Data migration to Microsoft Fabric on Azure is a key step for organizations that need to get the most value from data. Let’s not forget that it is the company’s essential resource, the basis for making informed strategic decisions and achieving business goals.
Microsoft Fabric is an end-to-end solution that covers all data needs in a single platform. It includes movement, engineering, integration, data science, warehousing, real-time analytics and business intelligence.
All, backed by a shared platform based on Microsoft Azure components and artificial intelligence that ensures security and compliance. Here are the best practices for a successful migration.
When to migrate?
Before moving on to the specific recommendations, we will analyze what a data migration to Microsoft Fabric on Azure is and when to carry it out.
We call “data migration” the process of transferring data from one system to another. It can involve the storage system, the database or the application.
There are several reasons to migrate to Fabric. The first is cost reduction and easier financial management. With Fabric, you pay for a single service, the actual use you make of it and for the processing capacity.
The second is to take advantage of Fabric’s PaaS (platform as a service) services. It offers an integrated ecosystem of services that allow from data ingestion to data exploitation (with traditional or advanced analytics) without provisioning hardware. All within a unified environment and with OneLake as a highly scalable data repository.
For self-service reporting and analytics needs, DirectLake helps leverage the ecosystem and the unified environment. It connects directly to the data stored in OneLake in a simple way and allows users to visualize it in PowerBI. In addition, Fabric has low-code tools, which make it very simple and intuitive for non-technical users.
Challenges of migrating to Microsoft Fabric on Azure
Any data migration involves a number of challenges. Among them are the time that the initiative will take, the minimization of downtime and unavailability of information and, most importantly, what risks it generates for the business.
The risks to the business involve aspects such as application compatibility, performance problems, or loss of data in the migration.
It is therefore essential to understand what data is being migrated, what type it is, what its origin is and what format it will take at its destination. Migration policies, on the other hand, guarantee that everything will be done in order and according to plan.
And, of course, ETL processes (extraction, transformation and loading), testing and validation of the migrated data to ensure its quality cannot be missing.
Best practices in data migration
As Microsoft partners, we have the experience and knowledge to support a migration to Microsoft Fabric on Azure. But we also adhere to a series of best practices to increase the likelihood of success.
For example, acquiring a global vision of the architecture. This consists of thoroughly understanding the correlations between the different components of the ecosystem and storage before the migration. The same with the metrics of network bandwidth requirements. These allocations can then be replicated in the new environment, minimizing the risks associated with a reboot.
Another is to plan the migration during a period of inactivity, affecting productive or working hours as little as possible. There is a tendency to avoid business interruption, but this puts a lot of pressure on the project and promotes “unforced errors”.
The focus on cybersecurity is a key point. Migration is a vulnerable time, as systems, vendors and permissions are confused. It is essential to keep it under control, including a roadmap that guarantees data protection at all times.
Tips for a successful migration
Some key tips to keep in mind:
- Plan and validate. The migration itself is as important as the planning and testing. It is also key that all participants understand what the initiative is about, what their responsibilities are, and what risks and challenges exist.
- Automate as much as possible. This is key to speeding up, ensuring higher data quality and avoiding human error.
- Understand that it is an improvement. There is often an urge to “copy” the current environment in the new context. This leads to problems, lower performance and a waste of the power of a tool such as Microsoft Fabric.
- Remain cautious at all times. The risks are numerous and underestimating them can end in a real headache.
- Choose the best migration tools. A plus when moving forward with a migration to Microsoft Fabric over Azure.
Conclusions
Taking advantage of the power of a tool like Microsoft Fabric to use data as a strategic asset is a huge opportunity.
But going through a successful migration is a complex and challenging process. That’s why at Nubiral we offer our experience, Microsoft’s support and the knowledge of best practices at your service.
We offer you to capitalize on all the benefits of Microsoft Fabric while minimizing the risks involved in the migration process.
Does your organization need to get more value from your data? Are you interested in moving forward with a fluid and seamless migration that increases performance and delivers the highest quality data to its destination? If both answers are positive, then our experts are waiting for your call: Schedule your meeting!
You may be interested in:
Blog • Microsoft Fabric Integration: management, security and governance
Blog • Microsoft Fabric: OneLake Explorer, the One Drive for Data
Whitepaper • Microsoft Fabric: implementación de un caso de uso end to end