Data Migration Strategies for moving data from legacy applications or databases

1. Practical Data Migration
Strategies
Derek Wilson
www.derekewilson.com
http://derekewilson.com/2014/04/23/data-migration-strategies/

2. Overall Data Migration Process
Data Migration is a cyclical process. Each step builds
upon the work performed in the previous step.

3. Step 1 – Data Collection
• Select data sources
• Determine required data fields from data sources
• Calculate estimated storage requirements
• Determine connection and access rights to data

4. Step 2 – Data Analysis
• Perform analysis on data fields
• Min/Max Values
• Unique Values
• Numeric values in character fields
• Most common values
• Pay special attention to fields that are critical to the business or key
processes

5. Step 3 – Data Cleansing
• Determine how clean each field should be in order to migrate
• 100 % data quality is expensive and time consuming
• What is the system of record when multiple sources exist for the
same field
• i.e. Address information in CRM, ERP, or Legacy Applications

6. Step 4 – Data Movement
• Determine what fields are being migrated and to where
• Audit the data movement to show
• Where data was moved to and from
• Special processing or updates that were applied
• Conversions or Code changes
• How many records were processed
• How was the record migrated…what process

7. Step 5 – Data Validation
• Is the data in the new location as expected
• Perform Data Quality steps from Step 2
• Min/Max Values
• Unique Values
• Numeric values in character fields
• Most common values
• Can the new applications or processes leverage the data as expected
• Does your business have more accurate information than before