Data Migration from Legacy to G-Suite
This article is based upon the tools and processes involved in data migration done from one server / local device to cloud server.
Data migration is a key function for any system implementation or upgrade or consolidation and it is done in such a way as to be as automated as possible and time-saving. Data migration is a process where selecting, preparing, extracting, and transforming data as well as permanently transferring of data from one computer storage system to another. Data migration occurs for a variety of reasons including server or storage replacement, maintenance or upgrades.
Standard Phases of Migration
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Planning: At first the data that are to be migrated are selected. After that hardware and bandwidth requirements are analyzed. Migration architecture is decided upon, developed and necessary software licenses are obtained, following which change of management processes are initiated.
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Migration: In this process, data is read from the previous system where it was stored and is transferred to the new system. Before starting migration, hardware and software requirements are checked and migration procedures are customized as necessary. After that data extraction is done. Additional verification steps are done to ensure the development migration plan was enacted in full.
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Post-Migration: After data migration is done, it is then subjected to data verification to ensure the data was transferred accurately to the new system. Once data is migrated to the new device from the legacy system and verification is successful, the legacy system can be decommissioned.
Migration Time
Migration time basically depends upon the legacy server’s response time and the size of the data to be migrated.
Types of Migration
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Server to Server Migration: Server to server migration means the data to be migrated are saved in a legacy server and migrated to a new server (e.g. data is saved in Microsoft server and needs to be migrated to google server). In case of Server to server migration, the legacy server should be IMAP supported and SSL certified. The IMAP server name of the legacy server is also required in order to transfer data from one server to another server.
Local device to Server Migration: In this type of migration the data present in the local device are migrated to the cloud server. One can use Outlook and Thunderbird as a third party application tool to download the data from a server to store the same into the local device and then upload it to another server of their choice. In case of Outlook, the data downloaded is in (.PST) format and for Thunderbird, it is downloaded in the local device in (.MBOX) format. GSMMO tool is used to upload.PST files from the local system to cloud server. Similarly, GSMME (G-Suite Migration For Microsoft Exchange) tool is utilised to transfer data to cloud server from an On-Premise Exchange server being used.
