Planning a Data Center Migration?
At Northgate Digital we do a number of data center migrations each year, and there are a number of things that need to be taken into account to ensure a smooth and successful deployment. To help you plan your next migration, below is a list of some of the steps we consider to be essential for any data center migration.
Data Center Migration Checklist
Phase 1: Define & Design
- Identify the scope and size of the project.
- Resource and budget allocation.
- Requirements for the migration.
- Change item / system inventory, including applications and databases.
- Risk analysis and impact assessment.
- Create high-level project plan with key milestones and dates.
- Define deployment and rollback procedures.
- Business continuity plan for uninterrupted service throughout deployment.
- Support and contact list distribution.
Phase 2: Preparation
- Back up all data prior to migration.
- Test rollback procedure along with mock deployment.
- Certify / verify new environment.
- Install / verify all applications and databases.
- Functional testing of new environment.
- Load test and stress test of new environment.
Phase 3: Migrate
- Verify connectivity
- Final data synchronization (or if possible, replication)
- Update DNS entries
- Final acceptance test
Phase 4: Support and Maintenance
- Customer signoff
- Post-deployment review
- Verify backups are running
- Support contacts distributed
