A Data Center Migration refers to the physical move of an organization’s networks, servers, applications and data from one location to another. By their very nature, migrations are complex endeavors that require careful planning and coordination; however, there are times when a data center migration is necessary because the existing location can no longer be optimized to provide sufficient power, cooling, space or reliability.

The first step in a successful data center migration is to conduct an expert analysis of the proposed site prior to leasing or building a new data center. To help mitigate risks, locations near major highways and flight paths should be avoided. The site should be on high ground to provide protection from flooding. It should also have multiple, fully diverse fiber connections to network service providers.

Before the actual data center migration can begin, substantial planning is required at both the old and the new facility with regard to:

• Rack planning
• Application dependency mapping
• Service provisioning
• Asset verification
• Transition plans
• Test plans
• Vendor coordination