Migrate old files from sharepoint to blob ? how to handle files with the same names and types

When migrating files from SharePoint to Azure Blob Storage using Power Automate, you can encounter challenges due to the lack of traditional folder structures in Blob Storage. Here are some considerations and strategies to handle files with the same name:

1. Unique Naming Convention: To avoid conflicts with files that have the same name, you can implement a naming convention that includes additional identifiers. For example, you could prepend the folder name or a timestamp to the file name when saving it to Blob Storage. This way, you maintain uniqueness while preserving the context of the original file's location.
2. Metadata Usage: Azure Blob Storage allows you to store metadata with each blob. You can use this feature to store the original folder path or any other relevant information as metadata. This can help you track the origin of the files even if they share the same name.
3. Folder Emulation: While Blob Storage does not have a traditional folder structure, you can mimic it by using a naming scheme that includes slashes (/) in the blob names. For instance, if you have a file named "report.docx" in folders "2021/January" and "2021/February", you could save them as "2021/January/report.docx" and "2021/February/report.docx" in Blob Storage. This way, you can still organize files in a way that resembles folders.
4. Power Automate Configuration: When setting up your Power Automate flow, ensure that you configure the actions to handle naming conflicts appropriately, such as using the "Create Blob" action with a unique name for each file based on your chosen strategy.

By considering these strategies, you can effectively migrate files from SharePoint to Azure Blob Storage while managing potential naming conflicts.

References:

• Migration planning for SharePoint and OneDrive rollout
• Guide to migrating file shares to OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint

Hi john john Pter,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Based on the scenario you described, I researched this topic and found that the best approach recommended by the community is Folder Emulation, which is the method that the Q&A assist bot previously mentioned to you. Microsoft officially refers to this concept as virtual directories, and it allows you to preserve folder structure and avoid filename conflicts by including the full path in the blob name.

You can review Microsoft’s official documentation on this concept here: Blob Naming and Virtual Directories

Additionally, I found a community-shared workflow that demonstrates how to migrate files using the full path in the blob name. You can see the complete example here: Copy files from SharePoint site content to Azure Blob using Logic Apps

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I hope these resources help clarify the approach and give you practical steps to implement your migration successfully.

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