A data migration is necessary for growth and scalability, but it’s rarely a simple task. As many as 38% of data migrations fail, and up to 83% of them exceed their allotted budgets and implementation schedules. But, when executed with the right team and partner, you can successfully carry out a smooth migration that pays dividends for your organization.
For Atlassian customers that use Server for their data needs, a migration to Data Center will give teams the flexibility they need to grow. Because Data Center runs on multiple nodes to match performance requirements, provides vast customization opportunities and offers global customer support, it promises to significantly improved user experience and workflows.
How can businesses confidently make the leap to Data Center? They must first recognize the need to do so, assemble a supportive team, establish a foundation, and finally, execute the process. The key is knowing that a massive migration can’t happen overnight, and most of the work happens before flipping the switch.
Reaching the Tipping Point
Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to migration from Server to Data Center and each team’s specific requirements differ based on a number of factors, Atlassian has identified a “tipping point” to help users realize the need: Once a business reaches 500 users of JIRA, Confluence or Bitbucket, it’s time to strongly consider a move to Data Center. It’s also important to evaluate whether or not performance is degrading as a result of growth, and if downtime is harming the business’ profits or productivity.
How does Data Center solve the problems that businesses face at their tipping points? Unlike Server, Data Center offers uninterrupted access for users during upgrades and allows users to archive a project and preserve data for later. Overall, Atlassian’s Data Center reduces the risk of downtime and outages by offering a self-hosted deployment option designed to enable teams to scale their operations.
Planning for the Big Move
Once it has become clear that a transition to Data Center is the best next step, planning accordingly can help prevent bumps along the way and jump start a successful migration. An Atlassian solution partner can provide unmatched support for migration activities, including preparation and, eventually, execution. This trusted partner can serve many functions, depending on a company’s unique needs. Whether a business prefers its managed services partner to maintain a distance and advise from the outside, or that business is comfortable letting a partner manage the entire migration, there’s an approach that can work in any scenario.
A managed services partner is typically brought in to support migration preparation, where together with the business’s own internal team, they can develop a preliminary understanding of existing data infrastructures and processes. Without this foundation, it is more challenging to measure the success of the migration and catch any issues that already exist, or arise as a result of changes being made.
When given the reigns, a managed services partner can help businesses define a data baseline, document current processes and data performance, eliminate existing performance issues, check on governance protocols, and get rid of excess apps to set the business up for a successful migration.
Ready, Set, Migrate
With proper preparation and a trusted team in place, companies are ready to execute the migration. To do so, they’ll need to set up the Data Center environment and make certain decisions about what they want it to look like, depending on their data needs. Managed services providers can help here too—these partners can help businesses build their clusters and set specific components up for success, performing tasks such as choosing a load balancer algorithm, sizing application nodes, establishing a shared database and creating a shared file system.
From there, it’s all about fine tuning different elements of the Data Center and adjusting to the new, more flexible and scalable flow of data.
Once the migration is complete, companies must continue to monitor the environment to ensure the best results. Along with their team of experts and a managed services partner, businesses should continue to test and track performance, increasing productivity across teams and ensuring long-term business success.
Ready to face your migration fears and upgrade to the Atlassian Data Center? Download Contegix’ e-book, Making Moves: The Atlassian Server to Data Center Migration Playbook, today.
