System Migration

Overview

Provides comprehensive guidance for system-level migrations including operating system changes, hardware platform transitions, mainframe modernization, virtualization, and data center migrations. Focuses on system infrastructure that underlies applications and platforms.

Key Points:

• System migrations often involve multiple skills: OS + database + application coordination
• Plan for 30-50% more time than initial estimates
• Parallel run periods reduce risk but increase cost
• Mainframe migrations are typically multi-year projects
• Physical to virtual conversions rarely have issues with modern hardware
• Always validate hardware compatibility before OS migrations

Workflow Decision Tree

Choose your migration path based on the system type: