Data migration is never a fun process, but it is vital to keep your operation running smoothly. No matter where the data is coming from, be it the cloud, a data lake, or a data warehouse, you must have a migration plan to ensure a seamless transition. Read on to discover how to come up with a data migration plan.
Why You Must Have a Plan
Before we talk about the “how,” let’s discuss the “why.” Having a data migration plan is important because, without one, you run the risk of winding up with redundant data that may not be fully accurate. In fact, issues with the source data can become greater after being brought to a better system.
Understand the Data Source
The first step to a great data migration plan is to understand where the data is coming from. What is the data you’re pulling, and how much is there? Not every piece of data necessarily needs to migrate over, and some data may even be missing from the source. Consider an audit on the data you’re transferring. The audit will look for incomplete data, inaccuracies, and poorly populated fields.
Choose the Type of Migration
Once you know the data won’t cause problems after the transfer, you have to decide what type of migration you want to go with. The two main types of data migration are big bang and trickle migration.
Big Bang
This form of migration is simple to understand—all the data transfers during a set window of time. Systems will be down during the transfer, but once the process ends, that’s that. There’s an appeal to this open-and-shut style of transfer, but it can also cause a lot of pressure during that time frame.
Trickle
Trickle migration instead takes a phase-by-phase approach to the transfer. Your old and new systems will both be running while the transfer takes place, meaning you can go about your operations as usual. This approach usually requires more complex planning, but it yields results with fewer risks.
Now that you know how to come up with a data migration plan, you can get your data where it needs to be.
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