If you are planning on introducing a new system or moving to a new location for your business, you need to make sure that everything necessary makes the journey with you. This includes the sensitive data that is a part of your business on a day to day business. The process of moving this data from one location to another is called data migration. You probably have a lot of information that you would like to bring with you, so this could be a demanding task.
When you go about a data migration process, you could also have old hardware and software that you would like to replace. These are called legacy systems. Perhaps you would like to add some new applications to make your business easier to run after the migration is complete. This can complicate the process of data migration. In today’s era, many companies think about moving to a system that uses the cloud. The cloud is a virtual storage area where you can share files and create backups in case you need them later.
When it comes to data migration, whether this takes place using legacy systems or the cloud, it is essential to plan this move properly. To make this happens, there are a few crucial points that you need to keep in mind.
The Risks and Challenges of Data Migration
Many people will tell you that data migration is a risky and challenging process. There are a few reasons why this is the case. In brief, this is referred to as data gravity. While data gravity has been around for a long time, it is more important than ever, thanks to the introduction of something called cloud infrastructures.
The metaphor of data gravity encompasses a few critical points. These include:
- How does data attract other data as it gets larger? As your business grows, you are going to collect more data. This is a metaphor for how data gets sucked into the gravity well of companies.
- How important is your data in today’s era? Virtually every business has a tremendous amount of data they store virtually. This means that your data is more integrated into your business than ever before, making it more valuable.
- How customized is your data? Your data can do more than ever before, meaning that it is becoming more customized and specialized. This only adds to its importance.
All of these points play critical roles in the gravity of data. To take your data and applications and move them to a more favourable environment, you will need to overcome the seriousness of this data to separate it. In essence, the information is tangled together, and you must untangle it before you can move it.
To make this process move along efficiently, you need to overcome the gravity of the data discussed above. This means that you need to set aside time at the start of the project to go through the data, sort it out, figure out why the applications are integrated with the data, and ensure all of this is done in a manner that is conducive to the new location of the business and its data. This is a critical part of the planning process and can save you a lot of stress down the road.
This is all a part of the data management process. You need to enable the mobility of your applications and improve how your data is governed. The biggest obstacle that you will have to overcome in this respect is separating each application from its respective data. In many cases, data is used in multiple applications; however, these applications take this data and then output it in its respective format. This makes it harder to track. Therefore, applications need to work together efficiently. This is where your administrators need to come into play. Your administrators need to keep track of what data is used in which application. This will make it easier to untangle down the road. This type of awareness can help the business appropriately marshal its resources. This will make sure that every project receives the right amount of attention, helping the company down the road. Then, you will be able to turn off those legacy systems and preserve your data as the data migration process unfolds.
The Various Types of Data Migration
When it comes to upgrading systems, there are numerous benefits to keep in mind. The cloud is a secure place that will allow your data to be accessed remotely while still having a backup copy in case something goes wrong. If you are thinking about making a data migration to the cloud, you will be able to focus on the top priorities in the business, fuel company growth in the future, cut costs, become more maneuverable, and act more quickly in a competitive economic environment.
At the same time, the process of data migration can be complicated. This comes in different forms for different businesses. There are a few types of data migration that you should keep in mind. Some of the most common types of data migration include:
- Storage Migration: This is the process of data migration that includes moving information from one array to a more modern one. Usually, the destination operates significantly faster, can be scaled more quickly, and costs less. This may also provide other advantages, including cloning, backup recovery, data snapshots, and more.
- Cloud Migration: This is one of the most important kinds of data migration. This is the process of taking applications, data, and other elements of the business and moving them from a facility that is located on the premises of the company and shifting them to the cloud. This is an umbrella that also encompasses storage migration.
- Application Migration: As the name implies, this is the process of taking applications (programs) and shifting them entirely from one location to another. This could include taking an entire application from an IT center and moving them to the cloud as well as shifting applications between clouds.
These are a few of the most common types of data migration. Now, it is time to plan the data migration process itself.
Planning the Process of Data Migration
As a rule, three distinct steps must be completed for every data migration plan. These include:
- Extracting the data from its current location
- Transforming it into a process that can be moved
- Uploading the data to its destination
To accomplish these steps, some of the most critical parts of data migration that need to be considered include:
- Thinking about the stability of the data as it is moved, known as pre mitigation planning
- Identifying who is going to be involved in the data migration process, known as project initiation
- Looking at the landscape of the project, which consists in considering how the legacy systems are going to be shut down
- Thinking about which data needs to be moved
- Testing the data migration plan ahead of time with small data packages, making sure it survives the move
- Demonstrating that the data migration process complies with the requirements of the host applications
- Decommissioning and disposing of the old systems safely
To overcome the numerous challenges associated with data migration, it is essential to rely on the professionals for help.
Contact Secur01 Today
This is a brief overview of how a data migration process unfolds. If you would like to move your applications and data from one location to another, including the cloud, contact Secur01 today. We are an advanced cybersecurity and data migration firm that can help you protect your data and your hardware. Call us today to learn more!
