This article provides detailed instructions on how to configure a migration batch in CloudM Migrate for migrating Microsoft Teams between Microsoft 365 tenants. The setup process specifically covers the migration of members, mail, drive (files), and conversations.
Before you begin: Ensure you have completed the initial setup steps for your migration project and created your Teams migration batch as outlined in the main Migration Guide.
Adding Items to Migrate
When adding Microsoft 365 Groups (which represent Teams) to your migration batch to correspond with destination accounts, follow the format below:
-
Export Type:
Microsoft Team -
Export Name:
Source Team MailNickName -
Import Type:
Microsoft Team -
Import Name:
Destination Team MailNickName -
Given Name:
Destination Team display name -
Family Name:
Destination Team description - Documents Path: Not required
- Documents Destination Path: Not required
For more detailed instructions on adding entities to your migration batch, refer to: Adding Items to a Migration Batch.
For each entity added, you can select the specific data types you wish to migrate. Ensure the 'Migrate' checkbox is enabled for all entities you intend to include in the migration run.
Teams Migration Modes
When migrating Microsoft Teams between Microsoft 365 tenants, CloudM Migrate offers two primary methods: Direct Mode and Standard Migration.
- Direct Mode: This method leverages the "Import mode" at the destination tenant for comprehensive content transfer.
- Standard Migration: This method involves migrating content directly to the destination team without using "Import mode".
The setup, behavior, and capabilities for each method are distinct, as outlined in the following sections.
Direct Mode Migration
Direct Mode Migration provides a more comprehensive transfer of content, particularly for Team channel conversations. When using Direct Mode, conversations from the "Posts" tab within each Team channel are fully rehydrated (restored) at the destination.
The table below highlights which elements are included within the migration scope and which are currently out-of-scope for Direct Mode:
| In-scope | Currently Out-of-Scope |
|---|---|
| Team and channel messages | 1:1 and group chat messages |
| Created time of original message | Private channels (see below) |
| Inline images in messages | Reactions |
| @mentions | Messages with rich text |
| Links to existing files in SPO or OneDrive | Videos |
| Message reply chain | Announcements |
| High throughput processing | Code snippets |
| Stickers | |
| Emojis | |
| Quotes | |
| Cross posts between channels | |
| Shared channels |
When performing a Direct Mode migration, CloudM Migrate utilizes Import mode to create the Team at the destination. This process places the Team in a restricted state, meaning it remains inactive (where members cannot see or access it) until the Team finalization process is completed.
Note: If mail is included in this migration, the mailboxes for the related Microsoft 365 Group will be migrated but will be hidden by default. This means they won't be accessible via Outlook at the destination until finalized.
A multi-pass process is recommended for Direct Mode migrations:
- Initial Pass: Migrates the bulk of the data in import mode.
- Delta Migration / Finalization Pass: Migrates remaining data and performs the finalization.
The settings will need to be modified for each pass, as detailed in the sections below.
General Settings - Direct Mode
In the General Settings section:
- Ensure all domain mappings are correctly configured to replace the source domain with the destination domain during migration.
- Optionally, set date range filters for different data types to migrate information within a specific timeframe. Be sure to specify the desired date ranges.
Source Settings - Direct Mode
The following settings should be configured for both the initial and finalization migration passes:
- SharePoint Online -> Default Document Library Name: If you are migrating files, adjust this setting to match the language used for the default document library in your source tenant (e.g., English is "Documents", Spanish is "Documentos").
Initial Pass Configuration (Direct Mode)
During the first migration pass, configure the following options in your Teams batch:
-
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Teams Direct Migration: Set to
Enabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Finalize Teams Direct Migration: Set to
Disabled.
Recommendation: After the first pass of a Microsoft Teams to Microsoft Teams migration, it is recommended to wait approximately 2 hours before performing another migration pass. This allows for provisioning and propagation of the Teams within Microsoft 365.
Finalization Pass Configuration (Direct Mode)
During the finalization pass, update the settings in your Teams batch as follows:
-
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Teams Direct Migration: Set to
Enabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Finalize Teams Direct Migration: Set to
Enabled.
Destination Settings - Direct Mode
The following settings should be considered for both the initial and finalization migration passes:
- SharePoint Online -> Default Document Library Name: If migrating files, adjust this setting to match the language used for the default document library in your destination tenant (e.g., "Documents").
-
SharePoint Online -> Migrate Previous Document Versions: Enable this option to migrate previous versions of group documents.
- Note: Enabling this feature allows you to select the number of versions to migrate, which can significantly increase migration time.
- SharePoint Online -> Maximum Number of Previous Document Versions: Specify the number of document versions to migrate (if 'Migrate Previous Document Versions' is enabled).
- SharePoint Online -> Include Document Metadata: Enable this option to migrate both standard and custom document metadata, including text, boolean, number, and datetime fields.
Advanced Settings - Direct Mode
For a Direct Mode Microsoft Teams to Microsoft Teams migration, most advanced settings can remain at their default values. However, consider configuring the following:
- Address Replacement: It is strongly recommended to upload an address replacement CSV file that maps source users, aliases, and groups to their corresponding destinations. For more details, refer to the Address Replacements article.
- Domain Replacement: It is recommended to enable the Email domain replacement setting to ensure assigned Planner tasks can be migrated if required.
- Reporting -> Record document mappings: Enable this setting. It records Drive mappings so that documents attached to messages will still be linked in the destination.
Migration Process - Direct Mode Workflow
The recommended migration approach for Direct Mode is as follows:
- Run Initial Pass(es): Execute the initial pass and any necessary delta passes using the initial pass settings (Finalize Teams Direct Migration: Disabled). This ensures all content is migrated, and the Team is set to import mode at the destination.
