SharePoint Online Tenant to Tenant Migration Explained
Microsoft SharePoint is a web browser-based document management and collaboration application/ platform that allows groups to make a password protected-centralized space for document sharing. SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration is a trending topic nowadays. Therefore, users are quite concerned about it as they aren't aware of the right method.
In this page, we will be discussing the ways to migrate SharePoint Online to another tenant, its reasons, challenges & other important factors.
Queries to Migrate SharePoint Online to Another Tenant
Before we learn about various methods to migrate Sharepoint Online from one to another tenant. Let us consider the following user queries that support the need for such migration. The following are the user queries collected from various forum sites:
“I am an IT Admin in my office. I would like to execute Office 365 SharePoint tenant to tenant migration due to some merger of the company. Please help me with a solution to get my desired results without any errors or loopholes.”
“Being a BI consultant, I prefer SharePoint as the best internal communication solution because it is easy for me to plan the BI strategies. But right now I need to perform a cross-tenant SharePoint Online migration. How can I do that?”
These are just two out of a million queries that users ask to get their desired results. Well, as users explained here a bit. We need to dive deeper & understand the needs that let users take such a decision. Evidently, this can help us take a wise decision.
SharePoint Online Tenant to Tenant Migration Critical Reasons to Understand
SharePoint is the most popular application choice of businesses and one of the best-selling products of Microsoft 365. There can be plenty of reasons for this task as per users & organizations. Let’s go through them to understand the crux of the matter.
Brand Merger: Whenever two or more companies merge together to form a new brand, there is a high chance that they will make major changes in the organization & thus to keep the data together, SharePoint cross-tenant migration of one of them.
Brand Acquisition: In case a brand acquisition happens & Company A buys Company B, they will most probably like to get the data & communication on the same level. Therefore, they need to simply migrate SharePoint data as well.
Brand Divestiture: Just like merger & acquisition, brand divestiture is also one of the major reasons why an organization plans tenant to tenant SharePoint migration operation. The subsidiary business that became independent, has to migrate the data.
Rebranding: Now, in the case of rebranding as well, when brands need to perform the migration. However, it depends that whether they want to perform the inter-tenant migration or the intra-tenant migration of SharePoint.
Change in Subscription: Last but not least, when any organization upgrades to a better or more advanced subscription of SharePoint, they need to migrate the data to a new tenant. Similarly, in case of a subscription downgrade, migration is necessary.
SharePoint Online Tenant to Tenant Migration Challenges
There are several challenges present for users in this migration task of SharePoint Online platform. Let’s go through some of the major ones to understand what these challenges are.
The very first challenge for users is to make a well-researched & robust plan. Such a plan can easily help users to get their desired results otherwise, users might feel confused in between the tasks.
The selection of the right tool & technique is the most asked question by users. Well, users are quite confused about this single matter & we already explained that in the above sections.
Another challenge is to keep files safe from all threats. Failure in the migration may also result in data loss or corruption. Therefore, a backup of the primary files must be taken prior to Office 365 SharePoint tenant to tenant migration.
Training the employees is equally important as the migration project. That’s because, without the training, users might face difficulties in adjusting to the changes post-migration.
Now, apart from these challenges, there are plenty of others. However, if users follow the below-mentioned step-by-step guide, they can easily counter all these challenges & get their desired results.
The very step for users is to build a robust strategy & plan everything out. Without a proper strategy, this entire task is full of risks & challenges that can provide users with the nightmare of a lifetime. Here, users need to take care of the following factors:
Decide if the migration is going to be Inter-tenant or Intra-tenant. This means users need to decide if they are going to migrate the data into the same tenant or a different one.
Plan to decide on which workloads are the final that users need to pick for the migration task. Evaluating the data in the source tenant is a great initiative to take a wise decision here.
Considering the number of accounts in scope is also another crucial factor to understand for SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration initially.
Tracking the statistics of various existing projects to understand whether is it really compulsory to migrate the data or not. This stage is the positive stage where users can freely take any decision based on multiple factors.
Resource Assessment - Stage #2
The second stage is one of the most crucial phases for users to eliminate all the risk factors. Prior to the migration process, it is essential for users to simply understand if the source & destination tenants are ready for this task or not. Their configuration should be checked carefully along with several other factors.
Perform any required updates if available before the commencement of the tenant to tenant SharePoint migration. This is the best way users can make sure that they won’t face any issues. Moreover, communicate with the staff & train them for the upcoming changes.
Tool & Technique Selection - Stage #3
To migrate SharePoint Online to another tenant safely, users need to make the most important decision. This decision is about the tool & technique of the entire project. The market is full of fake solutions as well. Therefore, users need to select the ideal solution very carefully.
The Cross-tenant SharePoint migration capability now makes it possible to move SharePoint sites between tenants. SharePoint Administrators can move sites into their new tenants by using SharePoint Online PowerShell. Here are the steps that you can follow to perform migration mannually:
Step 1: Connect to both the source and the intended tenants.
Step 2: Build a rapport of trust between the prospective renter and the supplier.
Step 3: Confirm the establishment of trust.
Step 4: Make users and groups beforehand.
Step 5: Get your identity mapping ready.
Step 6: Initiate a SharePoint migration across tenants.
Step 7: Measures to take after migration.
Why You Shoud Never Rely On Mannual method?
