INTELLIGENT CONTENT MIGRATION
Migration Automation allows you to build optimised SMART Migrations using pre-programmed, reusable steps. Designed for legacy ECM, legacy SharePoint content and file share migrations, it combines content selection, restructuring, metadata enrichment and automated execution.
A configurable approach to complex migrations
Section titled “A configurable approach to complex migrations”Use external data to drive the migration
External data can determine which files to migrate, where they belong and which metadata to apply. Connect to SQL Server, CSV, ODBC, SharePoint lists and other supported sources to restructure and enrich content during migration.
For example, combine files from a file share with metadata from a legacy ECM database to create SharePoint document library items, including associated version history where available and configured.
Build migration logic using reusable steps
Build your project from configurable steps for data extraction, transformation, content migration and automation. Define loops, conditions and calculations visually, reducing the custom scripting and manual coordination required for complex projects.
The configuration can be reviewed, executed and maintained by multiple team members, reducing dependency on one person’s bespoke scripts.
Monitor results and take action
Consolidated database reporting provides a consistent overview across jobs and migration runs. Identify migrated files, metadata issues and failed files, then use the reporting output to define targeted retry or remigration jobs.
Successfully migrated files can also be selected for remigration when metadata corrections or other updates are required.
Migration and automation capabilities
Section titled “Migration and automation capabilities”Selective migration and file distribution
- File migration: Copy files from file shares or SharePoint to SharePoint destinations, including document libraries used by Teams.
- Data-driven selection: Cherry-pick files using external data rather than relying only on their storage location.
- Dynamic distribution: Build datasets that control selective migration across thousands of destination sites.
- Legacy DMS migration: Combine documents, metadata and version information from systems such as Alfresco, IBM FileNet and OpenText, according to the source extraction and project configuration.
- Version history: Apply major and minor version information from the configured data source — with Enterprise+, rows that share a document key in a For-Each data set become versions 1, 2, 3 … of one SharePoint document, each with its own file and metadata (Migration Automation).
- Advanced file share discovery: Scan source content to support analysis and migration preparation.
Read about data-driven file distribution
Metadata enrichment and transformation
- External metadata: Combine files from file shares with metadata from databases or other supported sources to create SharePoint library items.
- Calculated metadata: Calculate values dynamically using source data, variables and expressions.
- Metadata corrections: Apply or reapply transformed metadata from a supported data source.
- SharePoint field resolution: Use dynamic calculations to resolve lookups, managed metadata, labels and content types.
- User-column values: Apply unvalidated names to SharePoint Online user columns, including CreatedBy and ModifiedBy, as supported by the migration configuration. Values may come from calculations or document properties such as Word’s LastSavedBy.
- Calculation engine: Use Excel-style calculations with variable support.
Visual control flow and data processing
- DataETL: Extract, transform and load data between supported sources, including SQL Server, CSV and SharePoint lists and libraries.
- For-Each processing: Use dataset columns as variables and process each row through configured steps.
- Nested loops: Build nested For-Each loops for multi-stage migration logic.
- Iteration tracking: Track actions within each branch and iteration through built-in reporting.
- Data staging: Extract and transform information into intermediate databases or SharePoint lists before migration.
- CRUD operations: Create, read, update and delete records in supported SharePoint lists, libraries and data-source tables.
Explore the DataETL Step Explore the For-Each Step
Execution, notifications and extensibility
- Asynchronous transfer: Support continuous, high-volume transfer to SharePoint Online using the SharePoint migration import API.
- Throughput: Approximately 0.5–10 TB per day, depending on file characteristics, infrastructure, configuration and Microsoft service conditions.
- Notifications and approvals: Invoke Microsoft Power Automate flows at job or For-Each level to support progress notifications and approval workflows.
- PowerShell integration: Embed parameterised PowerShell with two-way data exchange for proprietary functionality. Run scripts once or for each row.
- PowerShell versions and editors: Support Windows PowerShell 5 and PowerShell 7, with ISE and Visual Studio Code editor integration as applicable.
- Controlled deployment: Run the 64-bit Windows application in your own environment and control the data transfers without requiring a separate MigrateDMS cloud service.
Consolidated, actionable reporting
Migration reporting is built into the platform and stored in a database. Access the dataset through SQL using Power BI or another database reporting solution.
- Review which files have migrated and which have failed.
- Identify metadata issues and define corrective actions.
- Analyse results across jobs, sessions and loop iterations.
- Use reporting data to select files for ReMigration or RetryMigration.
- Reduce reliance on separate CSV exports, Excel tracking sheets and individual text logs.
Supported external data sources
Section titled “Supported external data sources”Connect migration logic to your data
CRUD means Create, Read, Update and Delete. Available operations depend on the connector, source permissions and configuration.
| Data source | Access |
|---|---|
| SharePoint lists and libraries — visual CRUD | Read / Write |
| SQL Server — visual CRUD or native SQL | Read / Write |
| Microsoft Access — visual CRUD or native SQL | Read / Write |
| Generic ODBC — visual CRUD or native SQL | Read / Write |
| CSV — simple extraction or advanced selection criteria | Read / Write |
| Excel — sheets and tables, including refresh of connected data | Read / Write |
| JSON — automatic serialisation | Read |
| XML — extract tag data and rows using custom delimiters | Read |
| File share inventory scanning | Read |
Migration On Demand and business integration
Section titled “Migration On Demand and business integration”Manage migration jobs through a SharePoint list
Migration On Demand provides a prebuilt template for centralised, SharePoint-list-based job management. Create migration jobs as list items, add your own interface using Power Apps and extend workflow logic using Power Automate.
Explore Migration On Demand
WorkPoint migration and data synchronisation
Use SMART Migration for WorkPoint migration and data synchronisation scenarios that require coordinated file transfer, metadata processing and data integration.
Choose the right migration approach
Section titled “Choose the right migration approach”Compare requirements, configuration and custom development
Migration tools differ in their scope and implementation. When evaluating alternatives, assess how each solution handles external data, transformations, workflow logic, reporting, retries and ongoing maintenance.
With SMART Migration, the project is built from configurable steps designed for content migration, data extraction and automation. Embedded PowerShell remains available when proprietary functionality requires custom code.
SMART Migration is not a “Lift & Shift” tool to copy SharePoint site collections with schema, logic and permissions one-to-one. The classic migration tools are tailor-made for that.
See also