SharePoint Document Archiving

Maintaining optimal performance in SharePoint Online is crucial for ensuring user productivity and the smooth operation of business processes. However, as organizations accumulate large volumes of documents, SharePoint performance can suffer, leading to slow load times, search inefficiencies, and increased maintenance requirements. This article explores how Squirrel, a specialized document archiving solution, can help mitigate these issues by efficiently managing and archiving old documents.

The Importance of SharePoint Performance

Performance is a critical aspect of any document management system. When SharePoint Online operates efficiently, users can quickly access, edit, and share documents, leading to enhanced productivity and collaboration. Conversely, poor performance can lead to frustration, decreased productivity, and potential disruptions in business operations. Common performance issues in SharePoint include slow load times, inefficient search results, and increased time and resources needed for server maintenance.

How Excessive Document Storage Affects SharePoint

One of the primary reasons for degraded SharePoint performance is the excessive accumulation of documents. As more documents are stored, the SharePoint database can become bloated, leading to slower server response times and reduced overall performance. This is particularly problematic for organizations with large volumes of data and a high rate of document creation and modification. Statistics and case studies have shown that unmanaged document growth can significantly impact the efficiency of SharePoint Online, making it imperative to adopt a solution that addresses these challenges effectively.

Introducing Squirrel

Squirrel is an innovative SaaS product designed to tackle the issue of excessive document storage in SharePoint Online. By automating the archiving process, Squirrel helps organizations maintain optimal SharePoint performance while reducing storage costs. Squirrel integrates seamlessly with SharePoint Online, offering features such as lifecycle policy definition, automated archiving to Azure Blob Storage, and the creation of stub files in SharePoint. These features ensure that old documents are efficiently archived without disrupting user access or workflow.

The Archiving Process with Squirrel

The archiving process with Squirrel is straightforward and efficient. Organizations can define lifecycle policies that determine when documents should be archived based on factors such as age, usage, and compliance requirements. Once a document meets the criteria for archiving, Squirrel automatically moves it to Azure Blob Storage, converting the document to HTML format while retaining the original file name with an HTML extension. A stub file with the same name is left in SharePoint, allowing users to easily rehydrate the document with a simple click. This seamless process ensures that document archiving does not interfere with user access or productivity, while significantly improving SharePoint performance.

Benefits of Using Squirrel for Archiving

Archiving old documents with Squirrel offers multiple benefits that can significantly enhance the performance and efficiency of SharePoint Online.

Reduced Storage Costs

One of the most immediate benefits of using Squirrel is the reduction in storage costs. By moving less frequently accessed documents to Azure Blob Storage, organizations can take advantage of lower storage costs compared to keeping all documents within SharePoint Online. This cost-saving measure can be particularly beneficial for organizations with large volumes of data.

Faster Load Times and Search Performance

Archiving old documents helps declutter the SharePoint Online environment, leading to faster load times and improved search performance. Users can quickly find and access the documents they need, without being bogged down by the presence of numerous old and rarely accessed files. This improvement in performance can enhance overall productivity and user satisfaction.

Enhanced Data Security and Compliance

Squirrel provides robust security features to protect archived documents. All data is encrypted, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure during and after the archiving process. Additionally, Squirrel helps organizations comply with regulatory requirements by allowing them to define and enforce document retention policies. This ensures that documents are archived and retained in accordance with industry standards and legal obligations.

Conclusion

Improving SharePoint performance is essential for maintaining user productivity and ensuring smooth business operations. By archiving old documents with Squirrel, organizations can reduce storage costs, enhance load times and search performance, decrease server maintenance needs, and improve data security and compliance. Squirrel’s seamless integration with SharePoint Online and its automated archiving process make it an invaluable tool for any organization looking to optimize their document management strategy.

Call to Action

If you’re ready to enhance your SharePoint Online performance and reduce storage costs, try Squirrel today. Download a free trial or contact our support team for a free consultation or report on potential savings. Visit our website for more information and additional resources, including detailed guides, customer testimonials, and related blog articles. Transform your document management with Squirrel and experience the benefits firsthand.

