Migrating from one database technology to another has historically been painful. But with modern tools that automate the replication and synchronization of even very large databases, enterprises can now transition to new platforms with minimal downtime and risk.
In this comprehensive 3500+ word guide, you’ll learn:
- Key drivers behind database migration initiatives
- Capabilities to look for when evaluating tools
- Architecting migrations for zero downtime
- 8 leading database migration solutions compared
- Best practices for secure and reliable migrations
Let’s get started.
Why Database Migrations Are Accelerating
First, why undertake the effort of database migration at all? Drivers typically include:
Legacy Platform Upgrades
Over time, maintaining aging Oracle, SQL Server, DB2 or Sybase instances becomes cumbersome and expensive. New open source and cloud databases offer compelling advantages around cost, performance, availability, and operational simplicity.
M&A System Consolidation
Post-merger, bringing together platforms from previously separate companies is crucial for business continuity and analytics. This requires carefully migrating databases into a unified landscape.
Cloud Migration
451 Research found that 68% of enterprises are migrating databases and data assets to the cloud. Getting to cloud-optimized databases accelerates this transition.
Microservices / Containers
Monolithic databases don’t align well with modern distributed architectures built on containers and orchestrators like Kubernetes. Transitioning to cloud-native databases facilitates this transformation.
Analytics & BI Modernization
Centralizing data in cloud data warehouses, lakes and marts powers advanced analytics using tools like Databricks and Tableau. This requires large-scale migration from source systems.
These drivers are spurring surging demand for database migration tools and services, expected to grow over 20% annually to reach $5B by 2027 according to MarketsandMarkets.
Meanwhile, doing migrations the traditional DIY scripting approach has endless pitfalls:
- Building custom ETL risks data loss, corruption and outage if mishandled
- Testing at scale is labor intensive and often glossed over
- Lack of access controls, encryption and auditing creates security issues
- Making changes down the road requires alterations to complex code
So accelerating enterprise adoption of purpose-built migration tools makes perfect sense considering the benefits:
Faster Migration → Automating replication and sync processes speeds end-to-end migration cycles from months to weeks or less
Improved Data Quality → Embedding validation checks guarantees completeness and accuracy of migrated data
Enhanced Reliability → Multi-phase migrations with restart capability minimizes business disruption
Simplified Security → Native controls limit data exposure during migrations across environments
Ongoing Syncs → CDC keeps sources & targets continuously aligned even after migration
Now let’s explore what core features to evaluate when selecting a solution for your next initiative.
Key Database Migration Tool Capabilities
While all migration tools aim to reduce the pain of moving data between systems, they vary widely in their technical capabilities:
Heterogeneous Platform Support
Can the tool migrate databases between different platforms like Oracle to Azure SQL? Heterogeneous tools provide flexibility to switch DB technology during migration.
Breadth of Supported Systems
Assess direct connector availability and certification to your current and desired databases beyond just SQL Server, Oracle, DB2. Strong tools offer broad NoSQL, data warehouse, mainframe and cloud coverage.
Scalability
Evaluating design elements like parallelism, caching, compression and replication methods validates ability to migrate enormous databases with consistently high throughput.
Data Validation Checks
Robust tools build in checksum comparisons, outlier detection and referential integrity checks during migration to spot issues early. This prevents “garbage in, garbage out” downstream by confirming data fidelity.
Management Interfaces
Since user interaction with the tool should be minimal, having centralized dashboards that orchestrate migration orchestration end-to-end ensures consistency and enables transparency.
Security
Assess native capabilities around encryption in motion and at rest, access controls, data masking and de-identification to fulfill security principles during migrations.
Reliability Features
Tools focused on zero-downtime minimize business disruption via multi-phase migration, configurable throttling, restartability mid-stream and quick rollback.
Now let‘s analyze leading commercial and open source database migration tools available today based on research and real-world projects:
Top 8 Database Migration Tools Compared
| Product | Key Strengths | Common Applications |
|---|---|---|
| SharePlex | Very high volume replication, compares & repairs data continuously | Enterprise-scale online transactional migrations |
| DMS Cloud | Fully-managed native AWS migration service | Cloud-to-cloud database consolidation on AWS |
| Oracle GoldenGate | Flexible & low overhead data capture, heterogeneous support | Distributed transactional system migrations |
| Qlik Replicate | Automated schema conversion across database types | Hybrid transactional/analytical system consolidation |
| Attunity Compose | Broad patented database support, cloud-optimized inserts | Data warehouse and lake migratiom |
| Striim | Streaming change data capture, transformation & routing | Operational database and app integration |
| SAP Data Services | Visual workflows, data quality & governance | ETL-based data consolidation across systems |
| Talend Stitch | Broad SaaS application integration, easy to configure | Cloud data integration |
Evaluating options specifically against your environment and data challenges provides the clearest perspective on fit. I recommendhands-on proof of concepts leveraging sample production data sets to validate effectiveness for your needs before full commitment.
