Data Center Migration: The Steps to Success
Overview The objective of a data center migration is two-fold: 1. To successfully relocate enterprise hardware, network equipment and related items within a specified outage window. 2. To ensure the highest level of protection for the enterprise and mitigate risk through solid due diligence, intensive planning and unwavering adherence to best practices.
Selecting a Data Center Migration Partner • Decision Point 1 – Is your organization capable of acting as the general contractor for the physical migration: – Develop migration plan – Identify and retain migration partners – Manage migration partners • Decision Point 2 – Does your organization have the time, staff resources and expertise to conduct the necessary due diligence, develop the migration plan, manage the migration process and execute the migration? If you choose to outsource your partner(s) must: • Have experience for the area(s) they will support • Migration planning expertise • Logistics expertise • Understand the enterprise technology and the organization’s business drivers • Have a solid and proven process / methodology for what they do • Excellent references for similar assignments
Five Steps to Migration Success
Step #1: Be Fanatical About Project Management The project manager must have significant prior experience in data center migrations • Data center migrations don’t happen often in a normal career • Data center migrations require highly specialized skill sets • The process does not preclude the use of one of your PM’s in tandem with a vendor’s migration PM
Step #2: Conduct Intensive Due Diligence & Planning Four documents are required for a successful migration program: 1. Enterprise & Network Assessment (The Migration Foundation) What is the current configuration of the enterprise and network How does the enterprise operate today What are the business and technology driver that govern the enterprise 2. The Desired Post-Migration State (The Final Enterprise Configuration) The DPMS document captures all planned improvements The DPMS document details the post-migration business and technology drivers 3. Design Documentation* (The Roadmap) All changes included (virtualization, technology refresh, loaner gear, etc.) Changes in business rules/drivers (SLA’s, DR impact, application updates)
Step #2: Conduct Intensive Due Diligence & Planning Cont. 4. Implementation Plans (schedule) Schedule, budget, resources, expected results, test plans, contingency plans Rule of Thumb: Due to the overwhelming likelihood of failure, enterprise and application changes should never be included in a data center migration project. Enterprise and/or application changes may be implemented and stabilized prior to a move or after a move but never simultaneously with a move.
Step #3: Secure Expert Logistical Support • A successful migration is wholly reliant on logistics Logistics converts due diligence and planning into action • Develop detailed “Day of Move” scripts (tasks, durations, schedule) • Develop detailed contingency plans for each phase of the migration • Deploy equipment appropriate for the migration and the physical/climactic environment in which the enterprise will be transported. • Assign and deploy the appropriate resources to de-rack, pack, move, unpack and “rack & stack” within the approved outage windows • Determine type and value of insurance to protect the financial interests of the company. Note : It is possible to insure hardware, insuring data and lost revenue due to an extended outage can be problematic and/or expensive
Step #3: Secure Expert Logistical Support Cont. • Provide adequate security for the nature of the migration. This includes backups immediately prior to shutdown, coordination with private security companies and/or local law enforcement, route selection, etc.
Step #4: Allocate Adequate Resources • Identify and commit appropriate human resources to the migration program Internal management and team members Partner/vendor team members • Allocate adequate financial resources to ensure the success of the migration program. Differentiate between capital expenditures and migration costs and don’t burden the migration program with capital expenditures i.e. procurement of a new piece of enterprise hardware should not be rolled into the migration budget. • Allocate sufficient time for the necessary due diligence, planning and execution of the migration. Of all the tasks that take place in the data center, a physical migration is the one that should not be rushed. Rule of Thumb: Due diligence and planning will consume approximately 75% of the total migration program duration. Good planning translates to a successful migration.
Step #5: Seek Senior Management “Buy In” and Support • Seek senior management sponsorship for the migration. Justification may include: Facility cost savings Risk reduction (less threat of downtime due to improved facilities support) Regulatory compliance Improved maintainability • Senior management must be an active participant in the migration program Senior management will keep other stakeholders informed and engaged • Must provide the staff, financial and time resources to assure success Due diligence, planning and execution rely on resources • Must be willing to defer other work while this is underway i.e. Don’t include a PeopleSoft deployment in the migration plan. A stable enterprise is the only acceptable candidate for migration
Select Customer List Department of Defense (DoD) Higher Education US Air Force CENTAF University of North Carolina US Air Force Operational Test & Evaluation Center Texas Tech University US Air Force Air Combat Command University of Houston US Air Force Theater Deployable Communications Project National University US Army Corps of Engineers Oklahoma State University US Army Picatinny Arsenal University of Alabama US Central Command College of the Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica DoD Joint Explosive Ordinance Disposal US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Petrochemical USN Enterprise Maintenance Automated Information System Exxon/Mobil USN SPAWAR Charleston Shell Stars & Stripes ConocoPhillips Federal Government (Civilian) Small & Mid-Size Organizations Federal Aviation Administration ABS-CBN Television Network United States Senate Ambrosi Nuclear Regulatory Commission Bahamas Telecommunications Company/LIME US Department of Energy B/E Aerospace Bucyrus International Fortune 500 CNATRA 3M Corporation DPR Construction AT&T Erickson Retirement Communities Continental Airlines Experion, Inc. Dell, Inc. Fairfield Industries, Inc. Engelhard Corporation (BASF) General Physics Corp. Johnson & Johnson Gerdau Ameristeel L3 Communications ILOG, Inc. Merck Pharmaceutical Hazelwood ISD NEXTEL Les Schwab Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals Milacron Washington Mutual Monaco Coach NetStreams, Inc. Pappa's Restaurants Healthcare RL Polk Seton Hospitals Retail Process Engineering (RPE) Tampa General Hospital School Specialties University of Arizona Medical Center Stiefel Laboratories Melbourne Internal Medicine Associates ThyssenKrupp Moffitt Cancer Center Wood Group
Pergravis, LLC 10012 N Dale Mabry Highway Suite 109 Tampa, FL 33618 813-792-6009 www.pergravis.com
Recommend
More recommend
