Manufacturing
SharePoint Server end of support: what to do with on-prem document libraries
By SourceX Editorial · Updated
Short answer
SharePoint Server end of support means SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 no longer receive security updates, so on-prem farms need a migration or retirement plan. For manufacturers, controlled documents come first: take a versioned export with metadata and approval history before migrating, because migration settings can drop older revisions and workflow records.
Key takeaways
- SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 have reached end of support; farms keep running but stop receiving fixes.
- Controlled documents need their revision history and approval records, not just the latest file.
- Take a versioned export, including workflow history and permissions, before any migration or decommission.
- Customer-supplied drawings and specifications belong in a separate pile from internal procedures and change records.
What SharePoint Server end of support means for a plant#
SharePoint Server end of support means Microsoft stops shipping security updates, fixes and technical help for SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 under its lifecycle policy. The farm still serves pages and documents, so the risk is quiet: unpatched servers holding the controlled documents of a quality system.
Microsoft's lifecycle pages list the exact end-of-support date for each SharePoint Server version, and that page is the source to cite in any internal memo. For planning, the date matters less than the order of work around it.
Most manufacturers choose between SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, SharePoint Server Subscription Edition for content that must stay on premises, and a read-only archive for libraries nobody edits anymore. Many use all three across one farm.
A timeline that works without guessing dates#
A SharePoint Server end-of-support timeline for a plant works best as a sequence anchored to the published date for your version. The table sets out each phase and what it means for document libraries.
Plants that reach the third row without finishing the second are the ones that lose history. Once the farm is shut down, any version or approval record that did not migrate survives only in backups, if at all.
| Phase | What is happening | What to do with document libraries |
|---|---|---|
| Well before end of support | Farm fully supported | Inventory libraries, confirm versioning settings, record which workflows are in use |
| Approaching end of support | Migration planning and tool selection | Take a versioned export and test that it restores |
| End-of-support date passes | No more security updates | Restrict access, remove external exposure, freeze nonessential changes |
| Migration window | Current content moves to the new platform | Compare counts, versions and metadata against the export |
| Decommission | Farm switched off | Keep the export under retention, record sign-off and the custodian |
- 01Your work records
- 02Personal details removed
- 03You approve the release
- 04Licensed to AI developers
What manufacturing document libraries usually contain#
Manufacturing document libraries usually hold the written side of the quality system and the engineering change process. Many plants built document control on SharePoint precisely because it kept versions and approvals in one place.
- Work instructions, standard operating procedures and the quality manual, with revision history.
- Process FMEAs, control plans and PPAP packages for each part family.
- Engineering change notices with markups, approvals and reviewer comments.
- Corrective action and 8D reports, often with photos and containment notes.
- Internal and supplier audit findings with their responses.
- Calibration certificates, supplier certificates of conformance and material certs.
- Customer-supplied drawings, specifications and quality requirements.
Take a versioned export before migration#
A versioned export captures every revision of each document with its metadata, approval history and permissions, and it is taken before migration begins. Migration tools and settings vary in how many versions they carry and whether workflow history comes along, so the export protects whatever the move might drop.
Version limits also differ after the move. Microsoft states that the default organization setting for version history in SharePoint Online is a manual limit of 500 major versions with no expiration, and that changing the org-level setting does not trim existing libraries. Admins can switch to automatic trimming or set per-library limits, so check the target tenant's settings before assuming older revisions will survive there. Classic on-prem workflows also do not keep running after migration, so their history needs to be captured as records.
- List every site collection, library and list, with owners, item counts and versioning settings.
- Export documents with all versions, plus metadata columns such as content type, revision, approval status and part or project number.
- Export workflow history and approval task lists separately, since they are stored apart from the documents and are easy to leave behind.
- Export a permissions report showing who could read and edit each library.
- Record counts and hashes, and test a restore of one sample library.
- Set the farm to read-only until migrated content has been checked against the export.
