| 1. Dealing with Special characters and Lengths in | | | | migration has to be broken down to several |
| Folder and File names | | | | different tasks (batch processes), with several |
| SharePoint does not accept certain special | | | | different rules to process the files and folders. |
| characters (tilde, number sign, percent, | | | | 5. Using a mass document migration application to |
| ampersand, asterisk, braces, backslash, colon, | | | | work off your desktop instead of running right on |
| angle brackets, question mark, slash, pipe, | | | | the SharePoint servers directly. |
| quotation mark. that's a lot of special characters | | | | If you are using third-party tools for migration, a |
| and certainly, it is not that uncommon to find | | | | solution that can run either on the desktop and or |
| some of these in filenames in filesystems. Also, | | | | on the server will be ideal. Take the case of |
| SharePoint does not allow folder and file name | | | | incremental migrations. The SharePoint server |
| lengths to be longer than 128 characters in WSS | | | | could already be in production mode while several |
| 3.0. These aspects alone can be such a pain during | | | | different libraries in SharePoint could still be under |
| migration of folders & files that contain | | | | migration. Server performance will be |
| special characters and long names. Windows folder | | | | compromised if the migrating application is going |
| / file names with special characters have to be | | | | to run on the server. It is better if the application |
| replaced with SharePoint acceptable characters to | | | | runs on a desktop performing actions like data |
| avoid manual work in renaming folders and files. | | | | cleansing, processing etc. and just do a final bulk |
| For files that contain special characters based on | | | | upload into SharePoint. |
| certain logic or a set of rules, this can easily be | | | | 6. Migrating and tagging the tens of thousands of |
| dealt with by using scripts or some tools. | | | | documents from your legacy file folders into your |
| However, if the files contain special characters in a | | | | new SharePoint repository while retaining the |
| random manner with no orderliness about them, it | | | | existing taxonomy or migrate to a new |
| can be a laborious task to rename the folders and | | | | taxonomy. |
| files before migrating them to SharePoint. Similarly, | | | | Most file system users will not be familiar with the |
| long folder and file names have to be truncated | | | | concept of document metadata. They are more |
| to the prescribed length before moving them to | | | | familiar with the term file properties. The concept |
| SharePoint. A few nasty folders / files in random | | | | of document metadata originates from Document |
| can put a spoke in a well planned, large and | | | | Management Systems (DMS), where documents |
| orderly migration. Here are two useful links to | | | | are stored and made searchable on a wider set |
| know more about SharePoint special characters, | | | | of keywords and phrases. Document libraries in |
| limits on URL lengths and long filenames. | | | | SharePoint are akin to Document Management |
| 2. Maintaining the same folder / file structure | | | | Systems in the way they store documents and |
| when migrating to SharePoint | | | | properties for search and retrieval. However, |
| Most companies will want to retain the same | | | | these properties need to be presented to |
| structures for files and folders to maintain | | | | SharePoint during migration in a certain manner |
| operational consistency as well as business | | | | that makes the search and retrieval more |
| continuity. For example, an organization currently | | | | powerful and elegant. You may migrate / |
| using a traditional Windows based file server | | | | propagate metadata fields from the document |
| platform for document collaboration could be | | | | properties stored within the file or using an |
| deploying SharePoint as the collaboration platform | | | | external metadata file / database. Mapping and |
| for the users. In such situation, it will be easier to | | | | tagging existing file properties and adding additional |
| maintain the same folder and file structure in the | | | | properties to documents in SharePoint, especially |
| newly setup SharePoint library without changing | | | | for a well structured taxonomy can be a laborious |
| the user experience in handling folders and files. It | | | | process. |
| makes the navigation intuitive, eases migration | | | | 7. Retaining (carry forward) the Created Date and |
| process, minimizes user training and improves | | | | Last Modified file attributes from the file system |
| operational efficiency. | | | | to maintain business continuity for users and |
| 3. Migrating a select set of document types / | | | | minimize user training when collaborating in the |
| formats such as doc, xls, ppt, jpeg, dwg, pdf etc. | | | | new SharePoint environment. |
| Sometimes, only documents of certain types (or | | | | This is another challenge that is constantly faced |
| formats) need to be moved to SharePoint | | | | by SharePoint users. There are plenty of business |
| libraries depending on the document templates or | | | | reasons to retain the same Date field values once |
| content types or file types allowed to enhance | | | | the documents have been migrated to SharePoint. |
| the document management framework. | | | | Unfortunately, SharePoint falls short in this aspect |
| Everything else needs to be filtered. To selectively | | | | and you need third-party tools or some in-house |
| move files based on their types will require some | | | | programming to carry forward the original date |
| programming, especially so if there are large | | | | fields for documents. |
| folder trees (nested folders). | | | | 8. Automating the migration process to reduce |
| 4. Migrating a large number of unstructured and | | | | the time necessary and labor involved to move |
| poorly managed files. | | | | large file repositories to SharePoint. |
| From the perspective of file contents, business | | | | Almost all mid-sized to large-sized migrations |
| relevance and usage patterns, migrating a large | | | | require automation, especially when incremental |
| number of unstructured and poorly managed files | | | | batch migrations from different sources take |
| (remember some of those legacy file systems?) | | | | place. Automated batch jobs help you to take |
| to a structured, organized and searchable | | | | complete control of the migration process by |
| framework within SharePoint is not easy. A lot of | | | | handling errors and triggering events that can be |
| planning and meticulous reorg of files and folders | | | | managed efficiently. Otherwise, you have to |
| is a must. This essentially means that there will be | | | | spend hours on ad-hoc problems and tracking |
| frequent rework of mapping and remapping the | | | | down repetitive errors thrown by non-automated |
| source folders and the destination libraries. The | | | | migrations. |