If you want to move some of your data information over to a newer, larger data center, then you will need to be certain of what you are doing, and will have to have considered all your options before you make any step towards data movement. Data center managers will often say that this is one of the most nerve-wracking things that they can do, because it is impossible to do it smoothly or at least with no side-effects at all. There are some key steps that you can take in order to make sure that you don’t make a mistake during the migration, and lose everything.
Make a move to brand new technology
If you are making a data center migration now, you don’t want to have to do it again in another years’ time because your current technology is out of date. Just like moving a house, migrations of data should be done as infrequently as possible, and this means that you need to give yourself the best chance of running a working data center a few years down the line. Try for at least 6 years of guaranteed life before you will have to do this again. You will also want something that has a higher power capacity than your last center, and also something which is more environmentally sound. Make sure that you have given yourself enough space to have a center which will be compliant with the law, and with your data audits, in several years’ time.
Take post-migration testing seriously
After the shock of the movement, you will need to take steps to ensure that all of your data is working correctly. Post-migration tests will always be a challenge, because you are doing something unusual, but you need to test before you do anything else. Run an audit, and then test each application to ensure that it is working to the standard you expect. This will give you the baseline which will allow you to set monitoring features and to ensure that the center doesn’t start losing information somewhere down the line.
Be prepared to have work stop
Data center migration is complex enough, without having your staff trying to use the data center while it is in motion. Migration will always draw a halt to your work cycles, and you need to bear this in mind before you initiate the movement. What is the best day for migration in work terms? How many applications will you be able to move at once? You will need to plan your move months in advance, and not only notify your staff, but also keep customers and application users informed, too.
