Summary
Data migration refers to the process where data is shifted from one place to another. If you are new to the concept of data migration and how to do it for your business, this guide will help you understand the process better for making an informed choice for your business. When you do it will be an easy process making everything simple.
A Brief Overview
The advent of the Internet has permitted people to exchange information or data with one another faster. Look at the four giant companies in data storage- Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon – together, these technology companies hold approximately 1.2 million terabytes of information or data.
All of the above data is exchanged daily and sent to different servers, computers, and mobile devices. This data migration is the key function on the Internet, and this is what makes it a modern revolutionary invention.
If you are a business owner or work with the Internet, being aware or familiar with data migration is a good idea. This is true when you need to transfer large volumes of data from one source to another place. However, before that, you need to understand what data migration entails and how it functions fully. This guide will explain it to you below-
What Do You Mean by Data Migration?
Data migration in both the digital and literal sense refers to the process where information is transported from one source to another location. For instance, the best example of data migration is when you download a file online. However, data migration refers to the downloading of a large volume of data that needs to be transported from an old server to a new one when it comes to the tech industry.
An Insight Into The Different Kinds of Data Migration
Therefore data migration is not the same, and each reason to perform them is different. However, below the "big trio" will be discussed-
1) Storage Migration
This process refers to the transfer of data from one hardware system to another. The earlier paragraph example is the perfect instance of storage migration, where you transfer data from an old server to a new one. The transfer process is quite simple, and with the improvement of technology, it is carried out quite frequently in the tech world.
However, there are some cases where this type of data migration can be challenging. You might want to transfer data from a floppy disk to a new modern hard drive. In some cases, the data transfer seems impossible as the data in the old hardware might get encoded, leading to a difference in storage in the new hardware. However, experts from a leading company for database management, RemoteDBA.com, say the advantages of storage migration for any business should not be overrated. The solution to the above problem is to upgrade the hardware to boost the scalability of the business to improve its tech performance entirely.
2) Migration to the Cloud
This refers to a data migration process where the data is transported from a physical location in the premise to remote database servers. This data migration process is hugely popular among people and businesses because of the data backup benefit. Besides this advantage, the process allows all your employees to access the server's information from any place simultaneously. This means you do not have to limit your business or your employees to one single place.
Take, for instance, an excel spreadsheet. You can store it in the company's hard drive and make it accessible to others on cloud servers. For instance, storing the Excel sheet in Dropbox or Google Drive will make it easily accessible to others. Cloud data migration is crucial for businesses today as it makes them flexible. With this process, the only downside is you need to depend on a third-party provider for Cloud data storage.
3) Application Migration
If you are the owner of a software development company, transporting an application to upgrade hardware or even the Cloud can drastically boost the performance and the functionality of the business app. Note that two data storage systems are never the same.
Whether the source code for the app is for a mobile phone like Uber or a website, you want the data on your hardware system to operate the program and locate it and store its associated data fast. As per a study conducted by most reputed agencies, users will only stay on a web page for about 10 to 20 seconds. In case they find the program or the app slow, they will not hesitate to leave and, in most cases, do not come back. So, as a business owner, you should not waste time losing your potential customers.
How Can You Execute an Effective Data Migration Process?
If you need to move data on a large scale, the process is quite complicated, however with the simple steps given below; you can pull it off successfully-
- Plan in advance and ensure you have a backup of the data
- Initiate the migration by informing customers and employees about its duration and time
- Test runs are crucial to ensure the database functions on the new server
- Execute and certify after the test run is complete. This is when you can safely carry out the data migration process smoothly
- Decommission- In everything works fine, you can shut down the storage system you used to use in the past.
In conclusion, it can be safely said that data migration seems to be a complex process like everything else in the tech world. However, from the above, it is evident that the process is a simple one, and moving data from one place to another is not a mammoth task. You need to keep in mind the steps above, and to be on the safe side, if you are not confident to carry out the process on your own, ensure you hire experienced and qualified IT professionals for the task.
