Informix to Oracle: Automated Database Migration for Global Fintech Provider

Client profile

A global leader in payment technology that powers secure transactions for financial institutions and merchants worldwide. Their platform processes millions of daily transactions across ATMs, in-store POS systems, and digital commerce - delivering real-time authorization, intelligent fraud detection, and merchant management tools. Trusted by community banks and national networks alike, their solutions maintain 99.99% uptime while meeting the payment industry's strictest security and compliance requirements.

Objective

Our client was managing a mixed database environment with both Oracle and Informix systems. To streamline operations and make life easier for their IT team, they wanted to consolidate everything onto Oracle.

They needed an automated migration solution that would:

• Accelerate the conversion process
• Minimize manual effort
• Reduce transition time

Challenge

The SQL code migration was a challenge for a customer for several reasons:

• Tight deadlines. The customer need the quick and efficient conversion solution
• Column type mapping. Additionally, adding a column type mapping to a target database was necessary.

Solution

The migration project was strategically divided into multiple stages to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to operations.

Stage 1: Preliminary Conversion

This initial phase involved iterative database conversions to identify and resolve any data or code discrepancies not covered during the demo. The team optimized performance by fine-tuning Oracle server resources (memory, CPU, disk space, and settings) between conversions. A perfect conversion was required before advancing to testing and the final "go-live" stage.

Stage 2: Testing & Software Upgrade

After a successful preliminary conversion, the focus shifted to rigorous testing of the migrated database.

The client’s software applications were upgraded to ensure compatibility with the new database environment. No further database conversions were needed during this stage, and SQLWays was no longer required.

Final Stage – Production Migration

Depending on conversion complexity, the production database was migrated with minimal downtime, either in a single batch or incremental steps. The team prioritized efficiency to reduce operational disruption.

To further minimize downtime, Ispirer experts executed the data migration process in parallel, doubling the speed of data transfer from the source to the target database.

Benefits and results

SQLWays successfully converted 12K lines of SQL code and 20 GB of data with maximum efficiency. Several benefits that shaped the success:

1. Seamless Data Transfer. Successfully migrated 20 GB of data and 12K lines of SQL code with zero data loss.
2. Time and Cost Savings. Full automation via SQLWays lowered labor costs and allowed to save 60-70% of migration time when compared with manual effort.
3. Minimized Downtime. Parallel migration and phased execution ensured business continuity with negligible production impact.
4. Enhanced Performance. Optimized server configurations improved database speed and reliability post-migration.
5. Risk Mitigation. Thorough testing phases eliminated compatibility issues before go-live.

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