FAQs

What is Squirrel?

Squirrel is a SaaS product that automates the archiving of SharePoint Online documents to Azure Blob Storage, enhancing performance and reducing costs.

How does Squirrel improve SharePoint performance?

By archiving old documents, Squirrel reduces database bloat, leading to faster load times and improved search efficiency.

Can I retrieve archived documents easily?

Yes, Squirrel leaves a stub file in SharePoint, allowing users to rehydrate the document with a simple click.

Is the data secure during the archiving process?

Absolutely. Squirrel encrypts all data, ensuring sensitive information remains secure.

What are lifecycle policies?

Lifecycle policies define when documents should be archived based on criteria such as age, usage, and compliance requirements.

How does Squirrel help with compliance?

Squirrel allows organizations to define and enforce document retention policies, helping them comply with industry standards and legal obligations.

What cost savings can I expect with Squirrel?

By moving documents to the more cost-effective Azure Blob Storage, organizations can significantly reduce their SharePoint Online storage costs.

Does Squirrel integrate with existing SharePoint workflows?

Yes, Squirrel integrates seamlessly with SharePoint Online, ensuring a smooth and transparent archiving process without disrupting workflows.

What happens to the original document when it is archived?

The original document is converted to HTML and moved to Azure Blob Storage, while a stub file is left in SharePoint for easy retrieval.

Can Squirrel handle large volumes of data?

Yes, Squirrel’s automated process is scalable and designed to efficiently manage large volumes of data.

What is Squirrel?

Squirrel is a cutting-edge document archiving solution tailored specifically for SharePoint Online environments. Developed by SmiKar, it leverages the flexibility of Azure Blob Storage to help organizations manage their document lifecycles more efficiently. By automatically moving older or less frequently accessed documents to cheaper storage solutions, Squirrel not only optimizes storage costs but also maintains easy accessibility and robust security.

Key Features of Squirrel

Automated Archiving

One of the core functionalities of Squirrel is its ability to automate the entire process of document archiving. This feature ensures that documents are moved to Azure Blob Storage based on predefined lifecycle policies, which can be customized to fit the unique needs of any organization. This automation not only helps in reducing the manual effort required in managing documents but also minimizes the risk of human error.

Encryption and Security

Security is paramount when dealing with document management, especially in cloud-based environments. Squirrel provides state-of-the-art encryption and authentication measures to safeguard sensitive information. Every document moved by Squirrel is encrypted, ensuring that data integrity and confidentiality are maintained at all times. This level of security is crucial for organizations looking to comply with industry regulations and protect their data from unauthorized access.

Seamless User Experience

Squirrel enhances the user experience by leaving a stub file in the original location in SharePoint. This stub file retains the same filename as the archived document, allowing users to rehydrate the data with just a click. This seamless interaction ensures that the transition between active and archived documents is transparent to the end-user, promoting a smoother workflow and reducing any potential disruptions to day-to-day operations.

Cost Efficiency

By archiving documents to Azure Blob Storage, Squirrel helps organizations significantly reduce their storage costs. Azure Blob Storage offers a more cost-effective solution for storing infrequently accessed data compared to regular SharePoint Online storage options. This strategic move can result in substantial savings, especially for organizations with large volumes of data.

Benefits of Using Squirrel

Squirrel not only optimizes how documents are stored and managed but also brings a host of benefits that can transform document lifecycle management.

Space Management

Effective space management is crucial for organizations that deal with a high volume of documents. Squirrel helps in efficiently managing the storage space in SharePoint by automatically archiving old documents to Azure Blob Storage. This process helps in freeing up valuable space in SharePoint, allowing for better management of new and frequently accessed documents.

Compliance and Governance

For many organizations, compliance with regulatory requirements is a significant concern. Squirrel supports compliance and governance by managing the document lifecycle according to organizational policies and regulatory standards. The automated archiving process ensures that documents are handled in a consistent, compliant manner, which is crucial for audits and regulatory reviews.