Below I’ve summarized how SharePlex and Qlik Replicate compare for common database migration use cases as examples:
| Scenario | SharePlex | Qlik Replicate |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle → PostgreSQL | ✅ Very fast, supports advanced PL/SQL | ✅ Good capability but slower on heavy POSTGRES workloads |
| On-prem SQL Server → Azure SQL DB | ✅ Seamless migration to cloud | ✅ Smooth cloud integration but lacks advanced cube support |
| DB2 z/OS → Db2 LUW | ✅ Proven mainframe expertise | ❌ Not certified for mainframe data sources |
| 850GB TP environment | ✅ Leading performance benchmark | ❌ May hit throughput constraints at high scale |
Suffice to say, one size rarely fits all projects for data migration tools considering complexities of modern environments. Let your technical and business requirements guide evaluation, rather than brand alone.
Next let‘s switch gears to architectural principles for streamlining these initiatives.
Planning Successful Migrations
While powerful automation accelerates the migration process itself, projects still need rigorous upfront planning to minimize disruption. Follow these best practices:
Set Objectives
Define technical and business goals, establish key metrics for success, outline phases w/ timeline estimates and secure stakeholder alignment.
Inventory Systems
Catalog all infrastructure elements involved including OSes, networks, databases, apps, APIs, reporting layers and their interdependencies.
Extract Sample Data
Pull representative production records, metadata, schemas and query/app logic to test migration at scale. Obfuscate sensitive data.
Prototype Environment Build
Stand up cloned origin, destination & intermediary database and app infrastructure matching production without impacting operations.
End-to-End Migration Testing
Replicate go-live procedures from start to finish during trials, documenting learnings to refine operational playbooks. Confirm security protocols and resource consumption align with specs during peak simulation.
Establish Rollback Plan
Script reverse synchronization processes in case migration fails mid-stream and immediate fallback is required.
Implementation & Oversight
Carefully promote validated migration plan to production, closely monitoring operations and validating KPIs post-migration. Adjust optimization levers as needed.
This phased approach reduces variables during go-live while allowing granular testing. It also builds procedural documentation and expertise amongst those overseeing these typically one-off projects.
Migrations with more nuance may require additional planning. For example, companies leveraging active-active database configurations to enhance availability must architect specialized switchover coordination plans to transition clients across domains without dropping sessions.
Tools like SharePlex also maintain bidirectional A/A replication after migration is complete to keep new writes synchronized until legacy applications can be decommissioned. This prevents data divergence across systems once cutover occurs.
Key Architectural Considerations
Beyond software capabilities, how migration tools are deployed can have enormous impact on outcome. A poorly architected solution almost guarantees issues, while robust designs align with critical principles:
High Availability
Clustering migration processes across multiple servers delivers resilience against hardware failures that could otherwise cause pipeline disruption during long-running initiatives. Recovery automation then restores state and resumes processing once replacement capacity comes online.
Cloud Portability
Choosing solutions capable of deployment across on-prem and public cloud infrastructure provides flexibility to stage testing, buffer data, or run migration itself where favorable economics and security controls exist.
Regional Support
When migrating databases that span geographic regions like North America, EMEA and APAC, having replication processes nearby improves performance and accommodates jurisdictional data regulations.
API Access
Where possible, migration software APIs enable scripted automation of repetitive tasks like environment teardown/recreation between test cycles or status checks. This lightens administrative workload.
Below I’ve highlighted two options for ensuring 24/7 availability and regional distribution for global migrations at scale:
Appropriate effort ensuring your database migration environment meets architectural principles directly impacts continuity during cutover events. Don‘t shortchange design.
Now let’s switch gears to equally crucial processes post-migration.
Post Go-Live Validation & Cleanup
Migrating production data at scale leaves little room for surprises. So before calling endeavors complete, due diligence validations must occur:
- Reconcile record totals pre and post-migration via inventory reporting, ensuring no aberrations exist
- Statistical analysis identifying outliers uncovers anomalies that may indicate corruption
- Negative testing by running existing applications exercises downstream compatibility
- Spot validation via sampling provides manual verification of data integrity
- Hash checks comparing checksums across systems confirm bit-level consistency
Checking alerts and logs for errors while monitoring resource consumption should continue for 24-48 hours post-migration to allow surfacing of latent issues.
Upon final sign off, decommission former infrastructure, storage and security access. Follow compliant data destruction procedures for legacy databases. Terminate outstanding contracts and licensing to realize cost savings only possible via successful database migrations.
The Bottom Line
As crucial as data platforms are to enterprises, the mindset of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” often keeps them running legacy databases well past their prime. But modern migration tools have evolved to near turnkey solutions purpose-built to accelerate these painful processes.
Still, planning rigor remains essential to minimize disruption upon cutover. When architected holistically leveraging leading practices – enterprises can now transition across database technologies with confidence.
Hopefully this guide has provided comprehensive guidance detailing database migration maturity in 2023. Reach out with any additional questions on your next modernization initiative and how to meet objectives while de-risking execution.
