Planning a Data Makeover
Behind the scenes, data is often migrated from one format to another. While most employees aren’t aware of files moving from point A to point B, the task can be time-consuming and risky.
Migrating, or transferring, data shouldn’t be taken lightly – in instances where firms fail to update their data management tools as they expand, networks can become paralyzed by maxed-out hardware.
To help avoid downtime – the period in which data cannot be accessed by network users – small businesses need to be actively aware of data management needs.
When is data migration necessary?
For a variety of reasons, data needs to be moved from an old to a new server. Perhaps you’ve undergone a change in applications or operating systems. Maybe your business requires a faster-performing server with more storage capacity. Or let’s say you routinely need access to older, archived files that had been stored in secondary hardware.
While the data migration process can be stressful, smart planning can help ensure a seamless data makeover.
The logistics of data migration
The aim of data migration is to move data from an old system to a new system. Subsequently, the person responsible for IT will search for missing data, and if necessary, recover those files.
Preferred methods
The complexity of the process varies with the method of migration; some forms of data migration are simple, whereas others are quite sophisticated. After surveying your IT needs, you must choose the appropriate means of moving data.
“There is a litany of ways to migrate data. Depending on reliability, some are considered low-grade and others high-grade,” says Hugo Llorens, Dell small and medium business storage brand manager. “But there are definitely some recommended software applications that make transferring data easy.”
High-grade methods:
- Symantec’sTM Backup, Recovery and Archiving Solutions provides reliable protection of systems and data, while simplifying backup and recovery tasks. The software prompts users to specify which drives and specific files will move.
- CommVault® Data Migrator software enables small businesses to reorganize existing storage resources. For example, the software moves email messages and attachments to secondary storage areas. Decreasing your primary storage space helps prevent over-capacity.
- EMC SAN CopyTM facilitates high-speed data mobility between different systems on an “as needed” basis.
|
Low-grade methods:
- Copying a drive to backup tape is an easy type of data migration that can be used by a small business without an external location on the network. However, if the tape is lost, files will disappear.
- Optical drives can solve small data migration need with a CD, CDR, or DVD, or flash drive to transport files between systems. For example, a user can save a photograph in jpg format to a CDR, which can be accessed, uploaded, and saved onto another computer.
- Physically taking out a hard drive and moving it from one computer to another is considered risky as files can be easily misplaced. Hard drives typically have a sealed enclosure that protects the disk internals from contamination, and during migration, this seal can be damaged and files may vanish.
- Transfer via email is a way to move a few files from one computer to another. For example, a Word document can be transferred from one computer to another by attaching the file to an email. This method is not recommended for large files.
|
By choosing the right means of data migration, small businesses can gain much needed power. Reclaiming primary disk space for the most active, or frequently used, data can accelerate the speed in which a network runs, increasing overall efficiency.
