The thought may hold true for any business that businesses are everything about data. Insights, patterns, and informed decisions that follow are all based on the data that a system collects. The data collection system is the hub that not only helps businesses in enhancing their productivity but also contributes to business scalability. And therefore the real challenge for a business is to think of a database migration strategy. The process may come with challenges that we would be addressing in this blog. Let’s begin.
Database migration puts data integrity into question. Its implementation requires massive documentation to ensure that no loss or alteration of data occurs during the migration.
Data migration should be a seamless process of capturing data from one pool lake to another. It is not as easy as it sounds, entire migration might take months before you are free from a faulty system. Additionally, it is not an unchallenging job that any novice can do; it requires experience and database system knowledge before it is implemented.
Takeaway: You can not initiate database migration whenever you feel like it. There should be a strong & valid reason for you to make a move.
What is data migration? And when should database migration be performed?
Database migration is the process of transferring data from one system to another. It is above just the copy and paste thing and involves a lot of complexities. It involves shifting data from physical storage to cloud-based storage.
Database migration can take months to a year; however, this depends on the database size and the system compatibility.
Reasons why you should think of database migration:
There are many reasons for businesses to think of database migration. Here are a few reasons from our perspective.
- When organizations want to move to a cloud-based database for creating more on-premise space.
- When organizations want to have a new data warehouse for the businesses.
- When companies want to undergo a merger, new data from an acquisition.
- Another pivotal reason why businesses opt for database migration is to reduce data complexity.
Along with this, the company should ponder over the following factors before initiating the migration.
- Does the company need access to the data frequently? If yes, how frequent?
- What is the criticality of the data?
- Does the data require huge amendments before migrating to a new infrastructure?
- Do you have enough budget to sponsor budget constraints?
Answers to these questions will help in deciding when to make a move and how to make the migration process successful.
Having said all these things, seamless database migration is a result of effective migration strategy implementation.
Here are a few key points that will help you in defining your database migration strategy for your project.
Premigration precautions:
Knowing the needs and scope of your project is a crucial step that you need to take before initiating the migration. In this step, the service provider understands your organizational needs and starts planning the resources accordingly. The vendor also discusses the database migration tools, various frameworks, and the testing methodology they might use for database migration.
The pre-migration precautions will let you know what things will be followed in the process and how much time it will take to move data.
Beforehand analysis:
In this step, the service provider will study the current database infrastructure and the proposed infrastructure. They will figure out the best database migration process that can help in reducing complexity. Based on the evaluation, the database migration strategy can move forward.
Strategic planning:
Data migration comes at the risk of data loss and hence planning is required. In this strategy process of database migration steps, the migration schedule is decided, and also the migration priorities are set.
This planning will help in reducing operational downtime or mitigate the chances of data loss.
In this step, you’ll also decide the type of database migration you want to opt for. The first type is,
Big Bang in which the data is transferred all at one time. It is completed in a limited timeframe to avoid downtime during the data transfer. However, it is performed under immense pressure and challenges, which may put data at risk.
While the other is Trickle migration, in which data is transferred in phases. The old and the new systems are kept running, and thus, system downtime gets reduced. However, the implementation is complex but very effective. The trickle migration process gives you room for carrying out effective testing.
Migration:
Finally, we are here at the final stage, where the strategy and planning of the data migration process are implemented. The service provider can use either Flyway database migration or AWS migration services to facilitate a seamless and easy data transfer process.
If the database includes schema and tables, the same is also checked for unused fields, database logic, and other records.
Here comes an end to the major task, however, there will be post-migration cautions that you would have to take for ensuring that no data loss happens. Post-migration care will assist you in identifying any gaps left during the database migration process.
Why is it important to strategize the data migration?
As mentioned above, data migration is carried out to enhance the system’s performance and reduce downtime. A data migration strategy lets you focus completely on the data type and size and thereby keeps a check on any system-specific failures. Here are a few relevant reasons why it is important to strategize.
- Data migration strategy lets you audit your database so that unexpected errors can be eradicated beforehand.
- If any errors are found, the same can be resolved with the help of tools and other resources.
- You can keep track of the data quality and protect it from degradation.
- Organizations can track and report data quality without putting in any questions on data integrity.
Coming to an important topic,
What are the best practices for database migration?
The database migration practices we will be mentioning in this blog are independent of the migration type you will follow. These are general practices that will help you in carrying out a high-quality, secured, effortless migration.
Back up data before migration execution:
Do you compromise over your phone’s data while you move on to a new phone? No one would ever. The same goes for your database. While you are initiating database migration, ensure that you already have its backup at your disposal.
Checkout for data redundancy:
You might have skipped the thought that the old database system is slow because of the redundant data it has captured. While moving to a new database infrastructure, carry out an audit of your old data and remove the unwanted data straightaway.
This cleanup will ensure that you transfer only important data to the new database management system.
Need help? Ask for it:
We have previously mentioned that data migration is not a soft job. You will need experts or the assistance of an experienced mobile app development company that can help you strategize the planning. Their skills will help in defining the steps for data migration of projects.
Do not deviate from the strategy:
Any deviation from the predefined database migration strategy can lead you to trouble. It can complicate the process and might frustrate you in the end.
Test the data:
It is a good practice to test the data during the migration to make sure that it matches the real data lying in the system.
What is the cost of database migration?
Smooth database migration involves a lot of effort. It is difficult to give you an estimate without knowing your database scope, size, and type. Any vendor or hired mobile app developers facilitating migration would first analyze the requirements and then would be able to give you the right estimate.
Conclusion:
Moving data from one place to another is a huge task in itself. You need to define a roadmap in order to execute it perfectly. Database migration demands data integrity and security practices for seamless data migration.
If you have any questions or face challenges during data migration, you should look for a consultant and start exploring the process.
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