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Summary: Many organizations are transitioning from traditional file servers to SharePoint 2013 personal libraries (OneDrive for Business) to enable remote access. However, this migration poses challenges such as structure mismatches and limitations. The Kernel Migrator for SharePoint simplifies this process. Steps include adding OneDrive for Business as a destination, configuring the file system as a source, and migrating files with user account options. The tool offers a user-friendly, efficient, and headache-free solution compared to unreliable native methods, making it an essential choice for successful migration.

In contemporary times, organizations lean towards utilizing SharePoint 2013 personal libraries, commonly referred to as OneDrive for Business, as their chosen platform for storing and distributing corporate work documents. Once these documents have been successfully transitioned to OneDrive for Business, users gain the ability to access these files from virtually any location outside the corporate network.

As OneDrive for Business continues to gain prominence and wield greater influence, individuals are increasingly motivated to transfer their data from traditional file servers to the more sophisticated OneDrive platform. Nonetheless, transitioning from a file server to OneDrive is not a straightforward process, and the prospect of data loss can turn this migration into a daunting endeavor. Nevertheless, careful planning can help navigate these challenges smoothly. Here are some typical issues that arise during the process of migrating from a file server to OneDrive:

  • Problems in migrating File Server structure
  • OneDrive for Business has limitations in file paths, number of files, and file names
  • The structure of the File Server and the usernames in Office 365 are not in agreement with each other

A tool such as Kernel Migrator for SharePoint can significantly simplify and enhance the migration process. Utilizing this tool, the transition from a File Server to OneDrive becomes a seamless and efficient procedure, requiring only a few clicks. This tool offers a straightforward pathway, guiding you through any challenges that may arise during the migration.

Step to Migrate File Server to OneDrive for Business

Step 1: Add OneDrive for Business in Destination Pane
  1. In the “File” menu, add a new site item, and then in the Add New Destination, click on “Add OneDrive.”
  2. After opening Add OneDrive for Business, the following wizard will occur.
    Add New Destination

Enter the desired details:

Project Name: Enter the name of the project.
Site Address: Provide the URL of the OneDrive Site.
User Name: Enter the username with administrative rights over the provided site.
Password: Enter the password.
Target Type: Target type drop-down contains two options, i.e., Admin Tenant Account and Personal User Account.

  • Admin Tenant Account: This is an administrator account; it will count all users on which this account had privileges
  • Personal User Account: This will add the personal account of a user
Step 2: Add File System in Source Pane
  1. Add File System in the “File” menu and then click on “File System” in the Add New Source.
  2. Add New File System will display the following wizard.
    New File System will display
  3. Enter the desired details:
    Computer Name: Enter the computer name or IP Address.
    Drive: Select a drive that needs to be connected as a File System for the software

  4. After filling the details, click on validate connection. This will validate the connection.
  5. After a successful connection, the software may ask for login credentials.

In case of wrong parameters, “Add File System” wizard will terminate with an error.

Step 3: File System to OneDrive for Business Migration

  1. In the “File System,” select “File System to OneDrive Migration.” It will display the following wizard:
    File System to OneDrive Migration
  2. The “ADD” tab will show the following options:
  3. Add Files: This will add files from the local computer.
    Add Folders: This will add a folder from the local file system.
    Add Remote Files: This will add the files from the remote system.
    Add Remote Folder: This will add the folders from the remote file system.

  4. Add the required files/folders from the local or remote file system.
    Add the required files/folders
  5. After selecting the files, all buttons will be activated.
    Remove: It will remove the selected files/folders from the migration list.
    Remove All: It will remove all files and folders from the migration list.
    Groups/Users Permissions: This button will show the permissions of groups and users on any selected item.

  6. The next step is to select the destination and the type of migration.
    select the destination
  7. In bulk migration, Under the Project Name, select a project that contains an Admin Tenant Account.

  8. The next step is to select the user accounts where an item will be get migrated.
    select the user accounts
  9. You can also select similar user accounts for all items or different accounts for different items.

  10. Here is a snapshot of account list options for items.
    select similar user accounts for all items
  11. By clicking next, a wizard will open, displaying the options for the file server to OneDrive migration. Here, you can also add a filter to your migration process.
    add a filter
  12. The next step will provide you with an option to migrate the permissions. You can also enable the Remap Users options to map the users.
  13. To add a new mapping, click on the Add New Mapping button, then enter the Source User Name and Destination User Name.enter the Source User Name and Destination User Name
  14. After clicking next, if you’re migrating the files/folders from the Remote File System, you must specify the login credentials of the authorized user.
    login credentials
  15. In the next step, you can immediately execute the File Server to OneDrive for Business migration or schedule it later.
    Execute the File Server to OneDrive migration immediately or schedule it
  16. Here is the Summary of the migration job.

    Summary of the migration job

    Migration done successfully!

    Migration done successfully

SharePoint Migration, streamlines the process of migrating files from a File Server to OneDrive, requiring just a few straightforward steps for success. While native methods exist, they are often fraught with reliability issues and demand a substantial amount of technical expertise and coding skills to execute a migration successfully. Consequently, SharePoint Migration proves indispensable in such migration scenarios, offering reliability, efficiency, speed, cost-effectiveness, and a headache-free migration experience.

Kernel Migrator for SharePoint