Data can be mapped to and moved from one system to another through an executed script called an integration. Functionally, a migration is an integration that occurs once. From a business perspective, however, migrations are not that simple. The more data you have, and the longer it’s been around, the more complicated it is to move it from one system to another. In this guide, we’ll outline the complexity of data migrations and how Case IQ will assist you to ensure that it is a painless process.
At its most basic, a data migration starts with the extract of records from the legacy system. These records are consolidated into one large file, usually a .csv. The different data points in the legacy records are indicated in the column headers in the file. These column headers will then be mapped to the corresponding fields in the new Case IQ application; in other words, a mapping is a set of directions from a field on the old system to a field on the new system. Once the mapping is completed, the legacy data is consumed by the Case IQ application based on a scriptwhich takes the mapping and plugs in the data points where they belong.
Data Complexity
The more data you have, the more systems and processes you have in place to manage and interact with your data. These could be things like integrations with data warehouses, analytics tools, status monitoring devices, usage statistics modules, and even authentication applications to control access to your data. If your data had mass, instead of being a series of ones and zeroes in the cloud, then the larger the data amount, the bigger its mass, and the more things that would be attracted to it. This is a concept known as data gravity, and it’s an important consideration when moving data from one place to another. The relationship of that data to the processes or applications that are associated with it may not be the same after the migration is complete.
Just as water will conform to the shape of its container, the structure of your data storage will have an impact on what the data looks like. How your data is organized may differ between your legacy system and the new one. There may be some elements of this organization that cannot be migrated to the new application, simply because the platform elements of that structure don’t exist going forward. You may need to consider as well that data structure in Case IQ is also of a fixed nature, and your legacy data may need to be reorganized to fit more accurately into the new architecture.
The people who have interacted with your data have left their mark as well, and usually there is a metadata history of who created a record, as well as who updated it. The longer the record exists, the more human interactions with it there are, and the more that the information contained in the record will be used in relationship to other records, like in linking cases or conducting trend analysis. Because humans are humans and not robots, there is also the random element of human error that can have an impact on your data integrity. For example, if you are entering your records into a spreadsheet, each entry will be done by hand. Say that your US office has been operating for ten years on its own, entering its dates in by hand as MM-DD-YYYY. Then your company expands globally, and other operators begin entering their dates in the more universal format of DD/MM/YYYY. What does that mean for your data when it is migrated into a system that will only accept one format?
Data migrations are indeed complex, but don’t let that intimidate you. Careful planning and strong attention to detail, as well as understanding your data and its history, will ensure that your migration into Case IQ goes smoothly.
Data Mapping
One of the major activities you will undertake with the Case IQ team is mapping the data from your legacy system to the new Case IQ application. The column headers in the extract of your data from your legacy system should correspond to a field in your new Case IQ application. It doesn’t have to be an exact match in terms of the labeling, but you will want to account for all the fields that you want to migrate into your new system. The graphic below illustrates how the mapping works from a sample extract. The column headers in row 1 are the field names from a legacy system, and the arrows point to where those fields are mapped into the new Case IQ application.
The Case IQ team will assist you to make sure that your data is migration-ready, but ultimately, you know your data the best. Your participation in the mapping activity and validation of the migration are crucial to ensuring the process is a success.
Plan Ahead
Do you have a migration in your future? Here are some questions you can answer in advance to make sure things run smoothly.
Resourcing: Migrations are a team effort, and not having the right people lined up can cause delays. Do you have a resource available who can advise on correct mapping, another who is responsible for the extract and movement of your legacy data, and someone who can validate that the migration was successful? If your legacy data lives with a third party, what is the lead time needed to notify them about the migration?
Data: Volume can have an impact on the migration timeline. How many records do you have in the legacy system? Are there many attachments? What is the average size of those attachments? Has some or all of your data previously been migrated?
Cutover: Migrations do not happen instantly, and there will be a window of time where your day-to-day business may be interrupted as access to your legacy system is closed during the extract, and data is migrated to the new system. Do you have a communication plan in place to handle the interruption? How will you handle any requests that come in during that inactive period?
Additional Resources
“What is Data Migration?” https://www.netapp.com/data-management/what-is-data-migration/
“Data Gravity: What it Means for Your Data.” https://www.talend.com/resources/what-is-data-gravity/
“Data Migration Checklist: The Definitive Guide to Planning Your Next Data Migration.” https://www.datamigrationpro.com/data-migration-checklist-planner/
