Database migration consulting, design and implementation by IT Svit
There are multiple types of databases suited for various tasks. From standard standalone Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL Server to cloud-based Cassandra, MongoDB, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, Google SQL, Azure SQL Database or even Oracle Database. Lots of your business functions depend on smooth operations and performance of these databases, so keeping them in top shape is crucial for business success.
However, IT infrastructure currently deployed differs much for each company, as well as the versions of hardware and software used. Every business builds their systems to the best of their capabilities, based on the skills and resources available, as well as the technology level at hand. With time, everything becomes outdated, so all businesses face the necessity of auditing the infrastructure in place and updating it according to the latest and best technology available. Actually, such a task is a pretty common one for IT outsourcing companies, and IT Svit has ample experience dealing with this challenge.
Sometimes your product uses an outdated version of a popular database like Microsoft SQL server 2012, and it becomes obvious that updating to a 2019 version is a must to enable integration with the latest technology and tools. Sometimes, your new project specifications demand using the cloud-based database like Amazon RDS or Amazon Aurora or Azure SQL Database — and your team does not have the appropriate experience. Sometimes, the other system components and workflows you use demand some specific database, like Oracle Database — and managing this process can complicate day-to-day operations a lot.
This is exactly the point when a reliable IT outsourcing provider like IT Svit steps in. We have the needed expertise from dozens of successfully finished similar projects, so we can audit the existing cloud infrastructure, database server and stored procedures to find and remove performance bottlenecks. We also design, implement and configure the data migration process to ensure timely and successful completion of your project.
Database migration strategy and roadmap
If you actually come to the conclusion it will be better to migrate your database to the cloud, IT Svit provides the following method:
- We audit the IT infrastructure and processes in place to highlight the possible room for growth and bottlenecks in the existing systems. We consult with the business shareholders and available documentation during this process. The result of this stage is the design of a more resilient, scalable and manageable infrastructure for you.
- Once the list of possible improvements is ready and the solutions for the existing bottlenecks are suggested, we start improving the infrastructure in use or building a new one from scratch, either on your on-prem servers or in a public/private/hybrid cloud of your choice.
- The new database instance is configured on the updated infrastructure and the incoming data traffic is replicated to it.
- A snapshot of the existing database is created, a so-called “database dump”. If you want to update your database to a newer version, the compatibility will be close to 100%, and many database vendors offer the update procedure out-of-the-box for their products. In case you need to swap to another database, however, the scripts must be composed to transfer the incompatible data, or we migrate it to the new database manually.
- Once all the existing data is moved to the target database, the source database is switched off and all the operations are carried out with the new database.
This is an approximate database migration strategy, as there are lots of additional details that have to be tended to in order to ensure the successful migration — like scaling, replication, automated backups & recovery points, database performance optimization, etc. However, these differ depending on the database in question and your specific project requirements.
For example, the process of migration to an Amazon RDS or Amazon Aurora includes several additional steps, covered in the official AWS documentation. The same goes for Google SQL and Azure SQL Server, Oracle database and any other proprietary database platform.
Database administration, maintenance and consulting
The database migration process does not actually end after we migrate all the data to the target database. Your software engineers will not have the experience of managing the new infrastructure and the database itself might not perform excellently from the start, as a precise configuration is required to increase the performance to the top and keep it on that level.
This process requires a skilled DBA or Database Administrator, but such talents are scarce on the market, especially when it comes to being able to configure and improve various types of databases. Thus said, hiring a DBA in your team full-time can prove to be a time- and effort-consuming endeavor, coupled with all the standard risks and expenses of talent recruitment. You will have to pay for the recruitment and hiring process, the time has to be spent on adaptation and the talent might decide to leave at any time, putting your project and operations at risk.
If you decide to go with vendor-specific databases like Amazon RDS or Azure SQL Server, you can opt for assistance from the cloud platform staff. This ensures the topmost database performance but leads directly to vendor lock-in, the situation any business prefers to avoid. Obviously, you will have to rebuild everything from scratch should you decide to move operations to another platform.
The third and by far the most efficient database migration strategy is working with a Managed Service Provider like IT Svit. We are one of the IT outsourcing companies that rent their skills and expertise to help you achieve the project goals without suffering the risks of recruitment or vendor lock-in. We provide highly-skilled DBAs with ample experience of database migration, in-depth understanding of the schema and modus operandi for every database, and a wide range of readymade solutions for most of the typical challenges your database might face.
IT Svit is ready to assist with database migration consulting, draw out a consistent migration strategy and perform all the tasks involved, from infrastructure design to post-migration support.
Why work with IT Svit?
Over the 14+ years of IT Svit history and especially during 6+ years we provide database migration services, we have encountered all kinds of IT outsourcing projects — migration from the legacy to the cloud, migrations between cloud platforms, swapping databazes within the bounds of one platform, moving from the cloud to the on-prem infrastructure, etc.
Due to having done all kinds of database migration projects, we can provide ready solutions and scripts for various database update and management scenarios to help your project succeed. Our DBAs work on a variety of projects and constantly master the latest database versions, stored procedures and management. Should you want to leverage this expertise to gain a competitive edge for your business — we would be glad to assist!
