Tags: lift-and-shift, Oracle Data Pump Export
A major data processing company has been supporting on-premises system with an application that handles document flow from several local printers. They needed to leave their current data center. So they asked us to migrate the application database to the cloud.
After assessing their system and choosing the most optimal migration strategy we performed lift-and-shift migration of their Oracle database to the newly provisioned AWS cloud. As a result, we delivered cost and time-effective solution protected from possible issues.
Have a look at our cloud migration approach in the following video.
Initial analysis
Before the actual migration began, we had to assess the existing system architecture to choose the most optimal migration strategy. In most cases we are choosing between re-hosting (lift-and-shift) and re-architecting approaches depending on the following points:
- The size of the database
- Desired scalability and performance
- The version of Oracle database
- Available database tools
- The amount of time and funds available for migration
Our customer’s application did not require high performance or horizontal scalability, so we chose re-hosting strategy as faster and cheaper solution than re-architecting. Re-hosting involves redeploying an application to a cloud hardware environment without modifying its architecture. In other words, we are lifting an application and shifting it to the cloud.
First, we had to prepare necessary AWS cloud environment. We created and configured several Windows Server virtual machines and established a connection between existing on-premise data center and AWS environment.
Migration process
There are several ways of how migration from a local Oracle database to a cloud server may be performed. Conceptually we had to make a backup of the entire source database and export it to Oracle database instance in the cloud.
In our customer’s case, we were choosing between two backup methods: Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) and Oracle Data Pump Export. In essence, they work at different levels, RMAN is a physical backup that backs up the physical blocks of the database. That leads to dependency on operation system and database versions. On the contrary, Oracle Data Pump Export allows to make a logical backup and thus not to worry about the incompatibility of the source and target database environment. So, by choosing Oracle Data Pump Export, we reduced the migration time and saved our customer’s money.
After producing a backup of the source database, we decided to test it in our testing environment. Thus we ensured that no issues would occur during the actual migration. Once we completed that stage and eliminated all issues, we could export the original database in the AWS environment with confidence. As a result, the whole migrating process from making the source database backup to the live cloud database took only two days.
Supplementary steps
We remediated the application affected by Rehosting by updating the connection string to connect the application to the new database.
Once the migration was completed, we configured disaster recovery and implemented extensive monitoring. At the server level, we monitor OS health, IP heartbeat, and drive space. Additionally, we are monitoring database availability and space. We developed .bat script that makes test calls to the database. When these tests fail, the supporting team receives a report with the particular error description.
Benefits
- Cost and time-effective turnkey solution
- Fine-tuned Disaster Recovery
- Automated monitoring and reporting capabilities
Feel free to contact us to perform your cloud migration with confidence.
