Some Best Practices
There are many factors one should consider before starting the OneDrive migration. Following some best practices suggested by OneDrive experts and Microsoft will help you perform hassle-free migrations in all situations.
- Take help from experts
- Analyze the migration requirement
- Choose the right plan for you
- Take a comprehensive data backup
- Analyze the content for migration
- Train the end-users in advance
- Perform a test migration
- Schedule the migration wisely
OneDrive migration is a complex process that requires technical expertise. If you don’t have experts in your organization, you need to hire one or consult experts outside your organization. Discuss your requirements, expectations, and budget with them before jumping on to SharePoint migration. You can also go through Microsoft help articles to increase your awareness and enhance your OneDrive skills.
You need not migrate to OneDrive just because everybody is doing that. You need to check if OneDrive is the right platform for you. What are the benefits you are going to get from OneDrive migration? Is it cost-effective for you? Can you continue using it for a long? Are your users skilled enough to use OneDrive? If you get positive answers to all these questions probably, OneDrive is the platform for you.
Before purchasing the OneDrive plan, spend some time researching various subscription plans available. Go through the applications in various plans. Also, check if it provides enough storage space for you. It is advised to start with the lowest plan that meets all your requirements. If you need additional storage space, you can buy it later separately.
The most crucial step to migrate OneDrive for Business data with zero data loss is to backup OneDrive thoroughly. You can use the manual lift-shift approach to secure the data or use a professional tool like Kernel OneDrive backup. The software simplifies storing data backup to the desired location within the local computer or network-attached storage. You can use it to download data without impacting the integrity or data quality.
OneDrive migration requires careful planning. As OneDrive is primarily a collaboration and sharing platform, it is good to migrate only the content needed for collaborative working. You can think of migrating frequently used content and important content, leaving the rest behind. It will save a lot of space in OneDrive and reduce migration time. Also, it is better to avoid migrating large files initially as it may cause various issues. Also, you can completely avoid migrating outdated and redundant content.
The real success of OneDrive adoption and migration depends on how skilled your end users are in effectively using the OneDrive platform. If they continue to use OneDrive with their traditional habits, OneDrive is not going to be an effective platform. So, you should train your end-users to adapt to OneDrive and use its advanced features efficiently. It will help your organization exploit the full potential of the OneDrive application.
Though you are confident of a foolproof migration, just conduct a test migration before the actual migration. Try to make the test migration data as representative as possible and make the migration environment identical to that of the actual migration environment to easily figure out the possible migration issues. A test migration can make you more confident and prepared at the time of actual migration.
During the migration, you may face downtime in the source platform. So, it is better to avoid your working hours for the migration. If you execute the migration on weekends or other non-working hours, you can avoid business interruption during the migration.
Professional OneDrive migration tool for smooth and error-free OneDrive data migration
Though there are some inbuilt upload features as well as some migration tools from Microsoft, professional OneDrive migration tools belong to a different league. They ensure hassle-free OneDrive migrations with minimum supervision and time consumption. Customization of migration as per the requirements of the organization is possible with these tools. Kernel OneDrive Migration Tool support features like Pre-Migration Analysis, Filters, Migration scheduling, permission migration, reports, etc. With this tool, enterprise-level OneDrive migrations are smooth and effortless.
Such features, accompanied by a simple user interface, help to make migration processes simpler for all organizations with or without OneDrive experts.
Conclusion
Storing data on cloud platforms like OneDrive simplifies team collaboration and content sharing. It is important to plan the migration correctly to avoid obstructions in process and data accessibility. This article summarizes best practices that you can follow for minimizing downtime and hassle-free execution. Apart from that, you can use Kernel OneDrive Migration Tool for quick and easy OneDrive migrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. There can be several reasons for a business to migrate from one OneDrive to another, such as:
1. Many businesses migrate for rebranding or restructuring as the departments reorganize or the company name is changed.
2. To shift from a personal OneDrive account to OneDrive for Business and make data storage and management easier.
3. To merge data from multiple Office 365 tenants into one, which is achieved using cross-tenant migrations.
4. For better security and compliance, implement data loss prevention policies across the organization.
A. Before beginning with the migration of data between OneDrive accounts, here is what you need to consider:
1. Check if your OneDrive tenant is compatible to perform the migration.
2. Make sure to always schedule migration in non-peak hours to avoid throttling.
3. Plan permissions mapping, specifically for external users, in advance.
4. Get an appropriate license for the destination account and configure security settings.
