A Data Migration Strategy for Businesses in 2024 

The ever-evolving business landscape keeps on spewing fancy terms, some of which fail to resonate with startup founders at the first instance. Data migration framework is one such term. However, according to Research Industry Network the data migration services market would grow at a CAGR of 19.44% between 2022-2028 reaching US$ 35993.66 million.

 

In this blog, we will go beyond the fancy terms and break down data migration. We will cover terms like data migration strategy, data migration best practices, and migration phases amongst others. So, grab your reading glasses and let us jump in into the fascinating world of data and data migration.

 

Data-the new ‘oil’ 

People say data is the new oil. Here is what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has to say about data “The core intellectual property of any business going forward, the core currency of any business going forward is their data”.  According to recent estimates, we generate about 328.77 million terabytes of data each day.

The challenge for an organization is to capture, store, and convert it into intelligence and intelligent action. And this brings us to the topic for this blog, data migration.

 

What is data migration?  

Data migration simply means shifting data from one storage medium to another. Your organization might require data migration while transferring data from an old database to new. You would also need adherence to data migration best practices while transferring data from an on-premises outdated storage system to a cloud-based solution.

Why? Because the right choice of tools and approach can result in seamless migration. Choosing the right tools and approach to execute the task will also ensure integrity and security of the data throughout the migration process.

 

Data migration types 

Experts classify data migration into distinct types depending on the requirements and objectives of the migration process. These are as follows-

 

1. Database relocation 

In this process you make the shift from one database engine to another. It is essential to carefully plan the migration phases to consider the possible variations in data structures between the two database engines. For example, you might feel the need to shift from a relational database engine to a non-relational database engine.

 

2. Storage migration 

Storage migration is all about discarding outdated storage medium and shifting data from one physical medium to another. Storage migration can also mean shifting data from the physical medium to virtual medium. The migration phases of such a process are data validation, cleaning, and duplication.

The volume of data you want to move decides the duration of the migration process. Your firm can undertake storage migration to increase storage capacity, analyze the data better and gain technical advantage. It can simply involve moving data from paper to digital format.

 

3. Application data migration 

This process is all about moving software applications across computing environment. For example, you can decide to relocate your business app from on-premises storage to a public cloud server. While relocating applications or software, you need to consider the differences in data structures and models between the two different computer environments. In this context, you can hire developers from India to seamlessly execute the app data migration.

 

4. Cloud data relocation 

Cloud data migration is about transferring data from local storage to a cloud environment. It can also mean transfer of data from one cloud provider to another or from public cloud to private. Most businesses hire programmers in India for managing and storing data in cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google cloud.

 

5. Data center migration 

The data center is your business’s central hub for storing critical software, apps, and data. Therefore, data center migration can refer to simply moving wires and computers across premises to moving all digital assets (storage and server) to an entirely new operating environment.

 

Data Migration process 

The five steps of a successful data migration process are:

 

Step 1: Planning 

Any successful data migration process begins with a planning phase. Before migrating, you need to access the existing data assets and create a relocation plan. In this context, you can hire Indian developers to create a plan and execute it to perfection. The key steps are:

 

1. 1. Identify the key data and filter out the excess.
      
   2. Examine the source and target systems to understand variations and adaptation requirements.
      
   3. Setting data standards to migrate issues.
      
   4. Estimate timelines and budget. 

Step 2: Process Design

Under process design, you need to define the rules for relocation, role, responsibilities, and testing criteria. It is also essential to select the right technology for doing the job.

 

Step 3: Extract transform and load 

ETL processes are critical components of any data relocation process. For successful execution, you would need the expertise of software engineers or ETL developers. Such professionals can customize ETL tools and develop scripts to execute data transition. Therefore, the best way forward is to hire software developers having domain expertise and experience in this field.

 

Step 4: Data mapping 

Data mapping is a core component of ETL. You need joint efforts between system analysts, business analysts, and ETL developers to execute a seamless data transition. When you hire programmers from India with years of experience, and deep knowledge of data migration phases, you can rest assured about the successful execution of all the steps.

 

Step 5: Execution and Testing 

In this phase your developers would execute the previously designed ETL processes.

 

 Data Migration strategies

If you are looking for a data migration strategy template, here are three different data migration strategies

 

• Trickle

The trickle process breaks down the migration process into multiple sub-migrations, each with its own goal, scope, and deadline. The trickle process therefore proceeds incrementally and avoids downtime by running the old and new systems in parallel. The trickle process might sound complex but significantly brings down the risk quotient if executed properly.

 

• Big Bang 

Unlike Trickle, which takes a long-time duration to execute, the big bang concludes the migration process faster. It involves transferring all data from the source to the destination database in one swift operation at a time. Therefore, it results in production system downtime during data processing. This strategy also puts significant pressure on the organization and increases risk.  

 

 

• Lift and Shift

You relocate the data and apps under this strategy to the cloud with minimal alterations to the framework. For successfully executing this strategy you need careful planning, and map source framework resources to cloud provider’s offerings.  

 

 

Data Migration best practices

Here is a list of data migration best practices you can adhere to for seamless migration experience:

 

1. 1. Examine data’s quality and intricacy
      Before migrating, you should access the data quality, understand where it currently resides, and the storage format. This will help you determine the best route to adopt for migrating data. 
      
   2. Create and execute a migration strategy
      Organizations often oversee complex IT initiatives, including data migration, hastily and on a piecemeal basis. However, to be successful eventually, you need to have a clear company strategy and communicate it effectively. In this context, you should hire developers with relevant experience and expertise. Such resources can help create a mental framework to determine who, how, and when to execute specific steps of the process.
      
   3. Have a solid team
      You can have access to the best migration tools. However, you can still fail executing the varied migration phases without a solid team. You should therefore hire programmers and software developers with experience and expertise and then set up a proper team structure with accountability and reporting in place. 

Summing up 

In the above pages we have talked at length about data and data migration. Data is the new oil in this era and businesses need experts who can manage data storage, analysis, and migration efficiently. You can always stay ahead by hiring software developers from Remote Resources TM.