Enhanced Accessibility and Retrieval

One of the standout features of Squirrel is its ability to enhance document accessibility and retrieval. With the stub file system, users can access archived documents as if they were still residing in SharePoint. This functionality is crucial for maintaining continuity in document usage without disrupting user workflows. The rehydration process is simple and efficient, ensuring that documents can be brought back to active use with minimal effort. This feature is particularly beneficial for legal and financial sectors where document retrieval speeds are critical for operational success.

Reporting Features

Squirrel also offers comprehensive reporting capabilities that provide valuable insights into document usage and archiving activities. Organizations can monitor which documents are archived, when they were archived, and how often they are accessed post-archiving. This data is crucial for making informed decisions about document management policies and optimizing storage strategies. The reporting tools are designed to be user-friendly and provide actionable insights that can help in further reducing costs and improving efficiency.

How Squirrel Integrates with SharePoint

Integration with SharePoint Online is straightforward and non-disruptive. Squirrel operates seamlessly within the SharePoint ecosystem, enhancing its native capabilities without compromising performance or usability. The installation process is designed to be quick and does not require significant changes to existing SharePoint setups, making it an attractive option for organizations looking to enhance their document management systems without extensive modifications.

Customer Success Stories

Many organizations have already benefited from implementing Squirrel. For instance, a large legal firm managed to reduce its SharePoint storage costs by 40% within the first six months of using Squirrel. Another example is a government agency that was able to comply with stringent regulatory requirements regarding document retention and access by utilizing Squirrel’s automated archiving and robust security features.

Calculate Your Savings

Interested in seeing how much your organization can save by using Squirrel? Visit our Squirrel Benefits Calculator to get a personalized estimate of the potential savings. This interactive tool can help you understand the financial impact of integrating Squirrel into your SharePoint environment.

Free SharePoint Online Storage (TB):Set the amount of free SharePoint Online storage you get as part of your Microsoft O365 licensing.		0 TB
Current SharePoint Online Storage (TB):Adjust this slider to reflect your current total storage usage in SharePoint Online. If you are unsure, contact us and we can show you how.		0 TB
Monthly SharePoint Growth (TB):Estimate the monthly growth rate of your SharePoint Online storage.		0 TB
Percentage of Storage to Archive with Squirrel (%):Specify the percentage of your current storage that you would like to archive using Squirrel. Our insights show on average most companies at a minimum can archive around 47%		47%
Cost per TB ($):Enter the cost per terabyte of your SharePoint Online storage. This is how much you pay Microsoft per TB for SharePoint Online Storage.		$

Calculate Savings

Current Annual SharePoint Online Cost	Annual SharePoint Online with Squirrel	Estimated Annual Savings
$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Do you want to see Squirrel in action?

Squirrel represents a significant advancement in document management technology. By automating the archiving process, ensuring high-level security, and facilitating easy document retrieval, Squirrel addresses the key challenges faced by organizations in managing large volumes of documents. Its integration with SharePoint Online is smooth and enhances existing functionalities without disrupting user experiences. Whether you are looking to reduce costs, improve compliance, or simply manage your documents more effectively, Squirrel provides a comprehensive solution that meets a wide range of needs.

Contact Information

For more information about Squirrel, or to schedule a demo and see how it can transform your document management strategy, please contact our sales team. We are here to help you streamline your document archiving process and ensure that your organization’s data management is as efficient and secure as possible.

Future Developments

As Squirrel continues to evolve, we are committed to incorporating advanced features that further enhance document management and archiving processes. We actively seek feedback from our user community to ensure that Squirrel not only meets but exceeds the evolving needs of modern organizations. Planned future developments include more granular lifecycle management controls, deeper integration capabilities with other enterprise tools, and enhanced artificial intelligence functionalities to automate categorization and retrieval processes further.

Our development team is also exploring ways to expand Squirrel’s capabilities to integrate with other content management systems beyond SharePoint, aiming to provide a versatile platform that can serve a broader range of organizational needs. These updates will ensure that Squirrel remains at the forefront of document management technology, providing our users with a competitive edge in their respective industries.

