1. Onedrive For Business
2. Onedrive For Business Mac Sharepoint On Premise Windows 10
3. Sharepoint And Onedrive
4. Onedrive For Business Mac Sharepoint On Premises

On-Prem & Legacy SharePoint For SharePoint on premise users, one of the key disadvantages of Microsoft’s OneDrive synchronisation solution is that it only works well with the online Office365 and SharePoint. Quite simply, if you are trying to synchronise with SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint 2010 OneDrive Next Generation will simply not work. The instructions listed in this column are based on using SharePoint Online and the OneDrive for Business 2016 client. So with that said, setting up synchronization is usually really easy to do.

Many businesses continue to use clunky on-premises systems even to store small volumes of data that comprises of documents, spreadsheets, and videos. These file servers are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. In most cases, it does not make economic or business sense to procure and maintain complex on-premises servers to store small volumes of data. This is particularly true for smaller businesses that do not require a significant level of file sharing within the organization or with external stakeholders. Opting for cloud services is much more affordable and secure than storing such content on private infrastructure. Let us explore how to migrate from a file server to OneDrive for Business.

When to Migrate from On-Premises File Server to OneDrive for Business?

OneDrive for Business is a solution that is best used by individuals who need to share files occasionally. It is used for storing personal files that are seldom used by other team members. OneDrive for Business can be used as a storage solution for protecting business-related personal files that can be accessed from anywhere using compatible devices.

It can be used in the following scenarios in place of on-premises file servers.

• Users have to store documents such as meeting notes, drafts, scripts, and other items that have to be shared with other colleagues.
• Businesses need to ensure that all their employees’ data is available even after they have left the organization or are away.
• A few people have to collaborate on certain documents.
• Additional security is required for some files that cannot be secured on-premises.
• Data that is stored centrally has to be synchronized between several devices.

Onedrive For Business

How Can Data Be Migrated From File Server to OneDrive for Business?

OneDrive for Business is already a part of the SharePoint subscription in Microsoft 365. Moving data to OneDrive for Business is similar to File Server to SharePoint Online migration. Here are some of the methods that can be used for migration.

Using OneDrive Sync

The most widely used method for migration is the OneDrive Sync client. This tool is useful for synchronizing files and folders stored on physical drives to the cloud so that users can work on them offline. It is possible to use third-party storage services in combination with Microsoft 365. So, data can be imported by mapping drives with OneDrive for Business, or in some cases, allow such solutions to access Office files directly to support hybrid scenarios. This method is best used when the size of the file to be migrated is fewer than 100 GB. Also, it cannot be used to synchronize some types of files (eg. TMP) or drives.

Leveraging SharePoint Migration Tool

The SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) can also be used for migrating content from some file servers, network and local file shares, and older on-premises SharePoint Servers to OneDrive for Business. However, the tool has certain limitations in the sense that it is not robust enough to manage complex scenarios and large quantities of data. Users often complain of issues such as permission mapping, inability to open certain types of files, errors, and so on.

Utilizing Third-Party Migration Tools

In some cases, the features that are not supported by OneDrive Sync or SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) are critical for businesses. Several times, users realize that they don’t have the files that they need on OneDrive for Business after migrating them from their legacy file server because the tool did not support it. Such issues can be mitigated by using third-party tools. However, the features available on these tools are widely different. So, businesses have to be careful with their choice of tools. Moreover, troubleshooting issues would still require a file server to SharePoint Online migration expert’s assistance.

Apps4Rent Can Help with File Server to OneDrive for Business Migration

OneDrive for Business can be a good replacement for legacy on-premises file servers. It can improve data security and collaboration while reducing costs. Although OneDrive for Business as a service is available as standalone plans, it is better to upgrade to a Microsoft 365 plan that includes the full-featured SharePoint Online service along with other applications such as Teams, Excel Online, and Word Online. As a Tier 1 Microsoft CSP, Apps4Rent can assist with file server to OneDrive for Business migration with 24/7 phone, chat, and email support. Contact us today for the best Office 365 plans for your business.

[Update] This post was updated on April 26, 2019

SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business are one of the most common places to store company data. Procedures, various templates, documents in creation, runbooks – those are only a few examples of what kind of documents reside in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. Those documents are often labeled as business-critical, which means that ensuring they are not accidentally (or purposefully) deleted is a big deal. That is where the issue of backup comes in. Read on if you want to know more about how to back up SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business.

Why is backup needed?

Office 365, together with SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, changes the way data is stored. High availability and excellent security of Microsoft’s Cloud might make you think that backup is a thing of the past. The truth is, for all companies which value their data, backup is still a must-have.

The article Why back up Office 365 mailboxes? shares some insight into why backup is needed. Although it is mostly about mailbox data, it applies to SharePoint and OneDrive for Business just as well.

When deciding if your company needs data backup, there are two questions which need answering:

• In the age of strict data protection regulations, can you afford not to have a rock-solid backup?
• Can you entrust all of your data entirely to a third party?

