Image courtesy of Piqsels.

If you are considering a data migration for your company, you probably have some important questions about exactly how the data migration process will work. You want to be sure your data is secure and that your transfer is as simple and effective as possible. When transferring lots of data from one system to another, the process becomes more complicated the more data there is being transferred. Before we get started talking about the data migration tools you will need to make a successful transfer, let’s define data migration.

What is a data migration?

Know what you’re getting into

If you are upgrading your software you’ll need to perform a data transfer. Image courtesy of Piqsels.

A data migration is when an organization needs to update, transfer, or reformat data to keep its system running efficiently. Most likely, the company has recently upgraded to a new software system or is migrating from onsite storage to the cloud. Data migrations are large undertakings that can halt a business’s progress if not performed properly. That’s why we will go over the most important steps and some of the most common mistakes that can occur when you are migrating large quantities of data.

1. Data Profiling

Identify what data needs to be moved and how

A necessary step you can take before performing data migration is to survey and catalog your data. This is also called data profiling. This means identifying the location, format, and desired location of the data you are choosing to migrate. While you are data profiling, you want to stay alert for any potential problems that could occur during the transfer. By planning your migration, you will avoid any major issues that could occur during the transfer.

2. Know The Common Pitfalls of Data Migration

Don’t fall into these data migration traps

Errors in data migration can cause long-term data storage issues. Image courtesy of Piqsels.

By knowing the most common mistakes made during a data migration, we can learn how to avoid them. Here are some of the mistakes that can make or break your data migration process.

A . Unclear Communication

While the data transfer is taking place, it is essential to inform all employees that deal with the data directly. Failure to hold weekly meetings or send out a newsletter can lead to confusion among employees. By neglecting to keep all parties informed, your data transfer will run into unforeseen issues that could cause major delays.

B.  Using the Incorrect Tools

In the case of most data migrations, it is best to have an expert verify you are using the data migration tools. By hiring help from an experienced IT firm, you’ll be certain that the migration tool of your choice is optimized to work with your data transfer needs.

C.  Lack of Explicit Direction

One of the most critical parts of data migration is delegating responsibilities. If these instructions are unclear or too many people can authorize or remove data from the system, important data could be easily lost. To prevent data loss and security breaches, you should have a clear and concise plan for who does and does not have access to your data migration tools.

3. Make Sure to Backup all of Your Data

Don’t accidentally lose your information

Protecting your data is protecting your business Image courtesy of Piqsels.

This is the most important step of all. Ensuring all of your data is properly backed up is the key to making sure, even in the worst-case scenario, that you will not experience a major data loss. Major data loss can bring your business to a standstill. To prepare for a worst-case scenario, always double-check that your data is fully backed up before beginning a data migration. You will also be able to easily restore your data if a file has become corrupted.

4. Assess Your Team

Is this an internal or external project?

Assess if your team is capable of a successful migration. Image courtesy of Piqsels.

Is your team up to the task of performing a data migration? If it is too big of a project for your team, don’t worry! You can always consult a trusted IT firm to deal with sensitive or complicated data transfers that could overwhelm your team. Hiring an IT firm can also expedite the process if you have a hard deadline for your data migration.

5. Perform the Data Migration

It’s time to start moving data

Now that you have established the correct tools, a reasonable timeframe, backed up all of your data, and designated your roles to perform the data migration, it’s time to start migrating. The migration process must be closely monitored while it is happening, should any unforeseen issues come up.

6. Test Your Final System

Make sure everything is in the right place

Now that all of the data has been migrated to its new location, you’ll want to make sure all of the data migrated is accounted for. It is also important to check to make sure the data migrated is 100% secure. Once you have completed these tasks, congratulations! You have completed your data migration. Now there is just one more step for properly maintaining your data after it has been migrated.

7. Keep Up With Maintenance

Maintain your data

Despite all of the double-checking, planning, and having all of your data backed up, it is still possible that something went wrong with your data migration. Even with continued testing, it’s always possible that an error was made during migration. The only way to verify that your data is stored properly is to conduct an audit. If anything seems off, you always have your backup to restore any corrupted or missing files.

If you follow these steps for performing successful data migration, your data will be secure and in the right location ready to be accessed at any time. Ideal data migration does not disrupt your day-to-day business and does not present any surprise problems. The most important steps are planning and backing up your data. Without these steps, you are putting yourself at risk for data loss. Plan accordingly and you’ll be ready to migrate your data without hassle. If you have the right plan and the right data migration tools, you’ll be prepared for success.