Metalogix Content Matrix 9.3 What’s New

Note: We previously posted product release announcements in our Blogs section; but are now posting them in the community.

We are excited to announce the release of Content Matrix 9.3. In our last release, we made several fundamental changes to the product. These changes allowed us to make the changes that you see in this release. This release includes several features to improve our migration product and provide more capabilities to our customers and partners. Listed below are some of the key features:

  1. Migrate web parts using Import API to SPO
  2. Convert Classic Pages to Modern Pages
  3. Run Content Matrix without administrator rights
  4. Migration of SP2016 Publishing sites to SPO Communication sites
  5. Stop Redistributing SharePoint Dependencies
  6. Fetch item information in chunks to avoid memory issues for DB adapter and Mews adapter for large lists
  7. Migrate Nintex Responsive Forms from SP2016 to SPO
  8. Only have 'Advanced Mode' available
  9. Remove additional NWS calls to reduce throttling.
  10. Support for Windows Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019

 

Migrate web parts using Import API to SPO

This feature provides support for classic pages and its web parts only. A new option named "Use Import Pipeline for Webparts" is provided in the configuration wizard. When enabled, it will migrate wiki/web part pages and their supported web parts using the Import Pipeline (for SPO). Unsupported web parts are skipped and reported in job logs.

Some web parts are not migrated properly to target for certain adapter combinations:

  • Search Box, Analytics HashTag web part - All adapters
  • Blog Tools - DB adapter

 

Convert Classic Pages to Modern Pages

This feature provides an ability to convert classic pages and its web parts to modern pages. The scope includes Site level, List level and Page level. Only SPO is available as a supported target. Supported templates include:

  • Modern Team Site with Groups (GROUP#0)
  • Modern Team Site without Groups (STS#3)
  • Communication Site (SITEPAGEPUBLISHING#0)

This feature uses the transformation solution provided by Microsoft and PnP community for modernizing pages in SharePoint Online and needs to be downloaded separately. Quest is not providing or supporting the PnP community solution. Quest is providing a capability to run the solution within Content Matrix. Publishing pages are not supported by the solution.

 

Run Content Matrix without administrator rights

Remove the requirement to "Run as administrator“ when running Content Matrix Consoles. Store all settings in user scope. Add new screen to installer so user can choose to store settings for “all users” or for “current user only”. The product key validation happens during console startup instead of during installation. On first start after upgrade, settings will be deployed from old global location to user scope location.

Note: Installation of Content Matrix Consoles still needs to be performed by administrator account.

 

Migration of Publishing sites to Communication sites

Provide support for migration of publishing content to modern communication sites. Supported SharePoint environments:

  • Source: SharePoint 2013, SharePoint 2016
  • Target: SharePoint Online, SharePoint 2019 (OM/MEWS)

Supported templates:

  • Publishing Site - CMSPUBLISHING#0
  • Publishing Site - BLANKINTERNET#0
  • Publishing Portal - BLANKINTERNETCONTAINER#0
  • Publishing Site with Workflow - BLANKINTERNET#2

The limitations in what content can be migrated is provided here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/publishing-sites-classic-to-modern-experience

Known Issue: Bug 483623: Default Community Content types are getting created on Target Communication Site By Activating Features on target

 

Stop Redistributing SharePoint Dependencies

We removed the dependencies in case Microsoft does not allow to redistribute SharePoint dependencies in the future. All SharePoint dependencies are separated out to single utility which will run in the installer itself.

There is no functional impact. Connection to SP2013 DB or SP2016 DB is still possible from client machine.

DB connection from SP 2007 and SP 2010 will be allowed to connect from client machine both with 2013 or 2016 configuration.

Note: DB connection from SP 2007 and SP 2010 will not be allowed from different version of SharePoint server.

 

Fetch item information in chunks to avoid memory issues for DB adapter and MEWS adapter for large lists

This feature improves how large lists are read by Content Matrix. Lists are now read in chunks instead of all at once. The benefits of this feature include:

  • Removed “Out Of Memory” Exceptions during large lists migration
  • Reduced Content Matrix memory consumption during migration of large lists
  • Full backward and forward compatibility for PowerShell scripts
  • No performance impacts

 

Migrate Nintex Responsive Forms from SP2016 to SPO

We continue our support for the Nintex forms and workflows. This feature provides support for migration of Responsive Nintex form from SP2016 (OM and MEWS adapter) to SPO. All supported controls present inside Nintex Responsive Forms will migrate to the SPO site. All unsupported controls (SQL Request, Web Request and Change Content Type) present inside Nintex Responsive forms will be replaced by a placeholder label in the form on the target site.

Note: Nintex New Responsive Forms are out of scope. This 3rd type of Nintex Form only exists on SP2019 and SPO.

 

Only have 'Advanced Mode' available

The Simple Mode configuration screens are removed from Content Matrix. The feedback we received was that no one was using these screens anyway.

 

Remove additional NWS calls to reduce throttling.

The remaining NWS calls were removed from Content Matrix to reduce throttling. This change improved the list item version retrieval for the CSOM adapter.

 

Support for Windows Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019

Content Matrix is now supported with Windows Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019.

 

 

The full Content Matrix Release Notes can be found on the technical documentation site.

For current customers, you can download Content Matrix here.

For customers that are interested in evaluating Content Matrix, you can sign up for a trial here.

As with all new releases, we love to hear any and all feedback.  Tell us what you like, don't like, and if you have any ideas for future enhancements, please let us know on the discussion forums!