Customer Feedback and Community

At SmiKar, we believe that our users are our most valuable asset, and their insights play a crucial role in shaping the future of Squirrel. We encourage all Squirrel users to participate in our community forums and feedback sessions. These platforms offer an opportunity to share experiences, suggest improvements, and learn from each other’s best practices. Engaging with the community not only helps in enhancing individual user experiences but also contributes to the overall advancement of Squirrel as a premier document management solution.

Conclusion

Squirrel is more than just a document archiving tool; it is a comprehensive solution designed to streamline document management, enhance organizational efficiency, and reduce operational costs. With its robust features, ease of integration, and user-focused enhancements, Squirrel is ideally positioned to help organizations of all sizes manage their document lifecycles more effectively.

Whether you’re struggling with storage costs, compliance, or just looking for a more efficient way to handle corporate documents, Squirrel provides a reliable and innovative solution. We invite you to experience the benefits firsthand by contacting us for a demonstration or to discuss how Squirrel can fit into your document management strategy.

Contact Us

To learn more about Squirrel, request a demo, or discuss your specific needs with our expert team, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our dedicated customer support and sales teams are eager to assist you in exploring the full capabilities of Squirrel and how it can transform your document management processes.

FAQs about Squirrel

1. What is Squirrel?
   • Squirrel is an automated document archiving solution that integrates with SharePoint Online to move documents to Azure Blob Storage based on their lifecycle policies.
2. How does Squirrel ensure data security?
   • Squirrel uses state-of-the-art encryption and authentication mechanisms to protect data during and after the transfer to Azure Blob Storage.
3. Can Squirrel help reduce our SharePoint storage costs?
   • Yes, by archiving infrequently accessed documents to Azure Blob Storage, Squirrel significantly reduces the need for expensive SharePoint storage.
4. Is the integration of Squirrel with SharePoint disruptive?
   • No, Squirrel integrates seamlessly with SharePoint without disrupting existing workflows or system performance.
5. What are the system requirements for installing Squirrel?
   • Squirrel requires an active SharePoint Online environment and appropriate permissions to implement its archiving policies.
6. How does the stub file system work?
   • Squirrel creates a stub file in SharePoint that retains the original filename. This file serves as a link to the archived document, allowing users to access it with a single click.
7. What kind of reporting capabilities does Squirrel offer?
   • Squirrel provides detailed reports on document archiving activities, including access frequencies, storage savings, and compliance status.
8. Can Squirrel be customized to fit specific organizational needs?
   • Yes, Squirrel’s lifecycle policies and other features can be customized to align with specific organizational requirements and compliance standards.
9. How does Squirrel handle compliance with industry regulations?
   • By automating document archiving according to predefined policies, Squirrel ensures that documents are managed in a compliant manner, aiding in regulatory audits.
10. Who can I contact for a demo or more information about Squirrel?
    • You can visit this link to request a demo or get more information directly from the Squirrel team.

Are rising costs and complex document management challenges slowing your business down?

Navigating extensive document libraries in SharePoint Online can lead to escalated costs and complex management challenges. Traditional storage methods are often inefficient and expensive, creating a substantial burden for businesses aiming to manage their digital assets effectively. If you’re searching for a solution that offers cost-effective document storage and improves document lifecycle management, look no further than Squirrel.

Introducing Squirrel

Squirrel: Pioneering Automated Document Archiving

Elevate your document management strategy with Squirrel. Our platform seamlessly integrates with Azure Blob Storage to automate the archiving process, ensuring that your documents are not only accessible and secure but also managed in compliance with strict industry standards—all while drastically cutting storage costs.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the management of corporate data has become a paramount concern for businesses across various industries. As organizations increasingly migrate their operations to cloud-based platforms, the need for efficient data management strategies becomes more acute. SharePoint Online, a leading tool in collaboration and document management, is widely adopted for its robust capabilities. However, managing documents in SharePoint can pose significant challenges, particularly in terms of storage costs and data lifecycle management. This is where Squirrel, a specialized Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product, steps in to transform how businesses handle their SharePoint document archives.

