Data Migration, how long should it take? Information on the data migration process.

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Data Migration

Moving existing data to new servers or storage is no longer a simple replication exercise. It used to be that you created a maintenance window, took the server or storage off-line, and, using a tool like "XCOPY", copied the data to the new destination. Things have changed; when you move data now, you need to consider a number of factors including:

Security
Business Continuity
Virtualization
Dated Information
Duplicated Data
Compliance
Servers and Storage
Systems Downtime

Data security and regulatory compliance requirements have added further complexity to the mix. It is no longer sufficient to move data without understanding where it is going, how it will be structured, and who can access it.

Added to the equation is the expectation of data access. While you are moving data, how long can your organization live without access to their files? Will older systems be run in parallel to new servers and storage to ensure continuous access? Or can you transition immediately and shut off the old systems after the data migration is completed? What about the turn-over time for leased servers or direct attached storage?

How Long Should it Take to Move Data?

What started as a simple task has now turned into a multi-step process that takes time and resources. And the more data you have to move, the longer the process can take.

data migration process diagram

A typical enterprise organization may have between 5 and 20 terabytes of unstructured data and using this as a starting point, a successful migration could take anywhere between 9 and 15 weeks. There are two critical weaknesses in this process: first is the assessment and design step, second is the verification step. You will not know if the migration is successful until a verification has been completed. You could run periodic verifications during the course of the move and still add a week to the schedule.

A failed migration takes even longer. Data may be inaccessible, systems may need to be run in parallel for an extended period of time, or new storage and servers could be sitting idle waiting for data. None of these scenarios are cost effective. How long should your organization have to wait to take advantage of faster servers or an advanced NAS/SAN?

What's the bottom-line? FAST FILE COPYING! PERIOD.

Here's the bottom-line, the faster the file copy, the shorter the cut-over window. Add an amazingly fast update copy and cut-over is short enough to let you enjoy the rest of your weekend. For handling 'big data' you will need this capability even more.

How do you know this is the right product?

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More reading on the Data Migration process and planning:

Strategic and company planning
Broad brush overview including budget and company-wide planning considerations.

Project level planning
Project level and pre-data migration consultant meeting preparation.
Q&A checklist all project phases with emphasis on corporate communication and coordination aspects.

Tactical level planning
Excellent planning guide covering key aspects of the data migration itself.

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