Data Conversion Service

Data Migration Checklist

Plan Data Migration By Creating A Data Migration Checklist

Data migration is an important component in the development of a new application. Historical as well as live data from a previous application has to me transported or migrated to the new application. A data migration checklist includes all of the factors that we have to consider before actually migrating data.

During the development of a new application, a lot of emphasis is paid on requirement gathering & analysis, design and construction of the application. A good many projects however tend to play down the need for developing an effective strategy for data conversion and migration.

In other words, data migration tends to be taken for granted in a number of projects. As a result, there are last minute hurdles and problems that result in a significant delay in the new system becoming live. Forethought, planning and an effective strategy can prevent such a situation.

Development of new applications often involves the consolidation of data in to an integrated relational standalone or distributed database. One of the first things that should be accounted for is the current distribution of data. Data tends to be scattered and stored in various geographical locations and in different formats.

Identifying the current sources of data is the first critical step. It is quite likely that the data is store din different formats i.e. it could be stored in Excel, text files, databases or just about any other format.

After the sources are identified then the next step is to outline the new format of data. In the case, the new application is a solution that is supported by a specific vendor then the task of data migration may be the responsibility of the vendor.

However if the application is being developed in house or by a third party firm, then the database may undergo numerous changes, throwing up new obstacles in data conversion and migration.

Considering how the new data is to be stored is also an important consideration in the data migration checklist. The migration team should identify the type of disk storage that is required and whether redundancy and mirroring need to be built into the new storage requirements.

Data migration tasks may be outsourced to a third party that data migration as a specialized service. It should be determined in advance if the data migration task is to be carried out in house or is to be outsourced. The costs of both options need to be estimated and the relative pros and cons need to be evaluated.

Data migration is a complex task that needs planning and should be handled in an organized manner. A data migration checklist eliminates outlines the likely hurdles that are likely to be faced in the process of data migration and conversion and can influence the success of a project.

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