As discussed earlier, no direct manual methods exist for migrating SharePoint Online to another tenant. Currently, it only migrates the data of users who have an Enterprise subscription. The transfer of Teams channels, content, or related structures is not included in this capability. Only the SharePoint site content will be moved to the destination if a Teams-connected SharePoint site is migrated.
As there is no reliable manual solution available for this task and Cross-tenant Migration are a one-time event. A redirect link will remain on the Source after the content is moved from the Source to the Target. It is not possible to execute incremental and delta migration passes.Therefore,the technique here for Office 365 SharePoint tenant to tenant migration is going to be automated.
The development of cross-tenant SharePoint migration is still in its private preview phase. Any information or availability is subject to change at any time due to the ongoing nature of the project. Email support will be provided to clients who purchased private previews. The preview terms of the Microsoft Universal Licence Terms for Online Services apply to cross-tenant SharePoint migration.
Now, the automated technique requires an automated solution that SysTools provides if we believe experts. As per experts, this solution is full of advanced features & ultimate data security capabilities. We will try the tool in further sections as well. However, let us finish with the stages first.
SharePoint Online Tenant to Tenant Migration with the Best Tool
As we discussed above, there are various solutions available in the market. However, not all of them are worth trying. This is why based on Microsoft’s MVPs & industry experts, trust SysTools SharePoint Online Migration Tool for an error-free experience.
This tried & tested solution is tried & tested by various, industry experts, MVPs, as well as users. Everyone praised the solution for its unique capabilities & advanced features. Let’s have a look at the advanced features of this tool for a tenant to tenant SharePoint migration safely.
SharePoint to SharePoint Site migration.
Migrates sites, Document library & Generic lists.
Batch & Bulk migration capabilities with date filter.
Tracking the migration process eliminates loopholes.
Mapping permission settings is now easier with the tool.
Delta migration, Report generation, Windows compatibility etc.
Before we dive directly into the mainstream task, it’s really important for users to test their preparations. This is exactly why users need to run a pilot project for SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration tasks.
Set up an environment replicating the exact situations of the actual migration process. Run the migration & look for the metrics here. Here, users can find the loopholes present & fix them before the deadline.
In addition, this way, users can get an estimated idea of how long the actual task will take to provide the desired results. Several confusions can be eliminated in this phase.
Migrate SharePoint Online to Another Tenant Step by Step
Prerequisites for the Project
Create a Service project in Microsoft Azure first.
The network call shouldn’t be blocked by the proxy settings.
There must be a SharePoint Site already created at the destination.
Step-1. Launch the Tool in your system & activate the license key.
Step-2. Select Office 365 as Source & Destination accounts for the migration.
Step-3. Enable the Sites checkbox under the Workload Selection window.
Step-4. Set the Date Filter to migrate data from a specific time period.
Step-5. Enter Source Admin Email ID and Application ID & Validate them.
Step-6. Enter the Credentials for the Destination account & Validate them.
Step-7. Map Users from source to destination and Validate them as well.
Step-8. Also, Map Sites of SharePoint as well & then Hit the Validate button.
Step-9. Hit the Start Migration button for tenant to tenant SharePoint migration.
Step-10. Finally, Generate Reports for the post-migration checks using the software.
Execute & Track Migration - Stage #5
This is the stage to migrate SharePoint Online to another tenant just exactly as planned. Make sure there is no disturbance to the primary task & keep an eye on the statistics. Track your migration at all times for a smooth experience. In case of a failure or any issue, try to find the loopholes quickly & come up with a backup solution.
Also, generate a status report to evaluate the expectations with the actual results later.
The Post Migration Checks - Stage #6
At last, once all the migration is complete, it’s time for users to make some post-migration checks. These are really important for Office 365 SharePoint tenant to tenant migration as they help users to match their expectations with reality.
Below are the following checks:
Check if all the data is migrated or not.
Look for any errors in the destination tenant.
Check for all the settings, permissions, workflows, customizations, etc.
Let users work on the new environment & also take their reviews for the same.
Conclusion
Based on the problems faced by Office 365 users, we have suggested one solution that a user can use for SharePoint Online tenant to tenant migration without any hassles. As there is no manual procedure available for the same, a user can go for any of the available third-party solutions that experts recommend. SysTools is indeed one of the most trusted as well as user-rated software in this case. This tool also supports several other types of migration as well. Evidently, users can utilize it according to their requirements.
The two have almost the same features but there are a few differences between the two. In the case of SharePoint On-Premises, the data is stored in the data center of the organization; whereas in the case of SharePoint Online, the data is kept in Microsoft data centers & managed by the MS administrators. SharePoint Online / Office 365 has also missed a few features of SharePoint for eg, faceted navigation and cross-site publishing feature. The Content Search Web Part is unavailable. Also, some key BI (Business Intelligence) features like Scorecards, Dashboards, and PerformancePoint are not available. However, SharePoint Online comes with new exciting features based on today’s requirements of a user.
This feature allows team members to stay connected in the complete project’s life cycle. It also helps in increasing the productivity and connectivity of an organization. A user can share anything over SharePoint like arrange meetings, discuss events, tasks, etc.
Yes, Microsoft does support the tenant to tenant migration of SharePoint Online & Office 365 platforms. Users must follow the guidelines & all prerequisites.
