Does your system run on SharePoint 2010? Do you want to migrate it to the 2013 version? Is the Project Server involved in the game? If you answered “Yes” at least once – read on! In this article we share our experience on what pitfalls we faced while migrating SharePoint 2010 with Project Server 2010 to SharePoint 2013 with Project Server 2013, and how you can possibly go about them.
Our Discovery
Our goal is to migrate SharePoint 2010 with Project Server 2010 to SharePoint 2013 with Project Server 2013. As we launched a migration project to SharePoint 2013, we started analyzing the architectural changes in SharePoint 2013 Farm and other related products. Along the way we discovered 4 things to keep in mind.
1. Be aware that enabling additional SharePoint Server 2013 features in the Farm may require more resources.
Despite the fact that Project Server lives inside the SharePoint farm, SharePoint recommendations differ from Project Server recommendations.
It often happens that you install SharePoint according to the given recommendations, and then you turn on the Project Server – and your requirements increase, and the whole system suffers. So now you need to boost memory and hard drive space to accommodate Project Server needs. Typically, for the small SP Farm, you need to have around 12 Gb for the Front End and 8 Gb for SQL. However, if you want to include Project Server in the Farm, Microsoft recommends having 16Gb for the Front End and 16 Gb for SQL. However, this 16 Gb recommendation doesn’t cover additional memory needed for other SP services if they are enabled.
The minimum hardware requirements are recommended when only the services required to run Project Server 2013 are enabled. Enabling additional SharePoint Server 2013 features in the farm may require additional resources like boosting memory and hard drive space to accommodate Project Server needs.
Pitfall: You have to boost hardware not only for SharePoint2013, but also for the Project Sever 2013 accommodation.
2. Office Web Apps server (or OWA farm) should be installed on dedicated server (NOT ON THE SP SERVER).
By the way, are you familiar with PowerShell? OWA Sever doesn’t have UI to manage settings so you have to use PowerShell 3.0. Once you install OWA farm (server), you have to bind (SPWopiBinding) SP to it.
In 2010 version of SharePoint, the Office Web Apps product was installed on the SP server. Office Web Apps Architecture changes in SharePoint 2013 are big. These changes are the most visible for end users. That’s why you need to plan extra carefully whether: 1. You need to expand your SharePoint 2013 farm to support OWA, or 2. You need to clearly communicate changes to end-users in case you can’t accommodate OWA.
Pitfall: You have to find an additional server for OWA to provide functionality that was “hardware-strain” free in the previous SP version.
3. Web analytics services are removed from SharePoint 2013 into separate services. Now they are part of Search Service. Link
When you upgrade to SharePoint 2013, do not attach and upgrade the databases that contain the data from Web Analytics in SharePoint Server 2010. We recommend that you turn off Web Analytics in the SharePoint Server 2010 environment before you copy the content databases that you want to upgrade to SharePoint 2013.
Pitfall: Web Analytics are the best service to clean your farm before you go to SharePoint 2013. It allows you to find unused spwebs. But you have to turn the service off when you want to copy your content database for test upgrade. So, you need to clean the environment (using Web analytics) even before your first test upgrade.
4. A new Access Service requires SQL 2012.
In case you want or have to provide Access Service in your SharePoint 2013 Farm, you have to point the service to SQL 2012 Server.You can either have 2012 SQL server installed at the first place, or extend you farm and include additional 2012 SQL server to accommodate Access Service Application.
Pitfall: For Access Service you have to have SQL 2012. So if you plan on sticking to SQL 2008, make sure you don’t need to have Access Service. In case you need Access Service, you have two options: In case you want or have to provide Access Service in your SP 2013 Farm, you have to point the service to SQL 2012 Server.
Conclusion:
This article highlights only a few challenges and pitfalls that accompanied SharePoint migration process in our case. However, when you are armed with this knowledge and experience, it can save you a lot of time and effort down the road, so your next migration will be smother.