DATA MIGRATION OUTLOOK

This is more or less related with DC migration, however it mainly concentrate on Data migration. It came with some more clear understanding about this activity of the lifetime. Following are the 1st requirement in this term. 1.    Clear Definition of requirement for all data
2.    Funding constraints
3.    Required expertise in heterogeneous storage  / Server H/W / Network environment / cooling / HVAC
4.    Detail security & availability requirements
5.    Define migration requirement -- which determines success criteria - includes, SLA, expectation for new storage infrastructure, and objective such as reduced management cost, reduced storage expenditure, greater insight info expenditure, a simplified vendor model or greater technical flexibility or stability The prospect of data migration can be overwhelming. Some of the common conditions we find among our clients are familiar to many IT leaders:

• Lack of clear definition of requirements for all data. Data rules should focus on security, availability and recoverability. It's easy to imagine that documents with temporary data and permanent data could be confusing, making it difficult to determine which data is important and which isn't.
• Distributed islands of data. Often, a business unit will implement a new application and request that the infrastructure for it remain close at hand.
• Funding constraints. Tight budgets may limit technology decisions and options.
• Lack of expertise in heterogeneous storage environments. With each vendor's support limited to its own products, incompatibility between storage technologies becomes the problem of the IT manager.

Data migration has much in common with storage consolidation. However, storage consolidation tends to be a better-organized project because it's usually backed by executive sponsorship with specific goals for cost reduction. Data migration, on the other hand, tends to be departmental in scope and limited to tactical objectives, which minimize project size and potential returns. We should focus on the similarities between storage consolidation and data migration, to ensure that the work that's done has strategic value.

1. Detail security and availability requirements. Sometimes called data classification, this requires the security and infrastructure teams to jointly identify the needs of the IT environment. Data classification describes conditions for data access, retention requirements and security measures such as encryption. Even a very limited set of classifications will have tremendous benefit.
2. Define migration requirements -- which determine success criteria. These may include new service-level agreements, expectations for the new storage infrastructure, and objectives such as reduced management costs, reduced storage expenditures, greater insight into expenditure, a more simple vendor model or greater technical flexibility or stability.
3. Survey the IT environment. IT departments often use tools and scripts to do this. But migration requires a complete understanding of infrastructure technology involved, including the networks and file servers. The location of data is just as important: Without providing sufficient bandwidth capacity to support heavy network access, relocating data to a centralized repository could have wrong effects. A internal survey could provide the following:
   • The location of the data, its capacity and growth requirements.
   • Data usage as a measurement of the I/O load.
   • Data criticality rating, which can reveal potential effect on network load and influence retention and availability requirements.
   • Data classification. IT managers can decide what data requires the most expensive storage and stringent protection and what could be restored easily from an archive (backup). They can then make well-informed, strategic decisions about future systems.
   • Management costs for the current environment. This often-overlooked step offers the best opportunity to define benefits of migration.
4. Design the appropriate consolidation or replacement platform, including technology, management and backup tools and procedures. Data classification and a good survey reduce the chance of an over engineered system and contribute to a platform design that will accommodate and boost growth, availability and performance.
5. As with any IT project, it's important to remember that communication is vital. The actual movement of data from Point A to Point B will affect the organization, and it's crucial to minimize downtime -- especially in situations where data could change even as databases are restored from tape.
   Ideally, standards for data should be defined and communicated in advance of the migration, and personnel are alerted to changes in the way they will access data. However, costs also need to be communicated so that business managers understand how noncompliance will affect the project.

Data Center Relocation Coordination

It is essential to have the IT equipment migration project team assembled and organized early in the design process. As construction drawings are completed and the construction begins, the team should be very hard at work with equipment planning and migration activities.

• Pre-design relocation project cost estimating.
• Identification and cataloging of all equipment within IT spaces.
• Production of project drawings, schedules, meeting documentation and other documentation for distribution to all teams.
• Team Participation in design and construction meetings. 
• Monitoring of the building construction schedule against planned events.
• Coordination of the installation of voice and data circuits from the carriers.
• Supervision of the physical relocation of all equipment.

That’s all from me. Take good care of your valuable data.