Migrating to OneDrive and SharePoint and issues with space, Excel links, file size

Iron Contributor

Hey all, we have an onsite file server and dropbox that we would like to move to OneDrive/SharePoint.  We will also be eventually moving to Teams. 

From what I can tell the best way to do the migration is to create some Teams Groups for our departments (Research, Accounting, etc.).  And this will create O365 Groups AND SharePoint sites, and only give access to those sites who are part of the related Team/O365 group.

 

Few questions:

1) Is it true the largest file I can have in SP or OneDrive is 15GB? If so, how would I handle those files?

2) I read that if we want a file server type of scenario, then it's best to use the method above, which is a SharePoint site, is this correct? If so, what's the best way to automatically sync the SP site to user PCs without having them go to the site online and then clicking on 'sync'?

3) We have a lot of Excel files with links to other Excel files, what is the best way to handle them? Especially since many users use the same files? Say we did migrate it to SP and replaced/updated all the links manually, the issue is that OneDrive/SP install under c:\users\UserName\OneDrive\file.xlsx , or something.  If one person updated the link, then how would it work for others?

4) How does it handle space on the local PC once I sync the SP site locally?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

3 Replies
1 - What file could possibly be more than 15GB other than a pst or vmdk/vhd? :p You really have no other option than a separate storage or use another backup tool that can back these files up. They will not be able to be moved to OneDrive / SharePoint

2 - There is not an auto sync currently available. They are working on a way to push this out so that you can auto map drives to OneDrive client.

3 - You would have to link to the web location should it support linking in that matter. So to the https://tenant.sharepoint.com/site/library/filename.xlsx and not to a drive. This URL doesn't change.

4 - If you have Windows 10 - 1803 or greater and turn on Files on-demand. Then files that arne't strictly told to keep a copy offline will be released on a schedule according to Storage Sense, this article will explain that in more detail: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/filecab/2018/08/30/9205/
Curious how you solved for #3 here. the teams will utilize "Files on Demand" I am struggling to understand how excel links will work properly.
You have to update excel links to their cloud locations. They won't be able to access them offline since cloud locations are used. The only alternative is to utilize a tool like zdrive or something that lets you map a Network drive to your SharePoint / OneDrive locations so that excel doesn't know a difference as long as you line the mapped drive and folder path up to where it was previously.