Information technology (IT) spending on data center systems worldwide is predicted to amount to $208 billion in 2020, and a lot of that cost is frequently due to big mistakes made in planning data center migrations. Data centers are like everything else in tech. The old form eventually becomes obsolete and needs to be upgraded to newer technology. However, as anyone who has upgraded their personal computer knows, when you do things wrong you can lose a lot of records in the process. Some of the bigger causes of this disaster are avoidable if people know what they are in the first place. Here are the red flags to watch out for when you are migrating a data center.
Your Migration Plan is Missing an Architecture Evaluation
Data center migration is not a simple matter of just removing the storage from one system, plugging it into the next, and then booting it up. You first need a full assessment of your current infrastructure and all the elements that rely on it. Many data libraries and repositories rely on the architecture they were created in. When you format and transfer them incorrectly, the data could be useless in a new home. Knowing how the data is stored, rendered, organized, search, and used is essential to be able to make it compatible with its new home.
There is Not a Clear Leader for the Project
IT project management is famous for getting no attention for nine-tenths of the project time and then having everyone jump on board to lead the show in the eleventh hour. Any data migration plan should have a clear leader who everyone has to work under. If you want your migration to be a success, there has to be a clear decision-maker and a chain of command. Committee-style leadership in projects usually ends up with in-fighting and a big failure at the end.
You Forget the Business User
When a tech expert is working within their specialty, they may only concentrate on the technical aspects and forget about how it will function for the business. They will know the business’s needs and have some notes, but they often do not involve the business again until the very last second. This can create scenarios where big, obvious user problems occur after you have done the brunt of the work. Instead, engage your primary business users throughout the migration process so their interests are met. They do not need to know the intricate technical details, but they need to be able to react to what it means for their process or program in practice. Formally, this step is referred to as business validation.
You Do Not Plan for Delays
In an ideal world, everyone could set a date for a migration completion and it would be done on time. In reality, interruptions and delays happen. Data migrations are huge affairs with a lot of risk of permanent data loss if the migration is done incorrectly. And, even with the best planning, surprises come up. Build in buffer time and wiggle room in your budget so that the project does not get rushed in order to meet an arbitrary deadline.
You Forget to Follow Up
There will always be follow-up issues, mistakes, unforeseen modifications, and glitches. Migrations usually do not go perfectly, even with the best data center service. Plan for follow-up and extended troubleshooting until things smooth out with the new data center. A problem anticipated is a problem avoided or mitigated.
By being aware of these common mistakes that occur during data center migration, you can have smoother and more efficient data center services. Please contact LDP for the mission critical support solutions you need.
