SharePoint Portal 2016 Migration Process/Checklist from SharePoint 2013

Following are the steps to migrate SharePoint 2013 intranet portal to SharePoint 2016:

Step 1: 

Backup everything related to the content database you are migrating.

Step 2: 

Attach the SharePoint 2013 content database to the new database server.

This step only applies if you are also migrating to a new database server during the SharePoint 2016 migration process. If you are not changing database servers, skip to Step 3 as the content database will already be in place and ready to upgrade.

Step 3: 

Create a new web application in SharePoint 2016

1. Launch SharePoint 2016 Central Administration web site.
2. Navigate: Application Management –> Manage Web Applications
3. Click New on the ribbon
4. Configure the new web application to replicate the web application being migrated
NOTE: Take the default for Database Name which is "WSS_Content".

Step 4: 

Delete the content database which was just created in Step 3
Yes, you read correctly, delete the content database.

1. Launch SharePoint 2016 Central Administration web site.
2. Navigate: Application Management –> Manage Content Databases
3. Select the web application created in step#2 from the web application drop down located in the upper right of the browser
4. Click on the Database Name which was created in Step 3. It should be named WSS_Content
5. Scroll to the bottom of the database information page displayed and check the Remove Content Database checkbox
6. Click the OK button.

So, what is happening here?

SharePoint requires a target web application for ALL content databases. Why? Because the web application determines which features are supported and installed for all content hosted by that web application. When the actual migration process occurs, the upgrade software scans the content database for all of the features being used by the content (I.E. lists, document repositories, third party, web parts, etc.) and then determines if the target web application supports that feature.

The problem we encounter is that SharePoint has nicely created an empty content database which we are never going to use because we already HAVE a content database (the one we are migrating). So, we need to perform a little bit of cleanup work.

Step 5:  

Validate the SharePoint 2013 content database can be upgraded
SharePoint provides a PowerShell comment which will validate the content database against the web application created in Step#3.

1. Launch SharePoint 2016 Management Shell as an administrator
2. Enter the following command
Test-SPContentDatabase
-Name <DatabaseName>
-WebApplication <URL>

Example:

Test-SPContentDatabase
-Name "WSS_PortalDB"
-WebApplication https://www.portal.com

Review the output for any issues listed as Upgrade Blocked: Yes
Any issue listed as Upgrade Blocked will need to be corrected.
Google will be your dearest friend if you encounter Upgrade Blocked: Yes

Step 6: 

Mount the database onto the web application created in Step#3
This step will upgrade and mount the database against your newly created web application

1. Launch SharePoint 2016 Management Shell as an administrator
2. Enter the following command
Mount-SPContentDatabase
-Name <DatabaseName>
-WebApplication <URL>


Example:

Mount-SPContentDatabase
-Name "WSS_PortalDB"
-WebApplication https://www.portal.com

Step 7: 

Reset and validate!
We recommend executing an IISRESET after each migration / upgrade is completed.
Then launch the SharePoint site to validate everything is running.

Dealing with legacy (classic mode) Authentication
Classic mode authentication has been officially depreciated by Microsoft.  If you are migrating a classic mode authentication based content database, you must convert the database to claims based authentication before migration (I.E. while the content database is still attached to SharePoint 2013).  You convert the database to claims based using the Convert-SPWebApplication PowerShell command.

1. Launch SharePoint 2013 Management Shell as an administrator
2. Enter the following command
Convert-SPWebApplication
-Identity <URL>
-To Claims
-RetainPermissions


Example:

Convert-SPWebApplication
-Identity https://www.portal.com
-To Claims
-RetainPermissions

Step 8:

Deploy all Custom Solutions like Visual Web Parts, Event Receiver separately in the newly created portal. And add them in the corresponding pages. Please check.

Step 9:

Surveys should be automatically migrated. Please check.

Step 10:

Yammer should work as it is working. Please check.

Step 11:

All Master pages should work. Publishing may be needed from SharePoint Designer 2013. Please check.

Step 12:

All Lists and Libraries should be migrated. Please check.

Step 13:

All JS and CSS files should be migrated as usual. Please check .

Step 14:

Check all the Site Features and Site Collection Features as it is before migration.