Workflow Migration Requirements and Limitations
The following list describes some requirements and limitations to be considered when migrating workflows. Note that this list may not exhaustively cover every migration scenario.
NOTE: SP 2010 OOB and SPD 2010 style workflows are no longer supported by Microsoft for SharePoint Online, so they will be skipped during migration to a SharePoint Online target.
WARNING: SharePoint 2013 workflow has been turned off for new tenants as of April 2, 2024 and will be removed from existing tenants and will be fully retired as of April 2, 2026. Refer to the Microsoft article Support update for SharePoint 2013 workflow in Microsoft 365 for complete details.
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·For a migration at the site level or higher: §The source connection can be Database (SharePoint 2010 or later); Object Model (OM) connection (through either a Local or Remote Metalogix Extensions Web Service (MEWS) connection) (SharePoint 2013 or later). However, for a SharePoint 2013 source, the only supported target is a Microsoft 365 tenant connection. §The target connection must be Local OM, MEWS, SharePoint 2016 or later, or Microsoft 365 Tenant. ·For a migration at the list level (OOB and SPD workflows), the source connection can be SharePoint on premises local Object Model (OM) or Metalogix SharePoint Extensions Web Service (MEWS). Migration of SharePoint Designer 2013 style workflows is not supported: §If a source Database connection is used. §If the source site has a read-only lock. In these cases, SharePoint Designer 2013 style workflows will be skipped, even if the "Preserve workflow associations for SharePoint Designer and Nintex Workflows" option is checked on the Workflow Options tab. |
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·When migrating SPD 2013 platform workflows, the SuppressEvents property must be set to False in order for workflows to be published after migration. For more information, please see Modifying the SuppressEvents Property.
·If you initiate a list-level migration and you want to migrate workflows for the lists, all of the site-level dependencies must already exist at the target. See also Pre-Workflow Migration Considerations.
·Content Matrix does not support the migration of workflows at the item level because the item level scope of the migration cannot properly fetch all of the necessary data, as this data is usually stored at the site or list level (this includes actions that reference other lists, site level content types, and so on).
·Workflow histories are currently always migrated from SharePoint 2010 and never migrated from SharePoint 2013 and later, regardless of whether workflow instances are migrated. This applies to Nintex workflows as well, regardless of whether the option "Preserve Nintex Workflows instance history" is checked. This is a known issue that will be addressed in a future release.
Nintex Workflows and Forms Migration
Before Nintex workflows and forms can be migrated, there are prerequisites to be met and some limitations to be aware of.
NOTE: Currently, the migration of Nintex workflows and forms is not supported:
·if migrating from SharePoint Online to SharePoint Online
·if migrating from SharePoint on premises to SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 OAuth with MFA Authentication is used on the target
·if SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is installed on the source and/or target.
The option to migrate Nintex forms will disabled on the List Content Options tab, and the failure to migrate Nintex workflows will be written to the Job Log.
Prerequisites When Migrating to SharePoint Online
In order to migrate workflows and forms from SharePoint on premises to SharePoint Online:
·the following URLs must be unblocked:
§https://discovery.nintexO365.com
§https://nintex.onmetalogix.com
·the Workflow for O365 (and if used, Nintex Forms for O365) must be deployed to applicable site collections on the target. See Deploying Nintex Apps to SharePoint Online for instructions.
Additional Considerations
Refer to the following topics for additional considerations for workflows and forms respectively:
·Additional Considerations for Nintex Workflows
·Additional Considerations for Nintex Forms
Additional Considerations for Nintex Workflows
When migrating Nintex workflows, additional considerations include:
·adding external connections to preserve Nintex Workflow database entries
·determining whether Nintex Features are activated before migrating to a SharePoint on premises target
·configuring a temporary storage location and deploying the Nintex Workflow app when migrating from SharePoint on premises to SharePoint Online (SPO).
SharePoint Designer and Nintex workflows have a local install of the workflow template (WFA) definition. This definition is usually held in a hidden list called "Workflows." If the Preserve workflow associations for SharePoint Designer and Nintex Workflow option is enabled, then Content Matrix can migrate the template as well. As long as the workflow templates are defined locally, Content Matrix should be able to migrate them.
NOTE: With Microsoft's announcement that SharePoint 2013 workflows will be retired, Nintex has announced a Nintex Upgrade Program for migrating SP2013 and Nintex workflows to the Nintex Process platform."
Adding External Connections When Migrating Nintex Workflows
In Content Matrix it is possible to add a connection to an external database to help with migration actions, such as migrating workflows. Currently this option is only available for Nintex Workflows databases, and is needed when preserving Nintex Workflow database entries, when migrating workflows. After an External Database connection has been made, it can then be attached to a SharePoint site node in Content Matrix.
To add an external database connection when migrating Nintex workflows:
1.In the ribbon toolbar choose Settings > Manage Nintex databases.
The Manage Nintex Workflow databases lists any existing external database.
Note that the Configure option can be used to modify any selected connection's Authentication credentials. The SQL Server and SQL Database data cannot be configured through this option. After the credentials have been modified the connection can be made again.
2.To add a new connection:
a)Click New.
b)Complete the Connect to SQL Server dialog, making sure that you select a valid Nintex database.
NOTE: Currently, Use SQL Server login is the only valid option for an Azure SQL server.
3.If you want to use an encrypted connection to the database, check the Encrypt Connection box.
NOTE: If the certificate used for encryption is not trusted, you will also need to check the Trust Server Certificate box.
To attach Nintex Databases to a SharePoint node:
NOTE: Multiple databases can be attached to a single SharePoint site, and a single database can be mapped to multiple SharePoint sites.
1.In Explorer View, select the SharePoint site to which you want to attach the database.
2.Right-click and choose External Connections > Attach Nintex Workflow Database to display the Nintex Database Picker dialog.
3.From the Database View drop-down, select Attached Databases.
4.Move any databases that you want to attach from the list of available databases in the left pane to the right pane using the Add option. (You can also use the Del option to move an already attached database and make it available again.)
5.Click [OK].