The native option

22 April 2019 Microsoft announced a new SharePoint feature – Files restore for SharePoint. Apart from that, there are two other options – retention policy and litigation hold. They allow you to preserve and secure essential documents against deletion.

Retention policy allows to either retain or automatically delete certain items. It can be applied on a global level – (for example for the whole Exchange Online, SharePoint Online) or for chosen sites. A retention policy creates Preservation Hold Libraries, which hold deleted content for the specified amount of time.

The litigation hold is a part of the native Office 365 eDiscovery tool. Its primary purpose is to hold specific content in case of litigation. Because it prevents items from being deleted indefinitely, it is also used as a backup alternative.

Onedrive For Business Mac Sharepoint On Premise Windows 10

For a detailed comparison between a retention policy and a litigation hold, visit Office 365 litigation hold vs. retention policy – what’s the difference.

With the introduction of Files restore for SharePoint, SharePoint gains useful backup and restore capabilities. Site owners gain an option to restore a library to any point in the past 30 days. Although this feature offers granularity on a library level and reliable disaster recovery capabilities, it is not without flaws.

Files restore for SharePoint – limitations

The feature is relatively new, so there is no telling how it will evolve. It allows site owners to restore a whole library to a point in time, as long as this point is in the last 30 days. This recovery feature comes in handy when:

• Documents are mass deleted,
• files get overwritten,
• a lot of data becomes corrupted or infected by malware.

It means that if, say, a disgruntled employee leaves a company and wants to leave a mark by deleting files in bulk, you can ensure data integrity, despite that. However the feature was long awaited by admins and greatly increases SharePoint Online data security, there are a few facts to keep in mind, mentioned in restore a document library:

• To use the feature, you need to be a site owner. During the restore action, visitors will see a notice that recovery is in progress
• The feature requires versioning set up and turned on. Turning off the version history will disable the option to restore items to their previous versions.
• Emptying site collection recycle bin makes restore impossible
• The feature is meant for disaster recovery when a lot of documents are deleted or corrupted at the same time, it cannot be used for recovering single items, or excluding some items from the restore

Already mentioned litigation holds and retention policies can be used for another layer of protection. However, they will not cover each and every angle.

Limitations of retention policies and litigation holds

The native options are trusted to be very reliable and helpful, especially in terms of eDiscovery. However, they are not perfect for backup purposes. Here is why:

• A litigation hold is not cut out to restore backed up content.
• Litigation holds and retention policies greatly increase the size of an Office 365 tenant. In case of an indefinite global retention policy, there is no way to delete contents granularly.
• Both native alternatives to backup store the content in the same physical location. This is against good backup practices.
• They are dependent on Microsoft services. Not only does it create a potential unavailability risk, but also Security and Compliance Center is one of the most rapidly changing services in an Office 365 tenant. Whenever there is a change, there is also a risk.
• Preservation Hold libraries (a place which stores the deleted SharePoint content) are only visible to site collection admins.
• Litigation hold’s main purpose is to make content discoverable in case of litigation. Incorrect use of the hold may make all content discoverable, creating additional risks.
• Don’t forget you will need at least an E3 subscription for hold/retention capabilities.

The solution

Fortunately, there is a simple solution which allows you to back up SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, as well as all mailbox data in Exchange Online. This complete Office 365 backup solution is CodeTwo Backup for Office 365.

CodeTwo Backup for Office 365 is a tool which allows you to back up and quickly restore SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business and Exchange Online data. This software lets you create a continuous incremental backup of your data to a local storage or an Azure-located VM. In case of unexpected data damage, data loss, or unavailability, you can access all backed up content at all times. Granularly restore the data to its original location or even to a different tenant.

It is highly recommended if you value data confidentiality and security.

How to back up SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business?

Here is a short preview of how to back up and restore SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business data:

1. First, download Backup for Office 365 (it includes a 30-day free trial version).
2. Next, on the Jobs tab, create a new SharePoint backup job.
   
3. It will start an easy-to-use wizard. You can decide what to back up, when a backup job should start and how often it should run. For a step-by-step presentation of how to configure a backup job, take a look at this User’s manual article.
   
4. The best part is that your data can be accessed and restored at any time. You can restore whole site collections, libraries or even single items to their original destination or, if you need, to another tenant. To learn more about restoring SharePoint data from backup, refer to this User’s manual article.
   

Sharepoint And Onedrive

CodeTwo Backup for Office 365 offers an easy and reliable way to back up and restore SharePoint, OneDrive for Business and Exchange Online data. What is more, thanks to the ability to restore data to a different tenant, the software can be used as a SharePoint migration tool. To learn more about this solution, take a look at this website. You can also watch the video below on how it is important to back up SharePoint Online data.

Onedrive For Business Mac Sharepoint On Premises

If you want to learn more about Office 365 backup, check out the following articles: