Migration Plan: File Server → SharePoint Online

Draft Migration Plan: File Server → SharePoint Online

Phase 1 – Preparation (Week 1–2)

1. Confirm licensing
   • Ensure all 30 users are on Microsoft 365 Business Premium (includes SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Intune, Defender).
2. Inventory current file server
   • Map all shared drives/folders.
   • Record owners, permissions, and size of each share.
   • Identify legacy/archived data that can be excluded from migration.
3. Design SharePoint site structure
   • One top-level Communication Site (Company Hub) for shared resources.
   • One Team Site per department (e.g., Sales, Finance, HR, Ops, IT).
   • Avoid too many subsites; keep it flat and use Microsoft Teams integration.
4. Decide permissions model
   • Use Microsoft 365 Groups for access.
   • Keep permissions simple: Owners, Members, Visitors.
   • Define who will administer each site.
5. Security baseline setup
   • Enforce MFA for all users.
   • Enable Conditional Access (block legacy authentication, restrict risky sign-ins).
   • Configure Defender for Business on all PCs.

Phase 2 – Pilot Migration (Week 3–4)

1. Select a pilot group (e.g., Finance or HR, 5–6 users).
2. Migrate a small set of data (using SharePoint Migration Tool).
3. Test in real life:
   • Permissions and access.
   • Co-authoring in Word/Excel.
   • OneDrive sync for offline access.
4. Collect feedback → adjust structure and permissions before wider rollout.

Phase 3 – Full Migration (Week 5–6)

1. Communicate plan to all staff:
   • Explain folder structure.
   • Provide 30-minute training on SharePoint basics + safe sharing.
2. Migrate department by department:
   • Sales → Finance → HR → Operations → IT.
   • Use off-hours or weekend windows for heavy data.
3. Lock down file server to read-only after migration (safety net).
4. Verify:
   • Data integrity.
   • Permissions.
   • External sharing policies applied.

Phase 4 – Optimisation (Week 7+)

1. Decommission file server after 30–60 days of read-only fallback.
2. Enable retention policies (e.g., 7 years for finance).
3. Run monthly permission audits.
4. Adopt additional security features:
   • Data Loss Prevention (DLP).
   • Sensitivity labels (confidential docs).
   • Conditional Access by location/device.
5. Ongoing staff training — focus on phishing, external sharing, and OneDrive use.

Timeline Overview

• Week 1–2: Prep & planning
• Week 3–4: Pilot migration
• Week 5–6: Department migrations
• Week 7+: Optimisation & decommission file server

Key Tools

• Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) — free from Microsoft.
• OneDrive client — sync libraries for offline access.
• Microsoft Admin Center / Security & Compliance Center — set policies.