How Does a Pilot Migration Compare to a Full-Scale Migration?
One of the best ways to ensure 100% success when it comes to performing a large-scale cloud data migration is to perform a pilot migration prior to deploying the actual full migration.
With a properly planned pilot migration, you can fully understand the capabilities of the migration tool you plan to use for the actual migration and validate the planned strategies before full deployment.
In this guide, we have shown how a pilot cloud migration compares to a full cloud migration and why it is important for businesses planning cloud migration and transformation.
Key Takeaways:
What is Pilot Cloud Migration and Why Is It Important for Businesses?
Pilot cloud migration is essentially a test migration that is performed before starting the actual one-time and delta migration. With a properly planned pilot migration, businesses can:
- Validate if the planned strategies and methodologies work in real migration scenarios.
- Identify hidden challenges and roadblocks not identified before during the pre-migration scan phase.
- Identify which exact processes work and are suitable for the full-scale migration.
IT teams can then use the learnings from pilot migration to improve the overall processes, which, in turn, helps make the one-time migration and delta migration process error and risk free.
Without performing a pilot cloud migration, businesses are likely to shoot in the dark and encounter many roadblocks and failures during full scale migration deployment.
How to Perform a Pilot Cloud Migration?
Many businesses have a misconception that pilot migration should be minimal and lightweight. While this is partially true, you can plan a comprehensive pilot migration involving multiple users and a couple of terabytes of data.
The key is to mimic the actual migration as closely as possible so that your IT team can identify all the migration risks involved as well as understand how well the planned strategies and processes work in real world migration scenarios.
Start by choosing the number of users and the size of data for pilot migration.
Tip: It is good to test between 50 to 60 users and 1 to 2 terabytes of data for pilot migration.
Plan the migration scope as you would for the actual one-time and delta migration. The action items typically include:
- Mapping the users to migrate
- Creating sharing permissions between users across various files
- Creating hyperlinks in files to test link migration capabilities
- Choosing files with versions
- Creating external sharing links
- Creating in-line comments
With a full scope, you can put the pilot migration through its paces and gain deep insights into areas of improvements and processes that work well.
Pilot Migration Vs Full-Scale Migration
To help you understand more about pilot migration, we have shown the core differences between pilot migration and full-scale migration in the comparison table below:
| Pilot Migration | Full Scale Migration |
|---|---|
| Test migration | Actual migration deployment |
| Performed in demo environment | Performed in production environment |
| Migration includes a small-scale scope of limited users and data size | Migration includes the full scope planned during the pre-migration phase |
| Can be completed in a week or so | Full completion depends on the planned timeline and the number of user batches to migrate |
| Does not require all teams to be involved | Involvement of all important teams and stakeholders is required |
Perform A Proper Pilot and Full-Scale Cloud Migration with CloudFuze
With CloudFuze as your cloud migration partner, you can perform a well-planned pilot migration and strategic full-scale migration without security and compliance risks. With 12+ Years of expertise in the cloud migration industry, we have got what it takes to enable successful migrations that align with specific use cases and migration goals.
Learn more about pilot migration and full-scale migration through a free and no obligation discussion. Contact us today!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which companies offer pilot cloud migration services before full cloud migration?
At CloudFuze, we provide pilot migration before proceeding to the full migration phase. This process helps ensure that the entire migration plan works successfully during the actual migration deployment and that there are no unforeseen challenges and roadblocks.
2. How to decide between pilot cloud migration and full cloud migration for a medium business?
You do not have to decide between the two as both pilot migration as well as full cloud migration is important if you want to move to a new cloud platform securely and successfully. The ideal approach is to first perform a pilot migration of a small scale of users, validate it, and then proceed with full scale migration.
3. What are the best practices for cloud migration after pilot phase?
After performing pilot migration, make sure to validate it and use the insights to improve the migration process. This approach will help you ensure 100% preparedness for the full-scale migration by knowing what works and what doesn’t.
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