When completing a data migration from one system to another, there are many factors to consider including business impact, cost, user experience and impact, and potential downtime. To ensure the best possible data migration experience the key aspects to consider include:??
- Data privacy- In the United States, it is important that patient health information is protected to maintain compliance with HIPAA. When migrating data from one system to another, the privacy of this data must be maintained to protect these patients. The EU has similar compliance standards created by the General Data Protection Regulation.??
- Data Integrity- When performing a migration, it is extremely important that the integrity of the data is maintained throughout the process to comply with regulatory standards, as well as ensure the integrity of any trials or work associated with the data.??
- Data retention- When planning to do a data migration, examine the data and the regulatory requirements around data retention in disposal, if data can be disposed of instead of migrated this can help cut down on the necessary time for the migration.??
- Audit trails- Maintaining comprehensive audit trails during the migration process helps with compliance to regulatory requirements and helps identify potential breaches of the data if a damaging event were to occur.??
- Data classification- Before initiating the migration protocol properly classifying the types of data being moved can help to identify which regulatory requirements apply to which portions of the data and the appropriate security measures needed to protect sensitive data.??
- Incident Response Plan- If something goes wrong with the data migration process, it is important to have a documented plan in place to deal with the incident, to mitigate future ramifications, and try and save as much of the data as possible.??
- Documentation- Throughout the whole process, it should be documented what the migration process looked like, and decisions regarding the process should be documented with justification in the event of an audit.??
Following these practices during a data migration will enhance the process by decreasing cost, decreasing downtime, and ensuring data integrity and security.??