Challenges in Managing SharePoint Online Documents

High Storage Costs

One of the primary challenges businesses face with SharePoint Online is the escalating cost of storage. As organizations grow, so does the volume of their data. Traditional storage solutions on SharePoint Online can quickly become expensive, especially for enterprises that handle large quantities of data. These costs are often exacerbated by the retention of seldom-accessed, yet important, historical documents that consume valuable and costly storage space.

Complex Document Lifecycle Management

Managing the lifecycle of documents in SharePoint Online is another critical challenge. Documents need to be retained for varying periods depending on business needs and regulatory requirements. However, without an automated system, managing these documents can be labor-intensive and prone to errors. Businesses require a method to ensure documents are archived, accessible, and purged systematically to meet compliance and operational standards without manual intervention.

Ensuring Data Security

Security is a top priority in any data management strategy. SharePoint Online hosts sensitive and critical business information that must be protected from unauthorized access and breaches. Ensuring the security of this information while it is stored, accessed, or archived involves complex permissions and security protocols. Companies must address these challenges without compromising the ease of access for authorized users, balancing security with functionality.

What is Squirrel?

Squirrel emerges as a cutting-edge solution designed to address these challenges head-on. It is an automated document archiving solution specifically for SharePoint Online that not only enhances efficiency but also reduces storage costs significantly. By seamlessly moving documents to cheaper Azure Blob Storage based on predefined lifecycle policies, Squirrel ensures that businesses can manage their data more effectively. The unique feature of Squirrel is its ability to maintain the accessibility of archived documents. It does this by leaving a ‘stub’ file in the original location in SharePoint. This stub file, which uses the same filename as the original document, allows users to rehydrate the archived data with a single click, ensuring that the process is transparent and seamless for the end-user.

Key Features and Benefits of Squirrel

Automation of Document Archiving

Squirrel automates the entire process of document archiving in SharePoint Online, which traditionally requires manual effort and constant oversight. By setting lifecycle policies, Squirrel automatically moves documents that meet certain criteria—such as age, last accessed date, or other metadata—from expensive SharePoint storage to more cost-effective Azure Blob Storage. This automation not only ensures compliance with internal and regulatory data retention policies but also reduces the likelihood of human error, enhancing the reliability of document management processes.

Cost Savings Through Efficient Storage Management

The transition of documents to Azure Blob Storage represents a significant cost reduction strategy. Azure Blob Storage offers a cheaper alternative to storing large volumes of data that are accessed infrequently. By archiving documents that are no longer active but still need to be retained for compliance or historical reasons, Squirrel helps organizations reduce their overall storage footprint and costs in SharePoint Online, thus optimizing their investment in cloud storage solutions.

Enhanced Security with Encryption and Authentication

With Squirrel, security is not an afterthought but a foundational feature. All data moved to Azure Blob Storage is encrypted both in transit and at rest, ensuring that sensitive information is protected against unauthorized access. Moreover, Squirrel integrates seamlessly with existing SharePoint Online authentication mechanisms. This means that the same security controls that apply to active documents also extend to archived documents, maintaining a consistent and secure environment across all stages of the document lifecycle.

Seamless User Experience with Stub Files

Perhaps one of the most innovative features of Squirrel is the use of stub files. These stubs act as placeholders in the original SharePoint location, ensuring that users can access archived documents without needing to navigate away from SharePoint Online. When a user clicks on a stub file, Squirrel automatically rehydrates the document from Azure Blob Storage, making the process transparent and efficient. This feature not only maintains the user experience but also supports seamless collaboration and compliance auditing by keeping the document’s metadata and audit trail intact.

How Squirrel Enhances SharePoint Online Usability

Squirrel not only solves the complex issues associated with document management in SharePoint Online but also enhances the platform’s usability. By integrating directly with SharePoint, Squirrel adds a layer of automation and efficiency that is crucial for large-scale document environments. It allows IT administrators and compliance officers to set policies that automatically manage the lifecycle of documents without manual intervention, thus freeing up valuable resources to focus on more strategic tasks.