Keep, migrate or archive: a library-level decision#
The keep, migrate or archive decision is made library by library, guided by whether the documents are still controlled and who owns them. Customer-supplied files behave differently from everything else, because customer contracts govern them.
| Library type | Usual path | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Current controlled documents | Migrate with full history | In daily use and subject to audit |
| Superseded revisions | Archive with version history | Show how procedures changed and why |
| Closed engineering change and project sites | Archive and assess | Hold reviewer comments and decisions |
| Customer-supplied drawings and specs | Separate and retain under contract | Customer-owned and excluded from licensing |
| Personal sites and team scratch space | Review under retention | Mixed personal and work content |
| IT runbooks and configuration notes | Scan for secrets, then archive or destroy | Often contain passwords and keys |
Secrets and personal details hiding in old libraries#
Old SharePoint libraries often hide credentials and personal details in places nobody remembers. IT runbooks list service account passwords, spreadsheets hold supplier portal logins, and training records and HR forms carry employee names and sometimes more.
Secret scanners can sweep exported files before they move anywhere. TruffleHog, an open-source scanner, says it scans sources including wikis and filesystems and can log in to check whether a secret it finds is still live; that check sends real authentication attempts, so run it with care and authorization. Rotate any live credential you find, whatever happens to the archive.
Personal details are handled under the retention schedule and, for any reuse, a privacy review with counsel, since the laws that may apply depend on the people involved and where they are.
Illustrative: a stamping plant's quality system on SharePoint 2016#
Illustrative: a fictional metal stamping and assembly plant built document control on a SharePoint 2016 farm: work instructions, control plans, PPAP packages, engineering change sites and 8D reports. Current procedures are moving to Microsoft 365, and the chosen migration settings carry only recent versions.
The quality manager and IT take a versioned export first, including approval workflow history. Superseded revisions and closed engineering change sites are archived with their history, and customer drawings and PPAP submissions are separated by customer and retained under contract.
Engineering change discussions and 8D reports, with customer names coded and drawings removed, are put forward for a licensing assessment. The farm is set to read-only and switched off only after migrated counts match the export.
How SourceX treats legacy document libraries#
SourceX treats legacy document libraries as possible sources of workflow records, such as change approvals, review comments and corrective actions, and screens them with metadata only. Library names, content types, date ranges and approval history are enough for a fit check; no documents are shared at that stage.
Packages that go forward follow the SourceX five-step transaction of Supply, Rights, Preparation, Approval and Delivery, and the SourceX Evidence Packet records provenance, licensing rights, permitted use, the privacy record and release authorization. Customer-owned drawings and export-controlled material are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
Should we move to SharePoint Online or SharePoint Server Subscription Edition?
SharePoint Online suits most collaboration and document control needs and removes server patching from your team. Subscription Edition fits content that must stay on premises because of customer requirements or network limits. Many plants split the decision: active libraries go online, restricted content stays on premises, and inactive libraries go to an archive.
How many document versions should we keep?
Keep what your quality system, customer requirements and retention schedule call for. For controlled documents that often means every released revision with its approval record. Drafts between releases matter less for audits but show how a procedure was debated, which is why some plants keep them in the archive.
Can we archive to a file share instead of migrating?
Yes, for libraries nobody edits, provided the export keeps versions, metadata and approval history in a readable form. A folder of latest files alone loses the record of who approved what and when. Document the export format so the archive can still be read after the farm is gone.
Who should sign off before the farm is switched off?
IT, the quality manager or document control owner, and counsel or whoever owns the retention schedule. Sign-off should confirm that exports were verified, that legal holds were checked and that customer-owned content was handled under its contracts.
Sources
- TruffleHog, an AGPL-3.0 open-source secret scanner, scans sources including Git, chats, wikis, logs, object stores and filesystems, and for each secret it can classify it can log in to confirm whether the secret is live. Source
- The default organization version history setting for SharePoint is manual limits with a 500 major version count and no expiration, and changes to the org-level setting do not update or trim existing libraries. Source
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