Part 1 – Introduction

Part 2 – Native Options for Uploading Files into SharePoint

» Part 3 – Third Party Options for Uploading Files and File Share Migration into SharePoint

Including MetaVis, there are a handful of vendors providing solutions for File Share to SharePoint Migrations.  We have all focused on filling the gaps that exist with Microsoft provided tools and user needs.  In the past few years the diversity and focus of tools has shifted slightly and as the result I have separated them into three categories:  Tools for Enterprise Migrations, Tools for Powers Users and SharePoint-embedded Tools.

Tools for Enterprise File Share Migrations

Enterprise file share migrations are traditionally performed by IT and SharePoint Admin personnel.  One of the key reasons for this is to avoid creating the same mess associated with traditional file shares, inside SharePoint.  File shares are notoriously full of outdated, duplicate or simply useless content that users have dumped there over the years.  Moving to SharePoint provides the opportunity to reorganize, de-duplicate and catalog content.  This effort requires planning and preparation and therefore the involvement of IT staff or consultants who specialize in these projects.

The tools that are used to do the actual migration are generally installed on a desktop and connect must be able to support many advanced functions.  Here is a brief list features that our client have leveraged (see MetaVis Migration Suite for full listing):

You may ask what type of file share migration should be classified as “enterprise”?  That answer, of course, differs from organization to organization.  The two factors that we look for are volume of content and number of contributors.  Anything over 5-10 GB of content generally presents a good opportunity to organize and categorize relevant content and discard or archive the rest.  The other consideration is number of people who have worked with the content.  If only a handful of individuals were involved it is generally simpler to classify the content (one of the Power User tools may be sufficient).  However, if many individuals contributed content and especially if business users are not available to assist, the automation offered by Enterprise-grade tools are more appropriate.

You will find that the vendors who specialize in these types of tools offer free trials with some limitations (such as duration or volume).  It is a good idea to download and give them a try.  You may also want to schedule a demo.  If you are just starting on large migration project, there is a great deal that can be learned from the engineers that do them.  They are well experienced in challenges that you may encounter and solutions to overcome them.  Pricing is traditionally based on the volume of content to be migrated or under management.  Some vendors also offer bundling with their other products.  If you are looking for several different solutions, this may be a good way for you to get more for your buck.

Tools for User File Share Migrations (Desktop Version)

Several companies including MetaVis (see Power User Edition) have recently introduced tools targeted towards SharePoint users.  This class of tools is intended to allow users, rather than IT personnel, execute their own file migrations.  The included features fill gaps of out-of-the-box SharePoint tools while offering an attractive price model.

Depending on the use case and your point of view, the downside or upside is that the migration is pushed down to business users.  In theory they are closer to the data and have a better feel for how it should be organized and categorized.  In practice, the results have been mixed.  Users have sometimes reverted to the poor organizational practices that are exhibited in File Shares with the difference being that the content is now stored in SharePoint.  Business users also lack the in-depth expertise required to create an effective and efficient SharePoint taxonomy.  However, in smaller workgroup implementations where IT support is not readily available this can be a practical and cost-effective solution.

As in the enterprise class tools, you should be able to download a free trial with some limitations (such as duration or volume).  Some of the vendors also provide demos.  Pricing is traditionally based on a duration (1,2 or 3 years) and number of seats (or individual users of the product).  Discounts are provided based on the quantity of seats you are buying,

Tools for User File Share Migrations (SharePoint Version)

An alternative option for user-driven file migration is an application embedded directly into SharePoint.  First introduced with SharePoint 2010, this type of application runs in the browser from the SharePoint Ribbon enhancing the functionality offered by the native Document Upload control.  For example, MetaVis Information Manager Enterprise Edition allows users to upload files and folders into libraries, apply metadata in bulk while removing many of the SharePoint limitations.

As with SharePoint controls there are some browser-based compromises.  For example, due to security concerns browsers are prevented from accessing the file system.  So, an ActiveX or Java applet may need to be installed to overcome this.   On the other hand, once installed these controls have the advantage of being available to everyone.  In addition, the introduction of Apps feature in SharePoint 2013 opens some exciting options regarding distribution, functionality and availability (in hosted environments such as Office 365).

Trials of these tools are available, but will require a SharePoint admin to install on the Central Admin server.  Although fairly simple to use, demos are a good idea to become acquainted with the product features and limitations.  Pricing is traditionally based on the number of Web Front Ends or content under management and discounting is based on the quantities of these.

Final Thoughts

As I conclude this article, I am somewhat surprised by how many options are available to accomplish this seemingly simple task (and I am quite sure there are others that I have not mentioned but have also been used by the SharePoint community).  At the same time having worked with many SharePoint customers over the past ten years, I have seen the diversity of needs and use cases that call for a range of solutions.  How you use SharePoint (and your budget) will dictate which option is right for you.  At the same time it is good to know that if your needs expand or change, there is a wide range of options to meet those needs.

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Steve Pogrebivsky has written 7 post on this blog.

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