- Verify Migration: After content migration, verify the data as needed.
- Perform Finalization Pass: Run a finalization pass (Finalize Teams Direct Migration: Enabled) to migrate any remaining delta data and activate the Team at the destination.
Important: While it is technically possible to complete the entire migration in a single pass by using the finalization settings from the start, this approach is not recommended due to potential issues with provisioning and data consistency.
Standard Mode Migration
In a Standard Mode Teams migration, the "Import Mode" functionality is not utilized. As a result, conversations from the "Posts" tab in each Team channel are not restored ("rehydrated") directly into the channel's message history.
Instead, these conversations can be migrated in one of the following ways:
- As mail items to the corresponding group mailbox.
- As an HTML document to the Teams SharePoint site at the destination.
- As both mail items and an HTML document.
If migrating conversations as a document, the HTML file will be linked within a conversation in the "Posts" tab for the respective channel at the destination.
General Settings - Standard Mode
In the General Settings section:
- Ensure all domain mappings are correctly configured to replace the source domain with the destination domain during migration.
- Optionally, set date range filters for different data types to migrate information within a specific timeframe. Be sure to specify the desired date ranges.
Source Settings - Standard Mode
The following settings should be considered for Standard Mode migrations:
- SharePoint Online -> Default document library name: If you are migrating files, adjust this setting to match the language used in your source tenant (e.g., "Documents").
- Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Export chat message type: This setting determines whether conversations from within the Posts tab of Microsoft Teams are migrated as mail, as an HTML document, or as both.
Destination Settings - Standard Mode
The following settings should be considered for Standard Mode migrations:
- Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Default document library name: If you are migrating files, adjust this setting to match the language used for the default document library in your destination tenant (e.g., "Documents").
- Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Chat message library name: This will be the name of the document library in the destination that will be used to store the HTML document if migrating conversations as a document.
Advanced Settings - Standard Mode
For a Standard Mode Microsoft Teams to Microsoft Teams migration, most advanced settings can remain at their default values. However, consider configuring the following:
- Address Replacement: It is strongly recommended to upload an address replacement CSV file that maps source users, aliases, and groups to their corresponding destinations. For more details, refer to the Address Replacements article.
- Domain Replacement: It is recommended to enable the Email domain replacement setting to ensure assigned Planner tasks can be migrated if required.
- Reporting -> Record document mappings: Enable this setting. This will record Drive mappings so that documents attached to messages will still be linked.
Migration Process - Standard Mode Workflow
When performing a Standard Mode migration, there is no limitation on the number of delta migrations you can run. We generally recommend:
- Migrating the bulk of the data initially.
- Performing a delta close to the cutover time.
If you are planning to migrate Teams Planner and Channel Tabs, you will need to follow the specific processes outlined in the "Other Microsoft Teams Features" section below.
Other Microsoft Teams Features
Migrating Teams Planner
To successfully migrate Teams Planner data, you must perform at least two migration passes. The prerequisite steps vary depending on whether you are using Direct Mode or Standard Mode:
- Direct Mode: Ensure that all conversations and documents have been migrated and the Team migration is finalized.
- Standard Mode: Ensure an initial migration pass has been completed and that conversations and documents have been migrated.
Once these prerequisites are met, adjust the batch configuration as follows for the Planner migration pass:
Source Settings Configuration:
-
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Migrate Teams planner: Set to
Enabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Teams direct migration: Set to
Disabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Finalize Teams direct migration: Set to
Disabled.
Advanced Settings Configuration:
- Domain Replacement: It is recommended to enable Email to ensure assigned Planner tasks can be migrated if required.
-
Reporting -> Record document mappings: Set to
Enabled.
On the Items to Migrate page, ensure that Conversations and Drive are disabled for the Teams being migrated in this Planner-specific pass.
After configuring these settings, proceed with the migration to transfer the Teams Planner data.
Migrating Teams Channel Tabs
To successfully migrate Teams Channel Tabs, you must perform at least two migration passes. The prerequisite steps vary depending on whether you are using Direct Mode or Standard Mode:
- Direct Mode: Ensure that all documents have been migrated and the Team migration is finalized.
- Standard Mode: Ensure an initial migration pass has been completed and that all documents have been migrated.
Once these prerequisites are met, adjust the batch configuration as follows for the Channel Tabs migration pass:
Source Settings Configuration:
-
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Migrate team channel tabs: Set to
Enabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Teams direct migration: Set to
Disabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Finalize Teams direct migration: Set to
Disabled.
Advanced Settings Configuration:
-
Reporting -> Record document mappings: Set to
Enabled.
On the Items to Migrate page, ensure that Drive is enabled for the Teams being migrated in this Channel Tabs-specific pass.
After configuring these settings, proceed with the migration to migrate the Teams Channel tabs.
Migrating Private Teams Channels
Teams private channels cannot be migrated when Teams are in 'Direct Migration Mode'. Therefore, to successfully migrate Teams Private channels, you must use Standard Mode.
If you have performed initial/delta migrations in Direct Mode, a final pass must be run after migration mode is finalized and the destination Teams are active for the private channels migration.
Source Settings Configuration:
-
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Migrate Teams planner: Set to
Disabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Teams direct migration: Set to
Disabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Finalize Teams direct migration: Set to
Disabled. -
Microsoft Teams/Groups -> Migrate team channel tabs: Set to
Disabled.
On the Items to Migrate page, ensure that Conversations and Drive are enabled for the Teams being migrated in this Private Channels-specific pass.
After configuring these settings, proceed with the migration to migrate the Teams Private channels.