By Alan Arnold, EVP and CTO, Vision Solutions
When you work in IT, you’re constantly managing expectations. People complain over almost any amount of downtime.
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But data migrations and system upgrades usually require at least a small amount of downtime, which is why 81% of companies schedule them overnight or on a weekend, according to Vision Solutions’ 2013 State Of Resilience Report. The fewer number of people working, the fewer number of people who will be disrupted by the migration.
The retail world is of course unique, but when data is moving it can slow down operations all along the system. Factor in a 24/7 online e-Commerce environment and any downtime whatsoever can mean significant money lost. Nobody likes downtime or delays, but most have come to expect them — at least those who have not had a data migration epiphany.
Once you’ve had your epiphany, you can say goodbye to the doomsday scenario you might have in the back of your head (and your company’s ledger sheet).
I had my own data migration epiphany in the lead up to Y2K. Remember the fears that IT would stop dead in its tracks at midnight as we rolled over to the new millennium? I was a consultant at Ernst & Young, helping many companies figure out how to move and fix all of their systems and data without interrupting business.
We expected it would take three months to finish the migration, until we found a partner who could help us build tools and craft a methodology that could accomplish the task more efficiently and with a smaller impact on operations.
As a result, we fast-tracked the migration into just weeks while upping accuracy by 3,000%, all at a lower cost. We moved and upgraded mission-critical systems while machines stayed up and running, 24 hours a day.
Data migration with near-zero downtime is now a reality. It all comes down to seeking solutions vs. software.
The Power Of Integration
There are huge strategic business benefits to uniting the power of technology, methodology and services as an integrated solution. Software is an element, of course, but it’s part of a larger whole that lets your systems keep humming, all while your data moves to a more strategic environment.
Software is a program that is designed to solve one problem. A solution is an answer to a business opportunity that also includes changes to process, staff roles and programs that result in organizational improvements leading to lasting change and growth.
Few retailers have challenges as unique as Staples. Its data migration epiphany occurred just a few years ago, as it tackled potential problems head on. Like more than 80% of companies today, Staples was using tape as a backup strategy. While it’s a good local fix for companies to incorporate some backup plan, recovering and then accessing the data is a lengthy process. The company eliminated this costly option through a well-thought out software solution.
At the time of Staples’ epiphany, the company ran its North American operations from one server with a backup server some 20 miles away. They invested in a software solution that allowed for easy switching between the primary and secondary replica servers. This solution eliminated the need for downtime to accommodate regular maintenance and system failures.
The company found that because it could move the workload around from system to system, as they better used the resources they already had rather than having to buy more hardware and/or faster processors.
Nothing assures business continuity better than a solution that combines advance planning, software integration, a solid partnership with staff and an outline for sustained success after the migration.
Keeping Business Running
Despite the possibilities, more than half of IT leaders say they experience anywhere from one to 12 hours of downtime with migrations, according to the Vision Solutions survey. Almost two thirds delay migrations due to their downtime concerns.
User expectations today are even higher than they were back when I was getting ready for Y2K. They see downtime as an IT issue, not their issue. While most people will tolerate brief bursts of downtime, anything more than that breeds serious discontent.
And retailers are no different. In fact, the demands on high volume transactional data create unique needs for maximum system uptime in order to stay live and keep e-commerce running. When implemented properly and equipped with comprehensive high availability solutions, migrations for system backup can be painless — and mean, in the case of a large online retailer, for example, a great deal of assurance for smooth operations on critical days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Pounding terabytes of information through a system requires a solution that can scale to replicate high volumes of data in a more sophisticated fashion than standard one-to-one replication; multi-node replication can accomplish more in less time. With business continuity solutions in place, not only are your migrations covered for planned downtime, but systems are prepared for any scenario so business as usual can run without fear of data loss when you simply cannot afford to be offline.
Retailers don’t look to simply buy software — they search for solutions to problems that are growing in magnitude. The easy fix for a retailer would be to simply upgrade server and storage hardware, which would increase performance in the short run. But the real solution needs to account for the ever-growing data pool. Hardware upgrades would temporarily address the needs of growing data, until the data required yet another upgrade.
When undergoing a migration, software sets definable threshold points for the data, which is then archived, reorganized or deleted, all while users remain active. Rather than seeking a quick fix, these solutions prove their value over time by addressing the continued data needs for retailers today and in the future.
Inserting a software solution, such as real-time replication, into a solid methodology (including testing) will enable you to optimize your migration strategy. Following a repeatable, predictable process allows migrations to also be repeatable and predictable, regardless of what platform or environment you’re migrating between. It minimizes the risk of mistakes while also making your life easier.
Protecting Your Reputation
Every retail organization is in the same boat — each has enormous amounts of data these days. In some countries, smartphone sales actually exceed the nation’s population. Each one of these devices is interacting with companies, accessing and sending data across social media, applications and email. Companies simply can’t afford to let their systems go down. If people can’t communicate with them, they can’t buy things. If they can’t buy them one place, they’ll go somewhere else.
It’s critical to support the servers that back your business with a solid migration strategy anytime you make an upgrade or move to a new environment. And with many businesses, migrations are a daily fact of life — literally.
I recently spoke with a CIO who said he has 100 migration projects going on every single day. Migration support has become a business unit within his IT department because there are so many happening — and they have to be done quickly, with minimal business disruptions.
A solution-based approach to migration is the key to uninterrupted business. Identify a realistic timeline, engage the right software, outline a testing methodology, and you’ll experience a migration epiphany of your own.
Alan Arnold is the EVP and CTO for Vision Solutions and is responsible for the global technology, services and support strategy for the business. Alan joined Vision in 2000, and since joining the company, he has served in a variety of positions including EVP of Technologies and President and Chief Operating Officer of worldwide operations.
Prior to joining Vision Solutions, Inc., Mr. Arnold was a senior technology executive in the management consulting practice of Ernst & Young LLC. Alan served as the firm’s subject matter expert for IBM technology and e-commerce solutions, and was one of the founders and managers of the Ernst & Young Advanced Development Center (ADC).
