Guest written by CEO Ochea Ikpa, part 2 of a 3-part guide to data centre migrations, released weekly.
My name is Ochea, and for over 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of leading one of the world’s foremost data centre migration companies. From starting on the shop floor to sitting in the boardroom, I’ve built up a deep and practical understanding of what it takes to deliver successful data centre migrations.
With so much ground to cover, I’ve chosen to break this into three focused newsletters to make it easier to digest. The second instalment explores Data Centre Migration Planning, and is followed by:
I hope you find this newsletter series both informative and useful and that it helps you feel more confident and prepared for your next data centre migration.
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This is where we put meat on the bone and all aspects of your data centre migration should come together in a detailed plan essentially acting as the road map to your migration. The Data Centre Migration planning phase helps to identify crucial elements while providing solutions. The outcome of the planning phase should reduce any potential risk and downtime during your physical migration phase.
2.1 Data Centre Planning Checklist
Appoint your Data Centre Migration Project Manager.
This is key! I understand that managing projects efficiently can be a daunting task, especially when resources are limited, or projects are of short to medium duration.
Utilising an internal project management resource with both experience and bandwidth to lead on your migration project is a crucial part of the planning process.
If you a lack an internal PM resource, then an external PM should be vetted and appointed. It is important, whether internal or external, that they are empowered to work across all functions, making sure to facilitate the migration, communicate progress, and ensure the project’s success.
With Technimove our Project Management as a Solutions (PMaaS) service gives you access to a team of seasoned PM professionals without the hassle of recruitment or long-term commitments.
So, whether you need a single Project Manager or a whole team, they’ll effortlessly integrate into your organisation, ensuring your data centre migration projects are delivered with expertise and precision.
Form your Steering Group.
Your steering group should form a mix of management, together with some operational and technical team members. It’s their responsibility to formulate the structure of the migration and make sure to communicate their plans to the wider business and beyond – clients, suppliers and shareholders.
Develop your stakeholder communication plan.
Good, clear and consistent communication is critical for the success of your data centre migration project. This communication is not just for internal parties, but also externally for clients. If your organisation has clients that will be affected by services being offline during the migration, then the window of downtime will need to be communicated to them.
Often, there are SLAs in place, dictating the length of notice that needs to be provided, at the very least, there is a level of courtesy that needs to be adhered to, in order for you to maintain good relationships.
Finalise your migration plan.
You’ve selected your project manager, formed your steering group and have come up with a communication plan. Now it’s time to develop a solid migration plan. This should include a financial budget, timeline, and your criteria for success. It is important to include stakeholders, not only to ensure accuracy of the plan, but also for their buy in.
Assign Tasks.
Your Project Manager should work with key stakeholders to gain alignment on roles and responsibilities before, during, and after the project. Having the right team members, delivering the right roles and responsibilities will be central to the success of your project. When assigning, consideration should be paid to capability and bandwidth.
Review your Contracts.
Time should be set aside to review relevant SLAs and other contracts for terms and conditions, such as early termination penalties, that could impact the migration budget and/or timeline. Providing notice to your existing data centre can often only be given, once a clear project plan has been devised. Data Centre Migration projects can sometimes be years in the planning.
One common oversight is underestimating lead times for leased lines. There is often great reliance, understandably, in lines being run into the new data centre. Lead times can often be long, with key dates not being met by the suppliers. Lines should be ordered early and a buffer built around the dates provided by the supplier so as to ensure your move date is not affected.
Create your Source of Truth.
Projects often fail because of conflicting data that different parties are working to. Identify the “source of truth” documentation for all parties to work from, such as network drawings, facility diagrams, or databases. This information should be checked and double checked. Version control should be applied before being distributed.
This is understandably an extensive and technically minded checklist and when the stakes are high, experience matters. Don’t leave your critical migration to chance. Technimove are here to support you.
We don’t just manage Data Centre Migrations; we set the standard that others follow. Whether it’s appointing a seasoned Project Manager, forming the right steering group, or navigating contract pitfalls and stakeholder alignment, our proven frameworks and expert teams are trusted by industry leaders because we leave no stone unturned.
Plan with confidence and minimise risk using this step-by-step migration checklist.
2.2 Build a Comprehensive Asset and Application Inventory
Your asset and application inventory are a key element of your data centre migration project as it forms part of your Source of Truth documentation briefly touched on above.
It’s important that you conduct a thorough audit of all hardware, applications, and network connections using manual methods, discovery tools, or both. Ensure every asset is accounted for, clearly tagged, and categorised for migration or decommissioning, to avoid confusion and keep the process on track.
2.3 New Infrastructure Planning
Now we are starting to put colour to the project. A critical stage within the project, this is where you will really finalise the layout and design out the issues that are experienced by unprepared organisations.
Successful data centre migrations do not just happen – they are meticulously planned, by experienced, focused individuals, working as a team, that has a clearly defined goal.
The main elements of the new infrastructure planning are highlighted below:
- Review site layouts.
- Capture network design and model this information in your source of truth.
- Confirm cable lengths to avoid messy or disorganised cabling post-migration.
- Cross-check power capabilities with your IT deployment.
- Create clear installation instructions for each device.
- Ensure all required team members have access (including security clearance) to the site.
- Familiarise yourself with the site layout and ensure all access points and fixtures are fully functional.
- Record new configurations and create test plans.
- Create a disaster recovery and contingency plan to address hardware failures or unexpected downtime
- Ensure rack power distribution and environmental sensors are configured and monitored.
- Perform a full hardware shutdown to determine accurate shutdown and restart times, crucial for the migration timeline, and to identify any hardware issues.
Your Data Centre Migration preparation is starting to take shape!
In Part 1 of our blog series, you explored how to build a solid Data Centre Migration Strategy.
In Part 2, you’ve moved into the planning phase, defining your roadmap, identifying risks, assigning roles, and building the framework for a successful execution.
At Technimove, we go beyond the guide and when your business continuity, reputation, and data are on the line, second-rate suppliers just won’t cut it. We bring the experience, structure, and precision needed to turn plans into successful outcomes.
From proven project managers to experienced migration specialists, we are trusted to deliver where it matters most, on time, with minimal risk, and without compromise.
Ready to move with confidence? Discover how we deliver world class Data Centre Migration services here.