DATA CENTER
MIGRATION CHECKLIST
Relocating a data center deployment is an intricate process with many moving parts. While an experienced team
can pull off a data center migration in a matter of days if necessary, it’s best to plan ahead as much as possible.
For the smoothest transition, it’s essential to create documentation and develop a thorough migration plan that
won’t affect business operations. Apart from that, the devil is in the details. We’ve included ways to prevent
common migration mistakes in our checklist in an effort to help your migration go as smoothly as possible.
This timeline accommodates medium-sized deployments of up to approximately 40 cabinets. Migrations times
vary by company size and IT complexity, and this timeline can be adjusted accordingly. The most important
factor in all migrations is to minimize downtime. Data Foundry’s team can be instrumental in helping you plan
your migration, and we recommend you engage our team for the most successful move.
30-45 DAYS PRIOR
ppEstablish a migration project manager – preferably one that has experience with migrations and is not
overly vested in any one department.
ppDetermine team leads for departments that will be involved in the migration. They should be decision
makers who will sign off on the migration plan.
ppBegin weekly prep meetings with department leaders involved.
ppEvaluate your infrastructure strategy for the next 3-5 years. How can your new deployment be set up for
scalability? (Data Foundry’s infrastructure team can help.)
ppOrder point to point circuits – this can sometimes take up to 60 days.
21-30 DAYS PRIOR
ppBegin an infrastructure inventory down to every cabinet, every U and equipment interdependencies.
ppRecord owners of every affected application and process in a database.
ppIdentify any hard-wired IP addresses or domain names and determine how they will be addressed at the
time of migration.
ppReview documentation such as port maps and rack elevations to be sure everything is correct.
a. Make sure every item has a unique identifier.
b. Label all equipment with unique identifiers – front and back.
ppDefine downtime that is acceptable with go/no go gates for deployment.
ppMeasure your current facility’s doors and exits and be sure your equipment will fit through. (Your facility
may have changed since older equipment was moved in.)
ppDecide whether or not you will need to hire movers and how many.
ppOrder spare hard drives for possible failures due to the move.
ppTest your disaster recovery plan and make sure there’s a contingency plan in place for hardware failures.
14 DAYS PRIOR
ppDevelop a game plan for migration day – outline specifically who will do what for a more efficient move.
ppTest key processes and applications to establish baselines.
ppLock down all changes in the environment to ensure stability during migration.
ppCheck the compatibility of power receptacles at the new site. Be sure you will have what is needed for your
equipment.
ppReview the labeling and current design of your cabling. How will you install cabling at your new site? (Data
Foundry’s structured cabling team can help with design and installation.)
ppReview your current network and application security according to compliance requirements. Is everything
up to par? (Data Foundry’s network team can help with security.)
7 DAYS PRIOR
ppRegister your migration team with data center security. Be sure to include any vendors or third parties.
ppTest powering down and powering up equipment to check for possible issues and order new gear if
necessary.
THE DAY OF THE MOVE
Be sure not to forget:
ppPower cables
ppYour testing plan
ppIn-cabinet patch cables
ppSFP cables
POST-MIGRATION
ppTest all processes and applications against your baseline tests.
ppValidate your documentation such as port maps and rack elevations. Make sure everything is updated.
(Data Foundry can provide this service.)
ppEvaluate the migration process. What went well? What didn’t? Make changes to any plans or
documentation as needed.
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