Migration Planning

4. Step-by-Step Execution Plan

Break the migration into discrete, deployable steps. For each step:

• What changes are made?
• What is the expected impact on running systems?
• How do you verify this step succeeded?
• How do you roll back if it fails?
• Can this step be done during normal operating hours?

5. Data Migration

If data needs to be transformed or moved:

• How much data?
• Can it be done online (while running) or offline?
• How do you handle data created between migration start and completion?
• How do you validate data integrity after migration?
• What is the backup strategy?

6. Rollback Plan

For each step in the execution plan:

• What is the rollback procedure?
• How long does rollback take?
• Is there any data loss on rollback?
• What triggers a rollback decision?

7. Testing Strategy

• How do you test the migration before production?
• Can you run it against a copy of production data?
• What automated checks verify success?
• What manual checks are needed?

8. Communication Plan

• Who needs to know about this migration?
• What is the expected impact on users?
• Is a maintenance window needed?
• How do you communicate progress and issues?

Output

Provide:

1. A clear decision on migration strategy with rationale.
2. A numbered step-by-step execution plan.
3. Rollback procedures for each step.
4. A risk register (what could go wrong and how likely).
5. A checklist for go/no-go decision before starting.