Database migration projects are complex, risky, and crucial for business growth. You select a powerful automation tool, expect a smooth process, and then... you hit a wall. The tool handles a lot of the work, but it misses things. Errors pop up. The timeline starts to slip. Why does this happen?
The reason is simple: no two databases are exactly alike. Off-the-shelf migration tools are built for common scenarios, but your system has its own unique history, custom code, and complexities. The secret to a successful migration does not lie in the tool alone. It lies in customization, too..
Here, we share how the Ispirer team tailors migration tools to fit your needs, ensure high accuracy, and make your project a success. Let's start with what customization is and how it differs from another popular term, configuration.
Understand the difference: configuration vs. customization
Let's clarify two key terms: configuration and customization. People often use them together, but they mean very different things.
Migration Configuration
The configuration process is about setting up the tool with its existing options. In a migration tool, this involves pointing to the source and target databases and ticking checkboxes for standard conversion options. The first step for any project is a proper configuration, and our support experts can help you with that.
Migration Customization
Migration customization is a much deeper process. Here, we modify the core of the migration tool, like SQLWays, itself. We add new conversion rules or alter existing ones to handle your system's unique challenges. Thus, we create a solution tailored specifically for your project.
The goal of customization is to push the automation rate as high as possible for the individual project. Such an approach eliminates errors that appear during test runs and shortens the migration project timeframe.
Plan for customization: why one size never fits all
When you purchase a license for our migration tool, you can also discuss customization services with us. How much you need depends on a few key factors, and a careful analysis at the start prevents surprises later.
Here is what determines the need for customization of the migration tool:
The starting automation level
For some common migration paths (like Oracle to PostgreSQL), the standard tool might achieve over 90% automation out of the box. For more unique or less common systems, the starting rate might be lower.
The lower the initial rate, the more benefit you get from customization.
Code complexity
Does your database contain decades of complex business logic, non-standard data types, or proprietary functions? The more complex the code, the more likely it is that a standard tool will need help.
For example, a financial institution's database with intricate transaction-auditing functions might require more customization than a simple inventory-tracking database.
Your team's availability
Do you have a team of developers ready to make manual conversion work if needed? If your team is small or busy with other critical tasks, investing in customization to automate that work is a smart move. It frees up the best people to focus on what matters most.
Project timeline
The math is simple. The shorter your deadline, the more automation you need because manual fixes take time. Migration customization accelerates the process, ensuring you meet your go-live date. A project that needs to finish in 3 months would more likely rely on customization than one with a 12-month timeline.
Read more: Reducing development time by 60-70% for a healthcare provider
Calculate your customization needs
At Ispirer, we don't guess how much migration customization you need. We use a methodical process based on a test conversion. You provide a representative sample of your database code, and we run it through our tool. The results tell us what to expect and allow us to form a plan.
Based on the test results, we typically see three scenarios for mid-sized projects:
🟢 Scenario 1: The automation level is high (over 90%)
The test reveals a high success rate with only a few repeating errors and some one-off issues.
Recommendation:
If you have the developer resources, it might be efficient to fix these few errors manually. However, if your team is lean or you want to achieve the highest possible automation, a small customization request can close this final gap and deliver a near-perfect result.
🟡 Scenario 2: The automation level is good (70-90%)
The test generates good results, but a number of errors appear repeatedly. For instance, the tool consistently fails to convert a specific, custom-built function that appears hundreds of times.
Recommendation:
In this case, it is highly recommended to customize the tool.
It is far more efficient to write one rule to fix the recurring error automatically than to have a developer fix it hundreds of times by hand. As a rule of thumb, if a 10% code sample reveals 5 recurring errors, you might need a more extended customization service to address them across the entire database.
🔴 Scenario 3: The automation level is low (below 70%)
This can happen with very old and complex systems or with migration paths that are less developed. The test run identifies a large number of frequent, complex errors.
Recommendation
Here, we advise an extension stage. This is a major customization effort that we perform before the main migration begins.
If you feel like it is your case, we might agree on a target automation level (e.g., 95%). Our team will then work to enhance the tool to meet that target until you're completely satisfied. This de-risks the project and ensures the tool is fully prepared for the complexity it will face.
The customization process in action is a partnership
So, how do engineers actually customize the tool for you to avoid manual work? It is a clear and collaborative process. For us to begin, we will need three things from you:
- The code: A snippet of the source code that caused an error.
- The result: The incorrect output from the standard tool.
- The expectation: The desired, correct output you want to see.
Let's use a technical example. Imagine your source database stores application-specific dates in a non-standard text field like 2023-SEP-05. The target cloud database requires a standard YYYY-MM-DD format (2023-09-05).
The out-of-the-box tool may not recognize your custom format and either fail or migrate the data incorrectly.
To customize the solution, you would provide us with:
- Code: CREATE TABLE events (event_date VARCHAR(20)); and INSERT INTO events VALUES ('2023-SEP-05');
- Result: The tool migrates the value as-is, causing errors in the new system.
- Expectation: The value should be 2023-09-05 in a DATE column.
With this information, experts write a new rule and custom tasks. This rule identifies the MONTH_NAME pattern and converts it to the correct numeric month. They then provide you with a new version of the tool. This entire cycle typically takes only 3-5 business days if a tool has a dedicated team behind it.
If you're not sure about what type of customization you need, feel free to reach out for a thorough turnkey analysis by our team. We will evaluate your current database and the complexity of its migration and make up a detailed project plan with recommended areas to customize.
Customization is your migration insurance
In the world of data migration, hope is not a strategy. Success comes from a partnership between a powerful automation tool and an intelligent and data-driven customization plan. By analyzing your project's needs, identifying potential issues early, and tailoring the tool to solve them, the Ispirer team can turn a complex and risky project into a predictable and successful one.
If you are planning a migration, think beyond the tool itself. Consider the value of a solution customized just for you.
