Data Migration Assurance

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Data Migration Assurance - Agenda

• Data Migration(DM) Assurance Introduction (Why & What)

• Data Migration process vis-à-vis DM Assurance Process

• DM Assurance Scenarios

• Summary

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Some Teasing Questions

• Who is responsible if Data inaccuracy gets

into the system? (pl don’t say committee)
– CIO
– CISO
– Head IT
– CEO / CFO
– IT Vendor
– Auditor

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Some Teasing Questions

• Do we have Data Migration Policy in place?

– Identification of Critical applications and DB’s
– Migration Process
– Back up process
– Roles and Responsibilities
– Time Lines
– Approach – Big Bang Vs Moduler
– Management of Migration Document

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Some Teasing Questions

• Do we have Data Migration verification

policy?
– Need for carrying out the same
– Coverage – Detail Vs. Sampling, Ledger balances Vs.
Masters, Logs etc.
– When to carry out – Pre Migration Vs. Post Migration or
Both
– Who will do the same – Internal Vs. External

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Some Teasing Questions

• What will be the impact if Data Inaccuracy

gets into the system?
– Many

• Is there any standard on DM / what has COBIT to

say on this?
– Lets look at some best practices.

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What is Data Migration Assurance?

• Data Migration Assurance

– is a process of providing assurance to all the stakeholders that the data
migrated from source systems to the Target System is

• Complete

• Arithmetically Accurate

• Correct
– It also provides an assurance on the Data migration process adopted

– The assurance is provided by developing/Configuring automated data

Assurance tool whereby maintaining complete independence.

– Providing “Data Migration Assurance Report” highlighting errors in the

data migrated to the Target system which is at each field level covering
various type of data like (Numerical, Text, Date etc.)

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 Migration vis-à-vis Migration Assurance
Roll Out Post
Migration Migration
Migration
Strategy Process
Assurance
Assurance

Independe Migration
nt Migration Logic
Assurance Logic Correction
Migration Tool Correction
Tool

Pre rollout / Pre

MIGRATION PHASES UAT Migration MIGRATION Assurance
Phase Assurance
PHASES

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Data Migration Assurance Methodology

Migration
Independent Pre Migration Correction Post Migration
Process
Assurance Tool Assurance Phase Assurance
Assurance

Review of the Data Migration strategy document

Perform a walkthrough of the data migration process

Value addition by Auditor

• Identify gaps in the data migration process followed

• Benchmark the processes followed to best practices.

• Suggest suitable recommendations to bridge the gaps

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Data Migration Assurance Methodology

Migration
Independent Pre Migration Correction Post Migration
Process
Assurance Tool Assurance Phase Assurance
Assurance

Develop an independent migration logic and build the migration result

for verification.

Value addition by Auditor

• Maintain complete independence and hence more accurate results

• Re usability becomes easy once the tool is developed and hence enhances
future regression.

• Knowledge is retained for future use and discussion with vendor in case of
any further changes

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 Data Migration Assurance Methodology

Migration
Independent Pre Migration Correction Post Migration
Process
Assurance Tool Assurance Phase Assurance
Assurance

Stage 3 and 4 will go hand-in-hand

Identification of Critical data fields based on the Financial and Non Financial
Impact

Verification of sample data, covering all modules and representing 100%

data population

Fine Tuning of
Value Add by Auditor Migration Logic

Number of
anomalies will
reduce before GO-
Live

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Data Migration Assurance Methodology

Migration
Independent Pre Migration Correction Post Migration
Process
Assurance Tool Assurance Phase Assurance
Assurance

After GO-Live, 100% data verification for completeness, accuracy and

correctness

Submission of detail exception reports to enable organization to make

necessary changes

Value addition by Auditor

• Supports 100% data analysis at any volume where by removing the major
bottleneck of manual sample verification process

• Provides automation capability whereby analysis done faster with utmost

accuracy and reliance.

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 Some Hypothetical cases

Migration
Assurance
Scenarios

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Migration Assurance Scenarios
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3

Legacy To New Version Core DB To Data

Solution Migration Ware House
• Challenges • Challenges • Challenges

• Multiple Legacy • High Volume • Multiple Input

• EOD (Legacy) to BOD • Online Migration sources
(New Solution) data • Post Migration • High Volume
availability Window time is • Online Migration
• Vendor Management limited

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Scenario 1 - Legacy To New Solution

Challenges Critical Success Factor

• Multiple Legacy Systems • Techno Functional Experts

• Legacy and Core system Data • Data Backup strategy
Availability • Migration Strategy Documents
• Vendor Management and its Versions
• Project Management Skills

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Scenario 2 – Core Version X To New Version

Challenges Critical Success Factor

• High Volume • Hardware Availability

• Post Migration Window Time is • Identification of Business
limited Critical Data
• Online Migration • Pre migration Assurance
• Migration Strategy Documents
and its Versions
• Split of project on immediate
critical verification and what
can be analyzed later on.
• Project Management Skills

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Scenario 3 – Core DB To Data Ware House

Challenges Critical Success Factor

• Multiple inputs to centralized • Hardware Availability

system • Migration Strategy Documents
• High Volume and its Versions
• Online Migration • Project Management Skills

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Case Study - Scenario 1

COMPANY NAME • Large Size PSU Bank

• Legacy Systems – 14
• Target System – 1
IN NUMBERS • Branches – 2200
• Time Line – 6 Months

• Non availability of strategy documents and field

mapping files
PROJECT COMPLEXITY • Multiple versions of same legacy system
• Multiple Data formats
• Interest Accrual Calculation

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Scenario 1 (Contd…)

• Post Migration Assurance

PHASES INVOLVED • Compliance

• Legacy and Target systems Technical and Functional

CRITICAL SUCCESS Knowledge
• Team combination of Technical and Functional
FACTOR • Escalation of Project Issues

• Bank has made recovery of Rs. 1.90 Crore of

Interest, which was not charged to the customers
Immediate ROI during Live Migration
• Identified various anomalies having cascading
effect and hence saved future losses.

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Case Study - Scenario 2

• Largest Depository of India – Largest DB

COMPANY NAME migration project as on date.

• Number of DPs - 367

IN NUMBERS • Data Size - 900 GB
• GO Live Window Time – 16 Hrs.

• High Volume Data

PROJECT COMPLEXITY • Limited GO Live Window

• Hardware Availability
CRITICAL SUCCESS • Business Critical Fields Identification
FACTOR • Accurate project planning and execution

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Scenario 2 (Value Add)

25% of Total
Data
Population No of errors in %
30
25
Errors reduced to 3% of
20 total data population in
non critical area
15 No of errors in %

10
5
0
Pre Cycle Pre Cycle Pre Cycle Post Mig
1 2 3 Audit

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 Summary - DM Assurance
• Despite the best IT initiative – Data inconstancy can jeopardize the entire
effort and can be very expensive for the organization.

• As any other QA process Data migration assurance also requires an

independent / third party assurance. This is also recommended by regulators
like RBI.

• Migration assurance process starts from migration strategy phase (Design)

and delivers best results if part of the pre and post migration verification
stage.

• Since our business derives intelligence from Data – this process gives
tremendous comfort to all the key stakeholders, Statutory Auditors,
Regulators and the Data users.

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Data Migration Assurance

Thanks

www.auditimeindia.com
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