What exactly is a migration anyway?
In the animal kingdom, migration is the large-scale movement of animals from one area or region to another. Most animals, that migrate, do this to survive. Birds migrate south to escape the bitter cold of the north. Monarch butterflies travel so far during their migration that it takes multiple generations to complete the journey.
But what does all this mean for you and your computer infrastructure? In general terms, a computer migration is moving your data or IT processes from one system to another. Moving to a new server, a new accounting application, or even an entirely new system in the cloud are all forms of migrations. And much like our animal friends, migrating is usually necessary for your business to survive. Businesses that don’t continue to move their technology forward will often find themselves in a very difficult position in the future—stuck on older technology that is no longer able to keep up. Now in a similar position as the butterfly, a business may need to migrate so far that it cannot be completed in a single step. They may find it necessary to move to some interim solution prior to migrating to the final solution.
So, if migrating is so important for a business, why don’t all businesses migrate when they know it’s time?
We suppose it’s because migrations aren’t easy. It takes a lot of work and careful planning to get your critical business data moved from one solution to another without completely crippling your business during the process. How long will the migration take? How will employees get up to speed on the new system? Does the old system need to be kept around for a while after the migration? These are all questions that need to be answered when planning your migration…NOT when implementing it.
A mistake we see companies make over and over is treating a migration like a simple upgrade. Upgrades are very different. Upgrades generally do not involve moving data at all and are just installing a new version of a program that has more features, functionality or security. Upgrades are typically lower-risk endeavors with a clear path to revert to the prior state if things go awry. We will admit, the line between upgrade and migration can be a bit blurred at times. Some product upgrades requiring new servers, for example, might be considered migrations.
Make no mistake, if your business uses computers (and what business doesn’t), there will be a migration in your future. There must be. Migration is an essential part of your business’ growth and survival. When the time to migrate does come, whether it be a new server, new application or an entirely new infrastructure in the cloud, IT Radix will be ready to help with the planning and implementation. After all, your business’ survival depends on it.
Let us help you make your migration go smoothly by contacting us today.
First published in our May 2018 IT Radix Resource newsletter
