Client profile

Our client is a leading provider of electronic health record (EHR) systems and patient management solutions, serving over 500 hospitals and clinics across the United States. The company initially used MySQL as its primary database but migrated to Microsoft SQL Server to leverage its advanced analytics and reporting capabilities.

Objective

The primary objective was to migrate 8 TB of the customer's patient records, medical histories, and billing data from MySQL to Microsoft SQL Server. The customer's main requirement was to minimize downtime, as the customer records should not be lost. What is more, the customer required the migration to be accurate and maintain compliance with HIPAA regulations.

Challenge

Data migration has several difficulties, requiring careful analysis and a robust approach. A few challenges a customer had:

• An extended downtime that the customer couldn't afford
• Patient data is highly sensitive, so adhering to HIPAA compliance and security measures was crucial
• MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server have different SQL dialects, data types, and schema structures, requiring careful transformation

Solution

Assessment stage

The customer used InsightWays to conduct a thorough assessment of the source MySQL database. The tool allows a comprehensive audit of the system, including the MySQL database, schema, data types, and dependencies. The client analyzed the 8 TB of data to identify inconsistencies, redundancies, and areas requiring transformation.

Migration stage

The migration phase was executed in a structured, step-by-step manner to ensure minimal disruption and maximum data integrity. The detailed steps included:

• Automated the conversion of MySQL schemas to Microsoft SQL Server-compatible schemas using SQLWays.
• Handled data type conversions, such as:
  - MySQL TEXT to SQL Server VARCHAR(MAX)
  - MySQL DATETIME to SQL Server DATETIME2
• Transformed MySQL-specific features, such as storage engines, into SQL Server equivalents.

The data migration stage was implemented in the following flow:

1. Utilized parallel data extraction processes to efficiently migrate 8 TB of data, minimizing downtime.
2. Implemented incremental data extraction to handle large datasets without overloading the system.
3. Loaded data into SQL Server in batches to ensure accuracy and performance.
4. Conducted row-by-row validation to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
5. Verified primary, foreign, and unique constraints to maintain data integrity.
6. Performed reconciliation checks to confirm that all data was migrated without loss or corruption.

Benefits and Results

With maximum efficiency of SQLWays and full automation, the data migration was completed in just 3 weeks in full scope. Overall, 8 TB of data were successfully migrated. Several benefits that shaped the success:

• Microsoft SQL Server's advanced indexing and query optimization features improved query performance by 30%.
• The migration ensured full compliance with HIPAA regulations, safeguarding patient data.
• The minimized downtime migration strategy ensured uninterrupted patient care and billing operations.

Let SQLWays handle the heavy lifting of your data migration, too. Book a demo today and take the first step toward a faster, smarter, and more scalable data infrastructure!