Legacy Data Migration

by John Holden
Activ Bedford

The widespread use of computer technology over several decades has resulted in the growth of many large, complex systems which have evolved to a state where they significantly resist further modification and evolution, and where the cost of maintaining these systems has reached an unacceptably high level. These Legacy Information Systems are normally mission-critical so if one of these systems stops working the business may stop working as well. For most organisations, therefore, decommissioning the legacy systems is not an option and an alternative solution must be found if the systems are to continue supporting the business at a sustainable cost. For most organisations, the migration of legacy data to a robust, modern, cost-effective platform may be the answer.

The financial reality for most companies is that too much of the IT budget is consumed by the existing technology infrastructure and too little is available for the new IT initiatives that are needed to drive the business forward. Reducing IT infrastructure costs has therefore become and imperative for most IT executives and professionals, and the organisation's databases are an ideal starting point for drive for greater efficiency as they consume significant IT and human resources.

There are a number of fundamental questions to ask when considering your options.

• What are the licence and support costs of the legacy databases compared to a modern replacement?

• What are the upgrade costs of the legacy databases?

• What are the purchase and support costs of proprietary and UNIX hardware compared to commodity Windows/Intel servers?

• What are the costs of Data Migration and the factors that drive those costs?

• What are the potential savings from consolidation?

• What are the potential savings from standardisation?

The ability to reduce cost of ownership is vital to all organisations, but it is not the sole reason for migrating legacy data to a modern environment. The purpose of IT is to deliver operational advantage to the business, and migration to modern technologies allows far greater scope for the introduction of new systems that can rapidly evolve and adapt to changing business requirements. In short, migration can allow:

• Access to the latest Applications and development environments.

• Access to the latest hardware technologies.

• Reduction of IT complexity.

• Simplification of management.

At every level the case for migration is compelling and increasing numbers of organisations are already reaping the benefits.

In the past, many IT professionals and executives had concerns about the relative functionality, robustness and scalability of the SQL Server and Windows environments compared to their legacy systems. Since the advent of Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008, however, these concerns have disappeared and the Microsoft Enterprise Environment is now widely accepted as an extremely robust and cost effective option.

In both benchmarks and in the real world of business, Windows and SQL Server now consistently operate at the highest levels of performance and reliability. Many major organisations have moved to the SQL Server platform to take advantage of the lower costs and the better choices it offers, and because it is an environment with a future.

Clearly, the migration of large business systems is not a task to be undertaken lightly. However, with careful planning and preparation, successful migrations are highly achievable and deliver very fast returns on investment.

For more information about data or application migration visit http://www.horizon-services.co.uk

Article submitted Sunday, September 11, 2011 & read 2 times.

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