A proper migration of IT services to a data center can save money and time. It also cuts the need for in-house resources and frees the room that servers, computers, and other hardware take up. A smooth transition lets you focus on business operations, making a profit, and serving the community. An improper migration can force you to shut down operations or delay a new venture. Bad planning can also mean constant fixes that never seem to work, and months or years of frustration.
Start by speaking with experienced data center migration professionals. Then work through the steps below before and during the migration.
Plan your data center migration
- Know the reason for the migration. Companies turn to data centers for cloud services for several reasons. Scalability is a common one, because the company can grow its network, add applications, and meet storage demands. A merger or a change in structure may also drive the move. Keeping up with new technology can drain company resources, and security breaches may push a company to act. Some companies also need extra resources to meet compliance requirements.
- Have a strategy. Many companies need a year and a half from first thought to actual migration. During that time, talk with data management experts and your in-house IT team. Together, you can decide who is responsible for the migration and which phases depend on other phases. You can also map the business needs to meet during the move, the growth you expect, and any legal or practical IT concerns.
- Explain the migration process to the people who need to know. Each department should understand how the migration will work and what its role is.
- Understand that each department will view the migration differently. The IT department may enjoy the challenge, but other departments may see it as extra work and frustration. Keep communication open between departments and with the data center.
Prepare your systems and people
- Perform an inventory review. Before any data migration, analyze all of your current hardware and software resources. Determine which resources depend on others, which are essential, and which items need backups.
- Determine how long the current resources can be down. Some services may need to go offline at night or for short periods. If services are down, make sure you still meet compliance requirements, and tell customers when systems will be unavailable.
- Have a backup plan. Where possible, be ready to use backup hardware, software, and data so operations can continue. Plan for the equipment and software you will need to run that backup.
Migrate in stages and switch over
- Do the migration in stages. Plan each stage. Start with a testing period once operations move to the data center. Make sure the servers, networks, and other services work with each other. Test the software before you make it public, and check security monitoring and cloud management services. Make sure the new system works, so you can quickly replicate or replace it if problems arise.
- Prepare for the new system. Every IT operation has a learning curve. Train users and company staff on the new technology. Where necessary, educate customers if their online view of products, services, or personal information has changed.
- Retire the old system. Once you verify the new data center system, turn off the old one. Then store it properly after a probationary period. Address any local health, safety, and environmental issues.
Get advice from an experienced data center migration consultant
Preparation is key to successful data migration. The more your company thinks through every stage in advance of the move, the more successful the migration will be. Waiting to make key decisions until after the data migration usually means exponential delays and costs to remedy any problems that arise.
Discover how Volico can help you with your Data Center Migration needs.
• Call: (305) 735-8098
• Chat with a member of our team to discuss which solution best fits your needs.