Moreover, Squirrel’s architecture is designed to be as non-intrusive as possible. It does not require extensive modifications to existing SharePoint setups, making it an attractive option for organizations looking to improve their document management practices without significant upfront investment in time or modifications to their existing infrastructure.

Future Enhancements and Roadmap

Squirrel is committed to continuous improvement and innovation, responding dynamically to the evolving needs of SharePoint Online users. Looking ahead, the development team is focused on introducing even more robust features that cater to diverse business requirements. Planned enhancements include:

• Advanced Analytics and Reporting Tools: Future updates aim to equip Squirrel with sophisticated analytics capabilities that provide deeper insights into document usage patterns, archiving efficiency, and cost savings. These tools will help businesses make data-driven decisions regarding their document management strategies.

• Increased Integration Options: While Squirrel seamlessly integrates with SharePoint Online and Azure Blob Storage, plans are underway to expand compatibility with other platforms and services. This broader integration will facilitate a more unified data management approach, enabling businesses to leverage Squirrel across different environments.

• Enhanced Customization Features: Recognizing that each organization has unique needs, Squirrel plans to offer more customizable archiving rules and retention policies. This flexibility will allow users to tailor Squirrel’s functionalities to fit their specific operational requirements more closely.

• Improved User Interface for Easier Management: To further simplify the user experience, upcoming versions of Squirrel will feature an improved user interface. This redesign will make it easier for users to set up, monitor, and manage their archiving and rehydration tasks directly from SharePoint Online, enhancing usability and accessibility.

Request a DEMO of SQUIRREL NOW

For organizations grappling with the challenges of managing large volumes of documents in SharePoint Online, Squirrel offers a streamlined, secure, and cost-effective solution. We encourage you to visit our product page to learn more about how Squirrel can transform your document management strategy. Additionally, we are offering a free report on potential savings and efficiency gains that can be achieved by integrating Squirrel into your SharePoint Online environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your document management system—contact us today to get started!

Conclusion

Effective document management is crucial for any organization looking to leverage the full potential of SharePoint Online. With Squirrel, businesses can automate their document archiving processes, reduce storage costs, secure their data, and maintain a seamless user experience. As we continue to develop and enhance Squirrel, we remain committed to providing solutions that meet the complex needs of our users and help them achieve their document management goals. Embrace the future of document management with Squirrel, where efficiency, security, and cost-effectiveness are at your fingertips.

FAQs

What is Squirrel?

Squirrel is a SaaS product designed to automate the archiving of documents in SharePoint Online by moving them to Azure Blob Storage based on lifecycle policies.

How does Squirrel help in reducing storage costs?

By automating the transfer of older or less frequently accessed documents to Azure Blob Storage, which is more cost-effective than traditional SharePoint storage.

What security features does Squirrel offer?

Squirrel ensures data encryption in transit and at rest and leverages SharePoint Online’s existing authentication mechanisms to secure data.

Can Squirrel handle documents that need to be accessed frequently?

Yes, Squirrel uses stub files that allow users to access archived documents seamlessly from their original location in SharePoint, ensuring that frequent access is not disrupted.

What are the primary benefits of using stub files in Squirrel?

Stub files maintain the user experience by providing transparent access to archived documents and preserving the document’s metadata and audit trail.

How does Squirrel integrate with SharePoint Online?

Squirrel integrates directly without requiring significant changes to existing SharePoint setups, making it easy to implement.

Are there any plans to enhance Squirrel’s features in the near future?

Yes, future enhancements include advanced analytics, increased integration options, enhanced customization features, and an improved user interface.

Who should consider using Squirrel?

Any organization that uses SharePoint Online and faces challenges with high storage costs, complex document lifecycle management, or needs to enhance data security.

How can businesses get started with Squirrel?

Businesses can visit the Squirrel product page, learn more about its features, and contact the sales team for a demonstration or to obtain a free report on potential savings.

What makes Squirrel different from other document management solutions?

Squirrel is specifically designed for SharePoint Online, focusing on seamless integration, user experience, and cost efficiency, unlike broader document management systems that may not offer such targeted benefits.