In this modern world companies often times have to transfer data from one location to another. This process is important and not as easy as it seems as companies often have to migrate millions units of data.
For a company to do data migration there’s a lot of planning that has to be done as well as some procedures that have to be followed. This helps avoid risks and minimize costs. In this article we shed more light on the data migration process, so read on.
What is data migration?
Data migration process can be defined as the transfer of data from a location to another, a format to another or an application to another. This process involves activities such as planning, creation of data backups, testing as well as validation and also coming up with migration documentum.
Data migration usually happens as a part of bigger project for example the replacement or improvement of legacy software, addition of a software that works along with an already existing software, transfer of Information Technology infrastructure to cloud and enlargement of a system.
What are the major types of data migration?
There are many types of data migration and these include storage migration, database migration, application migration, cloud migration, data center migration and business process migration. A certain data migration case may belong to one or more data migration types. Let’s look at the types of data migration below.
● Storage migration
This type of data migration happens when a business begins using technologies that are modern and getting rid of out dated equipment. Storage migration involves moving data from a physical medium to another or sometimes a physical medium to a virtual environment.
The transfer of data from a physical paper to digital documents or from the computer to cloud storage are all good examples of storage migration. The main reason why storage migration is necessary us that it allows technology upgrades to happen.
● Database migration
Database migration involves upgrading to an up to date Database Management System (DBMS) or just changing to a new Database Management System from a certain provider. An example of this is changing from MySQL to PostgreSQL.
● Application Migration
This type of migration involves transferring data from a computing environment to another when a company an enterprise software vendor change. The main challenge is that often time’s old and new infrastructures may have different formats and models of data.
● Data Center migration
A data center can be defined as a physical infrastructure used by a company to store important applications as well as data. It is made up of various servers, switches, networks and many other Information Technology equipment. Data center migration can mean transferring data to new servers or moving existing computers from one premise to a different one.
● Business Process Migration
This type of migration is driven by mergers and acquisitions, business optimization, or reorganization to address competitive challenges or enter new markets. All these changes may require the transfer of business applications and databases with data on customers, products, and operations to the new environment.
What to involve in your data migration plan
A data migration plan is important since it helps avoid risks that can cost you both money and time. These risks include misplacement of files and compatibility problems. First you need to do data format and location identification, and then data backup. Backing up all data is helpful in the event that you face issues like misplacing data you can easily fix the issue.
The other step to take is to see if staff have the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the data migration project. After that you can execute the data migration plan and then test the final system. This will be followed by maintenance of the plan.
Conclusion
Data migration can be complicated since it often involves moving a lot of data units. A lot of challenges can be faced during this process especially if there’s no proper planning. It’s important therefore to have a data migration plan. By following the steps involved in a data migration plan you avoid problems such as losing or misplacing data.
