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Summary: SharePoint 2019 provides significant add-ons to enhance popular document storage and collaboration. This is why the migration from SharePoint 2016 is a compelling choice. SharePoint 2019 offers a modern UI, enhanced site experiences, and improved security. This blog outlines the migration process, which involves creating a new SharePoint 2019 farm, copying databases, upgrading service applications, and site collections. Hence, use Kernel Migration for SharePoint for a seamless migration.

SharePoint 2019 is already in the market and many businesses still can’t decide whether to get the latest. If your team is looking forward to upgrading from SharePoint 2016 to SharePoint Online, the following article will help you make a swift and smooth move. Get ready to learn about the added functionalities this transition will provide to make your experience more rewarding.

Microsoft continuously works on enhancing its applications, and SharePoint is not behind in this. The upgrades made in the 2019 edition of SharePoint make it a better choice with many new features. Migrating from SharePoint 2016 or older versions to SharePoint Online is crucial for better team collaboration, document management, and utilizing a built-in app catalog. The updated version also provides better security than its former editions. To migrate between the two versions, you can follow the database-attach approach, which we’ll learn in detail in this article.

SharePoint 2016 to SharePoint 2019 migration – Why?

The enhanced functionalities of the latest iteration of SharePoint 2019 make it an enticing proposition for SharePoint 2016 users considering migrating to this updated version. Newly updated release delivers a contemporary site experience, enhanced management tools, bolstered security measures, and various other improvements.

Unique features make it different from the conventional SharePoint 2016 with its classic site experience and standard feature set. This difference can be best understood with a quick SharePoint 2016 vs. SharePoint 2019 comparison.

What’s new in SharePoint 2019?

Before you start to plan SharePoint 2019 migration, let us have a look at the new updates in the SharePoint 2019 version.

  • Modern Communication sites.
  • Modern experience for sites and pages.
  • More file storage.
  • OneDrive.exe support for synchronization.
  • More flexible character restrictions.
  • Support long URLs.
  • Modern experiences to lists, libraries, team site, and web pages.

Things to perform before the migration

  • Databases must be upgraded to 16.0.4351.1000 or higher version.
  • The account used for creating web applications must be a member of the Farm administrators group of the Central Administration website.
  • The account for database attachment must be a member of the content databases db_owner fixed database roles.
  • SharePoint 2016 RTM version only is supported for the upgrade.

Manual way to upgrade SharePoint 2016 to SharePoint 2019

We will employ the database-attach approach, involving the creation of a fresh SharePoint farm within the target SharePoint environment. Subsequently, we will duplicate and transfer the content and service applications from SharePoint Server 2016 to the destination SharePoint, attaching them in the process, and executing the necessary upgrades. Following this, site collections will undergo an upgrade, overseen by site owners, as they transition from the source to the destination environment.

SharePoint farm performs migration to 2019 for upgrading to a new version and experience seamless user experience. We have a tool that’ll help you skip the monotonous and lengthy process of migrating from SharePoint 2016 to 2019. You can gain insights into the process and what permissions, data, and hierarchy are migrated when you use this solution.

Here is the complete SharePoint 2016 to SharePoint 2019 upgrade process.

  1. Creating a new SharePoint Server 2019 farm:
    The initial step involves the farm administrator’s installation of SharePoint 2019 on the new farm, following the verification of all prerequisites for web applications and servers. Subsequently, they must install database servers with a version of 2016 or newer and proceed to configure the farm settings.

    On the other hand, the server farm administrator of SharePoint 2016 needs to set database servers, web, and application servers to read-only status.

  2. Copying SharePoint Server 2016 databases to the new environment:
    During this phase, the SharePoint 2016 farm administrator employs SQL Server Management Studio to create backups of read-only set content and service application databases. These backups are subsequently made available for restoration by the SharePoint 2019 farm administrator via the SQL Server instance within the farm. Once the databases are successfully backed up, the SharePoint 2019 farm can transition to a state where it supports both read and write operations.
  3. Upgrading databases and service applications from SharePoint 2016:
    The farm administrator must undertake the setup of service applications, which encompass tasks such as configuring user profiles, securing the store service, optimizing search services, implementing performance SharePoint services, establishing business data connectivity, and managing metadata, among other responsibilities.

    The next task is to create a web application in the new farm for every web application available in the SharePoint 2016 farm, along with the installation of all server-side customizations.

    Next, the SharePoint 2016 farm’s content databases must be connected to the recently established SharePoint 2019 farm. These connected databases will then undergo an upgrade process, facilitated by Microsoft PowerShell commands, as they are associated with the newly created web applications within the SharePoint 2019 farm.

    Next, the SharePoint 2016 farm’s content databases must be connected to the recently established SharePoint 2019 farm. These connected databases will then undergo an upgrade process, facilitated by Microsoft PowerShell commands, as they are associated with the newly created web applications within the SharePoint 2019 farm.

    Run these commands in the SharePoint Server 2019 farm for testing and then mounting.
    Test – SPContentDatabase
    Mount – SPContentDatabase

  4. Upgrading SharePoint Server 2016 site collections:
    In this final stage of the upgrade process, the server farm administrator upgrades the My Site host first and then tells respective users to upgrade their My Sites progressively.

    Hence, these were the four stages of upgrading your SharePoint 2016 to SharePoint 2019. You can give this method a try; however, the process of doing this manually is time-consuming and lengthy. It also requires you to have the technical expertise to mitigate possible risks by identifying the issues and resolving them just in time.

Hence, these were the four stages of upgrading your SharePoint 2016 to SharePoint 2019. You can give it a try.

Perform Easy SharePoint Migrations

If you value the efficient use of time and wish to execute a seamless SharePoint Migration swiftly, you undoubtedly need an alternative solution for the upgrade. Your ideal choice to migrate is none other than Kernel Migration for SharePoint.

The SharePoint Migration tool addresses all your SharePoint 2019 migration requirements, facilitating theker transfer of data from one SharePoint version to another with ease and automation. It effortlessly relocates site collections, pages, folders, documents, and more, offering a range of customization options. Additionally, our SharePoint migration tool supports various other migration scenarios, including OneDrive migration, Google Drive migration, File Server to SharePoint migration, and more.

Conclusion

The migration to SharePoint Server 2019 offers numerous advantages to administrators, thanks to its contemporary site functionality and unique features. SharePoint migration is not easy, and you need a team ready with the strategy to handle any possible risks.

Expert administrators might choose this manual approach over the automated tool. However, it can be challenging for the newbies as it needs you to be technically sound. You can go with the lengthy process that requires utmost concentration and a foolproof plan or attempt a successful upgrade with Kernel Migration for SharePoint.

Kernel Migration for SharePoint