Data Migration
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Data Migration DISSECTING THE WHAT, THE WHY, AND THE HOW 02 Table of Contents The What 04 What Is Data Migration? 05 Types of Data Migration 05 Database Migration 05 Application Migration 05 Storage Migration 06 Cloud Migration 06 The Why 07 Situations That Prompt Data Migration 08 Challenges in Data Migration 08 1. The Complexity of Source Data 08 2. Loss of Data or Corrupt Data 08 3. Need for In-Depth Testing and Validation 08 Factors that Impact the Success of a Data Migration Process 09 Is Your Migration Project Getting the Attention It Needs? 09 Thoroughly Understand the Design Requirements 09 Budget for the Field Expert 10 Collaborate with the End Users 10 Migration Isn’t Done in OneGo 10 Backup Source Data 10 Migration Doesn’t Make Old Systems Useless 11 Plan for the Future 11 The How 12 Data Migration Techniques 13 Extract, Load, Transform (ETL) 14 The 7 R’s of Data Migration 14 Data Migration Tools 14 Finding the Right Migration Software – Features to Consider 15 Easy Data Mapping 15 Advanced Data Integration and Transformation Capabilities 15 Enhanced Connectivity 15 Automated Data Migration 15 Planning to Migrate? Steps to A Successful Enterprise Data Migration 16 1. Design a Strategy 16 2. Assess and Analyze 16 3. Collect and Cleanse Data 16 4. Sort Data 17 5. Validate Data 18 6. Migrate 19 Conclusion 20 Astera Centerprise – Making the Data Migration Process Painless 21 About Astera Software 22 03 Summary With data of varying formats pouring in from different systems, the existing system may require an upgrade to a larger server. Data migration enables organizations to expand their data store and management capabilities and make full use of data to drive business decisions. It is a widely used process of moving data, and almost every organization undertakes one at some point. This eBook will give you a deeper insight into the data migration process. It will further discuss why this process is essential for organizations, the challenges they might encounter during the process, and finally list down the techniques and tools that can simplify and streamline data migration. www.astera.com 04 The what Know the Basics www.astera.com 05 What Is Data Migration? According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), data migration represents 60% of any large enterprise IT project. But what is it? Simply put, it refers to the data transfer between different types of file formats, databases, and storage systems. However, ‘transfer’ is not the only aspect of data migration methodology. If the data is diverse, the migration process includes mappings and transformations between source and target data. Above all, data quality must be assessed before migration to ensure a successful implementation. The success rate of any data migration project is directly dependent on the diversity, volume, and quality of data being transferred. Types of Data Migration Data migration can be broadly categorized into four types: Database Migration This type of migration involves moving data between two database engines. However, when the original data changes, it simultaneously affects the data language or protocol. The change is reflected in the application layer as well. Database migration modifies data without modifying the schema. The circumstances that demand this type of migration include: • When the database software requires an update • To migrate a database to the cloud • In case the organization needs to change database vendors It requires careful planning and testing as there are several small tasks involved in the process, such as determining the storage capacity of the target database, testing applications, and ensuring data confidentiality. Application Migration This type of migration occurs when an organization switches from one platform or vendor application to another. Each application has a unique data model. Moreover, applications are not portable. There- fore, the operating systems, virtual machine configurations, and management tools of each application can be different in the development and deployment environment. These factors can contribute to the complexity of the migration process. Introducing middleware prod- ucts in the process simplifies it; as they help bridge the technology gap. www.astera.com 06 Storage Migration The process deals with moving data from one storage system to another, such as a hard disk or the cloud. The need for storage migration arises due to technology upgrades. It is easy to implement data management features like data validation, cloning, reducing corrupt or old information, etc. during this process. In addition, storage migration enables cost-effective scaling and faster performance. Cloud Migration Moving to the cloud ensures scalability, requires fewer storage resources, and is cost-effective and therefore, cloud migration has become one of the latest trends in the data management industry. In cloud migration, an organization’s complete or partial information assets, applications, or services are deployed to the cloud. The cloud’s firewall protects the migrated data. www.astera.com 01 07 The why Reasons for Migrating Data www.astera.com 08 Situations That Prompt Data Migration The most common reason for migration is the need to move data to a new system to scale up and accommodate volume growth. However, other circumstances may also prompt organizations to opt for a data migration project. The reasons include: • To replace legacy systems that are unable to keep up with the evolving performance requirements of the organization. • To reduce storage footprint by migrating to a system that consumes less power and space. Consequently, cutting down the operational costs. • To stay competitive by adopting state-of-the-art technologies, paving the path for data migration. • To prepare a disaster recovery plan; as data migration can help create a secure. • To transfer data to the cloud, eliminating the cost of on-premise IT infrastructure. Challenges in Data Migration Migrating enterprise data from one system to another is always challenging, especially when you have to move millions of records across systems. To help simplify your data migration process, we’ve identified the following most common data migration challenges you could face and how to avoid them: 1. The Complexity of Source Data One of the main challenges in data migration is the complexity of source data. Often, you’ll have to perform data integration on the source data to work through any intricacies. For example, if you were using a legacy data storage system, then you will have to perform data transformation to make the data compatible with the target system. 2. Loss of Data or Corrupt Data While migrating data from one system to another, you might face data loss or corruption. To tackle this issue, make sure that the number of source records matches with the number of migrated records. Various tools are available in the market that can help you authenticate the migrated data. 3. Need for In-Depth Testing and Validation For complex data migrations that involve thousands of records, the cost of failure is simply too high. Therefore, the need to perform in-depth data validation and testing cannot be ignored. Keep in mind any events that could have affected data quality. Also, test a large data volume to assure quality. It’s recommended to pull at least 10 to 20 percent of your data to make sure you include an extensive range. www.astera.com 09 Factors that Impact the Success of a Data Migration Process A fully functional data migration process must include the following considerations: Is Your Migration Project Getting the Attention It Needs? Selecting a new enterprise-wide system is a strategic business undertaking that deals with new technol- ogies and professionals. Migration is usually a small part of a much bigger project. An average business typically focuses on system configuration and other technicalities rather than ensuring the data that will populate the new system is fit for purpose. Holistically speaking, out of the plethora of tasks, data migration falls low on the list of priorities by a management that consider it to be a simple task of transferring data, and does not find the high costs and administrative burden justifiable. Thus, data migration, the resources it requires as well as the diffi- culty of the task is often underestimated and put on the backburner until it’s too late. Make sure that doesn’t happen with you. Holistically speaking, out of the plethora of tasks, data migration falls low on the list of priorities by a management that consider it to be a simple task of transferring data, and does not find the high costs and administrative burden justifiable. Thus, data migration, the resources it requires as well as the difficulty of the task is often underestimated and put on the backburner until it’s too late. Make sure that doesn’t happen with you. Thoroughly Understand the Design Requirements Firm grasp of the design requirements is critical, namely migration priorities and schedules, replication and backup settings, and capacity planning. A simple miscalculation in this area can have lasting repercussions that may impact the cost. This is also the stage where the IT department decides which migration strategy is suitable for the project – Trickle or Big Bang. Selecting one that suits you best is highly subjective to the firm’s existing data and future requirements. Let’s have a look. Big Bang – This type of migration initiates and completes full transfer within a limited time frame. Expect some downtime as the data moves and processes, however the project execution is rather quick. Trickle – This migration strategy conducts the project in multiple phases. The target and source systems run simultaneously, which keeps the migration running in real-time. This type of migration is more complex and time-consuming as compared to Big Bang, however it takes lesser downtime and eliminates operational efficiencies.