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IT Service Status

Box Transition Pilot

March 15 - April 15, 2021

Welcome to the Box Transition pilot web page and thank you for participating. This page provides detailed information about the pilot, including what to expect, usage scenarios, where to go for support, and additional resources. Although the entire pilot period is one month, you will only need to review copied files and provide feedback, which can be accomplished at your convenience during a two-week window.

The pilot's goal is to test SkySync's functionality and develop a proof of concept using the model that data owned by individual users in Box (non-Org Account data) will be copied to OneDrive. Org Account data in Box will be copied to SharePoint. The scope of the pilot does not include sensitive data. This goal will be achieved by:
  • Copying files from Box to either OneDrive or SharePoint
  • Verification that files are copied successfully
  • Feedback gathered from pilot participants

As a pilot participant, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Determine which Box files and folders will be copied (See Account Ownership Definitions)
  • Preview your data in the new environments
  • Pre-arrange files in your current Box environment to mirror the organizational structure you want to see in OneDrive or SharePoint after the transition
  • Evaluate documentation
  • Provide feedback

Account Ownership Definitions

Org Accounts in Box are typically named for the organization and follow a pattern like "ORG-SCHOOL-[school name]-[department name]," and its email address in Box is listed as having an email @nubox.edu. These are the folders designated by you that are copied to SharePoint. 

Non-Org Accounts in Box are defined as folders in Box where you are an owner or co-owner and are not owned by an Org Account. These are the folders designated by you that are copied to OneDrive. 

Please note: Ownership is only apparent in the Box interface itself. If you are usually using BoxDrive or BoxSync, the permission levels "owner,” "co-owner," etc., are not visible on the files. Who has access and at what permission levels can be found on the right-hand side of the Box web interface when clicking into a folder. 

What to Expect

In March, Northwestern Information Technology (IT) will notify you via email of the date your individual Box files will be copied to either OneDrive and/or your organizational files copied to SharePoint. At no time during the assessment is the content of your files read by the project migration team or the vendor. 

Files are copied using an automatic process performed by SkySync. This action will not disrupt your workday, and you can continue working in Box throughout the pilot. 

After the pilot, you will have options for how your copied data is saved, and be requested to complete a survey to evaluate your experience.

For data copied to OneDrive: If your data was copied to OneDrive, you can either keep it or request Northwestern IT to delete those same folders in Box. If you choose to keep your data in Box, your copied OneDrive folders will be set as read-only. Please note that sharing permissions and access for data in Box will also copy over to OneDrive.  

For data copied to SharePoint: If your data was copied to SharePoint, you have the option to keep those same folders in Box and have them set as read-only in SharePoint or keep the SharePoint folders active and have the same folders in Box set as read-only. No Org Account data will be deleted.

What to Do

After your Box files are copied to the identified Microsoft 365 environment, you will be asked to verify that your data has copied over successfully. See the OneDrive Quick Reference Guide and the SharePoint Quick Reference Guide for assistance.

For OneDrive

  • Log in to OneDrive at http://office365.northwestern.edu/
    • Enter your NetID and password
    • Click on the OneDrive App at the top of the page
  • Verify your files and folders are copied
  • Review external sharing permissions, if applicable
  • Report any issues via the Box Transition Pilot Teams channel 

For SharePoint:

  • Log in to SharePoint http://office365.northwestern.edu/
    • Enter your NetID and Password
    • Select the waffle icon in the top left corner of the page. Select the SharePoint Application.
  • Verify your files and folders are copied 
  • Check any sharing permissions 
  • Report any issues via the Box Transition Pilot Teams channel 

Resources

Give Your Feedback

Once you are accepted into the pilot, you will receive an invitation to join the Box Transition Pilot Teams channel. You are encouraged to use this channel to share feedback, ask questions, and report issues. About Microsoft Teams

At the end of the pilot, you will be asked to complete a survey about your experience in the pilot. Northwestern IT will use this information to assist in the final evaluation of the migration tool and prepare future communications.

Support

Please direct all questions during the pilot period to the Box Transition Pilot Teams channel.