How Can We Avoid Data Migration Errors

Data migration is the process of transferring data from one system to another. It could be from one application to another or from one database to another.

The process involves exporting data from the source system, then, modifying it and importing it into the destination system. Cloud migration can be tricky because, if done incorrectly, it can cause errors in data integrity.

So, when you are performing data migration, there are things you need to address before and during the process.

Four Things to Address Before Migrating

1. Migration Plan

It is better to take the time to develop a thoughtful migration plan than to fix mistakes later. A well-thought-out plan will aid in ensuring you are making the right decisions and keeping your users happy with the new system.

2. When to Schedule the Migration

You need to consider when it's best for your business, customers, and employees. For example, you can avoid disrupting services during peak hours or on holidays.

Some migrations can take months, while others take less than a day. In addition, some systems may have dependencies that require careful planning and coordination.

Therefore, the best time to schedule your migration is when there are fewer people on your website and fewer visitors. It will aid in minimizing any disruption that can occur during the migration.

However, if you have a high traffic volume, it may be better to schedule this migration at night.

3. Cost Assessment

You need to know how much your migration will cost before you start moving everything over. You should also consider whether or not you want to use any third-party cloud migration service companies.

You can find out what these costs will be by contacting them directly and asking for their quotes. Once you know how much it will cost, it's time to decide which cloud migration strategy makes sense for you

4. Risk Assessment

You should always consider how your organization will be affected if there is a cloud infrastructure failure during the cloud migration process. For instance, suppose you have a large number of users accessing the system at once; you may need to plan for additional resources such as bandwidth and storage.

In any case, you should have an existing backup and recovery plan in place, this could also help address risk management concerns around downtime during migration.

Four Things to Address During the Migration

1. Migrating All at Once

The first thing to address is whether you want to migrate all at once or in phases. In case you are migrating all at once, start with non-critical applications and data first.

This way, if something goes wrong, it will not affect your day-to-day operations. If you have multiple applications running in your current environment, consider migrating one application at a time. This will allow you to test the new environment before moving on to another application.

2. Migration Testing and Monitoring

A comprehensive testing regime is essential before, during, and after a migration to ensure the continued smooth functioning of an application. You should also monitor the performance of each application during testing periods.

 This helps you get familiar with how they perform under load conditions. It will give you a better sense of how well your app will perform after it goes live on the new server platform.

3. Exit Plan

This is where Plan B, or a fallback plan, takes action. You are not able to test every single scenario that could cause an issue during your migration. Therefore, make sure you have a fallback plan if something goes wrong.

It might be that you just have to revert back to your old environment and start over again. However, at least you'll know what went wrong and can try again with this new knowledge.

4. Updating Documentation

Another thing you should do before starting your migration is to update your documentation. Ideally, you have an existing manual that covers all the aspects of your business.

 However, if this isn't the case, then you may need to update it or create one from scratch. It will help you avoid any confusion during the process. Also, it makes it easier for other people involved in the project to understand what needs to be done on their part.

In addition, having updated documentation makes it easy to troubleshoot post-migration problems or when performing routine maintenance tasks like changing passwords or updating software versions.