Kerio Workspace: A Complete Introduction for Small Businesses

Migrating to Kerio Workspace — Step-by-Step GuideMigrating to Kerio Workspace can streamline team collaboration, centralize file storage, and provide a secure, manageable environment for documents and projects. This step-by-step guide walks you through planning, preparing, executing, and validating a migration to Kerio Workspace, with practical tips to minimize downtime and avoid common pitfalls.

Why migrate to Kerio Workspace?

Kerio Workspace offers document collaboration, versioning, permissions management, and integration with Kerio Connect and other services. Organizations often migrate to Workspace to improve team productivity, secure files, and consolidate tools into a single platform.

Pre-migration planning

1. Define goals and success criteria

   • Identify why you’re migrating (centralized storage, better collaboration, security).
   • Set measurable success criteria (e.g., user adoption rate, reduced email attachments, migration completion date).

2. Inventory current environment

   • List all sources of files: local drives, network shares, existing cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox), other collaboration platforms.
   • Note file sizes, counts, folder structures, and sharing permissions.

3. Identify stakeholders & roles

   • Appoint a migration project owner, technical lead, and departmental champions.
   • Communicate timeline and expected downtime windows.

4. Audit permissions and content lifecycle

   • Map current permissions to Workspace’s permission model.
   • Flag sensitive or redundant content for cleanup or archiving before migration.

5. Prepare a rollback plan

   • Decide how you’ll revert if issues occur (retain original files, snapshot shares).
   • Schedule backups.

Preparation and environment setup

1. Provision Kerio Workspace

   • Ensure you have the correct licensing and server requirements.
   • Install and configure Kerio Workspace according to vendor documentation (server sizing, database, storage).
   • Configure SSL/TLS for secure access.

2. Configure authentication and single sign-on (optional)

   • Integrate with LDAP/Active Directory if available to sync users and groups.
   • Set up SSO (SAML or other) if required.

3. Create folder structure and permissions template

   • Design a logical folder structure aligned with departments or projects.
   • Create permission templates for common roles (owners, editors, viewers).

4. Prepare user accounts and training materials

   • Create user accounts or sync them from AD.
   • Prepare quick-start guides, training sessions, and a support plan.

Migration execution — data transfer

1. Clean and normalize data

   • Remove duplicate files, obsolete documents, and clear out personal temp files.
   • Standardize file names and folder structures where possible.

2. Choose a migration method

   • Manual upload for small datasets (drag-and-drop in web UI or using desktop sync clients).
   • Automated tools or scripts for large datasets (SCP/rsync for on-premises transfers; API-based migration for cloud sources).
   • Third-party migration tools (if available) to preserve metadata and permissions.

3. Preserve metadata and permissions

   • When possible, migrate file metadata (creation/modification dates, authors) and sharing permissions.
   • Map original permissions to Workspace roles and test with a pilot group.

4. Migrate in phases

   • Pilot migration: select a small set of users/projects to test the end-to-end process.
   • Bulk migration: migrate remaining data in waves, prioritizing critical teams first.
   • Cutover: coordinate final sync for active files during a low-usage window to minimize conflicts.

5. Handle large files and version histories

   • For very large files, consider direct server-side transfer to avoid upload timeouts.
   • Determine whether to import version history; if not supported, archive prior versions separately.

Post-migration steps

1. Validate migrated data

   • Spot-check file integrity, permissions, metadata, and folder structures.
   • Ask pilot users to verify access and functionality.

2. Reconfigure integrations and workflows

   • Update links in other systems, reconfigure automated workflows, and reconnect client applications.

3. Train users and communicate changes

   • Run training sessions, share documentation, and provide a support contact for issues.
   • Communicate any changes in user behavior (e.g., where to save files, collaboration features).

4. Decommission legacy systems (carefully)

   • Keep legacy systems available in read-only mode for a transition period.
   • After validation, archive or securely delete old data per retention policies.

5. Monitor and optimize

   • Monitor usage, performance, and storage growth.
   • Solicit user feedback and refine folder structures, permissions, and governance policies.

Troubleshooting common issues

• Permission mismatches: re-map groups and test with different user roles.
• Missing metadata: check if the migration tool supports metadata transfer; if not, export/import where possible.
• File name or path length errors: shorten paths and filenames; use a consistent naming policy.
• Slow uploads: use server-side transfers or schedule bulk uploads during off-peak hours.

Best practices checklist

• Audit and clean data before migrating.
• Start with a pilot group.
• Preserve permissions where possible.
• Communicate and train users early.
• Keep a rollback plan and backups.

If you want, I can:

• Create a migration checklist tailored to your environment (number of users, data size, source systems).
• Draft user-facing training materials or email templates for communicating the migration.