Four “Things” Before Starting Your Data Migration

And they may not be what you think.

AdobeStock 619242644 scaled - data migration plan

This is not going to be your typical article on IT projects or data migration.

Before we get into the four things, let me start by saying that this article assumes you already have the basics in place: You have a purpose for the migration; an end result in mind; some kind of plan; and a decent staff of IT pros to carry it out.

I’m not writing a textbook here about migration. I’m not going to say “begin with the end in mind” and other stuff you already know.

Ed Clark, the fearless COO of LinkTek.

Why do links really...1 - data migration planBy the way, I use the term “failed” in here, loosely, to mean any migration that doesn’t meet some important criteria such as deadlines or budget — or just plain causes frustration above your usual frustration level.

Thing 1

Even after reading my intro above, some of you still probably think I’m going to say something like “organization” or “planning”. Nope. I know you do these. But do you know how many IT project team leaders think they are organized and they aren’t, or at least not nearly enough? So what’s the key to organization then?

Answer: Imagination of bad things. That’s Thing 1.

Four-Things-Before...2Most of your failed data migration projects (heck, most failed IT projects of any kind) fail due to lack of imagination in the planning stage. Notice that I didn’t say “lack of planning”. (I wouldn’t insult you like that.)

But there is an insufficient amount of imagining what the various bad outcomes of various actions might be, so that you can prevent the bad things from happening or at least be ready when they do.

In short, it’s not the old “failure to plan” (actually, some IT folks spend too much time planning); rather it’s failure to look at all the ways the different systems are interconnected and then a failure to imagine various unwanted outcomes. Once the outcomes are envisioned, you can make a plan that includes either avoiding or handling them. I’ll write another article, sometime in the coming months, with some tips on exactly how to imagine better. But, for now, for the sake of your time (and mine), I’m hoping that just raising your awareness of this area will help some, all by itself.

Thing 2

Conflict Avoidance. Once you get all your IT teammates on the same page, if you make changes or take actions with little coordination, you are going to have conflicts. And conflicts add time and frustration. Don’t you have enough of that already?

If you are organized, and there is sufficient communication within the project team, you increase your chances of getting this thing done on time and under budget. Look, large and even moderate-sized data migrations are rarely going to be easy. But, if all the team members know what the heck is going on and how their exact role fits into the overall plan, fewer issues are likely to arise.

Thing 3

Alpha Testing. Yeah, the idea of “testing” is not new (or shouldn’t be) to you, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it. (And, I’m about to give you a twist on it, so hang in there.) But what’s this “Alpha” part all about anyway?

Well, borrowing a term from the software-development world, this is my way of saying that your first set of tests should be done on completely fake data (or unneeded copies of real data). Before you even touch any production data, you should have rehearsed the move you have planned. This will also help you with Thing 1. It will show up some problems that you weren’t thinking of before. Then you can head them off in advance.

Now, here comes the new twist: How much testing is enough?

Answer: If you haven’t run into a significant number of problems during your testing, you haven’t tested enough.

Thing 4

Beta Testing. (You probably saw that one coming.) This time, you take a small sub-set of the full data you will be migrating and you migrate that. Ideally, this would be a representative sampling taken from your full body of thought data.

Four-Things-Before...3

Then you run the mini-migration all the way to the end, handling each problem as you go. You document each unexpected encounter and document how you overcame it. As you can see, in the end, it all circles back to “Thing 1”.

Okay, that’s the four things that I wanted to mention for now. I’ll mention more things, and go into more depth on things, in future articles. (I like the word “thing”.)

Do you have questions regarding this article? Let us know in the comments below or e-mail us at: LinkMail@LinkTek.com

Try Now!


EdV2 - data migration plan

Ed Clark

LinkTek COO

Leave a Comment

Please note: All comments are moderated before they are published.





Recent Comments

  • No recent comments available.

Related Posts

Quantum Computing and Cyber Security

The Potential Impact of Quantum Computing on Cyber Security

Apr 22, 2025

IT Tips & Tricks Quantum Computing and Cyber Security: Are We 24 Months From Mayhem? 8 Steps to Help Ensure Your Organization Is Prepared By…

Read More
Leaving Supercomputers in the Dust An Introduction to Quantum Computing - data migration plan

Leaving Supercomputers in the Dust: An Introduction to Quantum Computing

Apr 22, 2025

To make sense of quantum computing, an easy quantum mechanics introduction is needed. This easy article puts things in perspective and aids understanding.

Read More
Got a Hot Mess of Missing Data thumbnail - data migration plan

Got a Hot Mess of Missing Data? You Need a Link Checker

Apr 14, 2025

IT Tips & Tricks Got a Hot Mess of Missing Data? You Need a Link Checker Published 14 April 2025 Share on Facebook Share on…

Read More
Migration Consultiing Header Finaljpg - data migration plan

Unique Migration Service Eliminates Common SharePoint Migration Problems

Dec 2, 2024

LinkTek announces the launch of its new SharePoint Migration Consulting Service.

Read More
box - data migration plan

Release of New Version of Link-Fixing Software Offers Support for Migrations To or From Box.com

Feb 25, 2022

Data migrations can be tricky. Migrating to or from Box is no different. Get some help.

Read More
AdobeStock 514831438 - data migration plan

Latest Release of LinkFixer Advanced™ Streamlines Cloud Data Migrations

Jan 27, 2020

Migrating to the cloud? Link-fixing software helps prevent post-migration data-loss. Chat with us about options, including a free webinar.

Read More