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Data Migration: The Process, Tools & Best Practices Involved

Nxtra by Airtel | June 28, 2022

Data migration could be between repositories, data warehouses, data marts, or even to or from a cloud platform. It is a process that demands utmost precision and experience.

Big data is truly the fuel of businesses today. Companies must have competent plans to manage and handle data. Else, it could cost them a fortune. Companies must now ensure a well-established, flawless data storage process and a big data migration approach.

The data migration process of a company must be well-planned to make it an efficient one. Data migration could be between repositories, data warehouses, data marts, or even to or from a cloud platform. It is a process that demands utmost precision and experience. Companies today use additional data migration tools to ensure smooth, safe, and thorough transfer of data.

What is Data Migration?

Data migration means the transfer of data from one system to another. It could also mean transferring data storage premises, migration from one format to a particular, or between one application to another.

When do Companies Need to Migrate Data?

A company might undergo a data migration process for various reasons. Below is a brief list of some common occasions when companies need to perform data migration:

  • Datacenter shift
  • Upgrade or replacement of legacy hardware or software
  • Upgrade, expansion, or replacement of data storage equipment or structure
  • Consolidation or segregation of data to or from data marts to data warehouses, or vice-versa
  • Introduction of new applications or services that use the same datasets
  • Enhancements of existing applications for better performance
  • Shifting from local data storage systems to cloud-based storage platforms

The purposes can be many. However, regardless of the purpose, data migration is performed to increase efficiency, enhance interoperability, and amplify performance.

Data Migration Process

Data migration is a highly important activity for any organization. It must be well strategized and structured. Hence, organizations must follow a systematic data migration process for clean and precise results.

While there are multiple ways businesses can execute the data migration process, there is a recommended set of data migration steps for a successful implementation.

Chalk Out a Premigration Plan

The premigration phase is the most crucial in the data migration process. Organizations may allocate most time for this phase. The premigration phase is when companies chalk out a solid plan of the entire implementation process. Companies must decide whether to forward with a Big Bang or Trickle data migration strategy.

This phase is also the right time to set the migration budget, timelines, deadlines, downtimes, related tasks, and schedules. Companies should spend time analyzing the source and target data storage points, along with a stability check for current data.

Exploration and Inspection of Data

It is important to know what you are migrating and why. Companies should do an in-depth inspection to identify how the target storage system will store the incoming input, whether there will be an overflow, what data needs to be transferred and what can stay behind. Companies must explore anomalies, inaccuracies, and flaws in their current storage structure and system as a whole.

Check for possible data duplications, conflicts, loss, or any quality or structural errors. Companies may even use data migration tools to automate parts of this process.

Complete Data Backup

The data that is to be migrated must be safeguarded at every step. Data migrations could end up in failure. This sagacious measure will help avoid mishaps such as data loss during migration. Moreover, companies must perform regular data backups and establish reliable data restore mechanisms, even if it means a bulky one.

Design the Data Migration Solution

The next step is to design your data migration solution. Although the migration process is a one-time process, it must be done right. Carry out multiple data migration testing sessions in this phase. Get teams involved in discussions on the planning.

Ask questions. Will the data need to be segregated into different parts? If yes, on what basis? If not, consider the risks associated with large data migration. Calculate your available resources. Not to forget, make sure the target data centre can take all that data at once.

Execute & Validate

At this stage, organizations may now flip the switch. As the data migration process is implemented, it is essential to keep an eye out for any failures at any point. Validate the process to check if it adheres to the defined plan and data migration strategy. It is also essential to stay in constant touch with business units.

After the data migration process is complete, check if all the data to be migrated has. Check if the data that was migrated is viable to the business.

Decommission & Supervise

After a successful migration, shut down and dispose of old data storage mechanisms. Companies might keep the older systems live for a definite period after a new migration. If necessary, companies may adopt this strategy.

Data Migration Best Practices

Companies must undertake certain data migration considerations and best practices for a seamless and well-established transfer.

  • Take the assistance of the right professionals, always. Your company’s data is crucial. Hence, it must be taken care of by the right people. Experienced specialists can steer the task more dutifully and effectively.
  • The data migration plan must also include a step to clean up. Low quality and subservient data must be cleaned out so that the new repository maintains a good structure and is clean. Moreover, transferring clean data results in a smooth and transient migration process.
  • Keep a roll-back plan in place in case of uncertainties in the new system. Organizations should only shut the old system after the new system has shown at least a month of good performance.
  • Perform an in-depth audit and try to document the process. Not only will the audit and documentation be useful for migrations, but it will also act as proof of your adherence to safety measures and that you’ve taken adequate care of sensitive data.
  • Use the right tools. It is not practical to conduct the entire migration process manually. Data migration tools can help accelerate the process simultaneously, making them more accurate and efficient.

Data Migration Tools

Below are some popular data migration tools:

  • IBM Informix
  • Microsoft SQL
  • Oracle Data Service Integrator
  • Hevo Data
  • Informatica PowerCenter
  • IRI NextForm
  • Xplenty
  • AWS Data Migration
  • Azure DocumentDB

Why Choose Nxtra?

Migrating data is a process that requires utmost proficiency and care. With Nxtra, businesses can ensure a smooth and comprehensive data migration process performed under the supervision of highly experienced specialists. An insouciant migration pursuit may lead to additional costs, loss of data, damage to equipment, and the list goes on. Nxtra delivers turnkey deployments power-packed with state-of-the-art end-to-end services from start to end, be it simple or complex migrations.

We are a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited and are recognized as India’s largest network of data centers.

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Nxtra by Airtel, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited, offers largest network of secure, scalable, and sustainable data centers in India to leading enterprises, hyperscalers, start-ups, SMEs and governments.

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