Post-Migration Validation Checklist

When to Use This Checklist

After completing your migration, it's vital to ensure that everything is functioning as intended. Use this checklist immediately following the migration process to validate the integrity, performance, and usability of your new environment. This is crucial for avoiding potential issues that could arise if unchecked.

Detailed Breakdown of Each Checklist Item

1. Data Integrity Check

   • What to verify: Ensure that all data has been accurately migrated without loss or corruption.
   • How to verify: Compare the source and target data using checksums or row counts.

2. Functionality Testing

   • What to verify: Confirm that all applications and systems are functioning as expected.
   • How to verify: Perform end-to-end testing of critical workflows and features.

3. Performance Benchmarking

   • What to verify: Assess whether the performance of applications meets or exceeds pre-migration benchmarks.
   • How to verify: Run performance tests and compare results against historical data.

4. User Access Validation

   • What to verify: Ensure that all users have the correct access permissions.
   • How to verify: Review user roles and permissions against a pre-defined access matrix.

5. Security Checks

   • What to verify: Validate that security protocols and measures are effectively implemented.
   • How to verify: Conduct vulnerability scans and security assessments.

6. Backup Verification

   • What to verify: Confirm that backups are successfully configured and operational.
   • How to verify: Test backup and restore procedures to ensure data recovery.

7. System Logs Review

   • What to verify: Check system logs for errors or warnings post-migration.
   • How to verify: Analyze logs for anomalies that could indicate issues.

8. Integration Testing

   • What to verify: Ensure that integrations with third-party services and APIs are functioning correctly.
   • How to verify: Test all integrations to confirm they are operational.

9. User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

   • What to verify: Gather feedback from end-users to confirm that the system meets their needs.
   • How to verify: Facilitate UAT sessions and document user feedback.

10. Documentation Review

    • What to verify: Ensure that all documentation reflects the new system accurately.
    • How to verify: Review and update technical and user documentation.

Why Each Item Matters and Risks of Skipping It

• Data Integrity Check: Skipping this could lead to significant data loss or corruption, impacting business operations.
• Functionality Testing: Missing out on this may leave critical features inoperable, frustrating users and hindering productivity.
• Performance Benchmarking: Without this, you may face performance issues that could affect user satisfaction and system efficiency.
• User Access Validation: Neglecting this can result in unauthorized access or users being locked out, causing operational disruptions.
• Security Checks: Omitting security assessments could expose your system to vulnerabilities and potential breaches.
• Backup Verification: A lack of proper backups can lead to disaster recovery failures during critical incidents.
• System Logs Review: Ignoring logs may result in undetected errors or warnings that could escalate into major problems.
• Integration Testing: Failing to verify integrations can disrupt workflows that depend on these connections.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Skipping UAT can lead to a misalignment between user needs and system capabilities.
• Documentation Review: Inaccurate documentation can lead to confusion and increased support requests.

How to Verify Completion of Each Item

• Utilize automated tools for data comparison and integrity checks.
• Develop a suite of test cases for functionality and performance testing.
• Conduct regular audits of user access and permissions.
• Use security tools to run scans and vulnerability assessments.
• Maintain a log of all tests conducted and their outcomes for accountability.

Common Items Teams Forget or Underestimate

• User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Often overlooked, but essential for capturing real-world user feedback.
• Backup Verification: Teams sometimes assume backups are functioning without testing them thoroughly.
• Documentation Review: This is frequently deprioritized, leading to outdated information that confuses users.

Adapting This Checklist for Different Contexts

• For cloud migrations, add checks related to cloud resource configurations and cost assessments.
• In hybrid environments, include validation of connectivity and data flow between on-premises and cloud systems.
• For regulated industries, incorporate compliance checks specific to industry standards.

Integration with Other Migration Phases and Checklists

• This validation checklist should be used in conjunction with the pre-migration checklist to ensure all preparatory steps were completed.
• Integrate findings from this checklist into the post-migration review phase, ensuring any issues are documented for future migrations.
• Use insights gained here to inform the ongoing monitoring phase of your migration process.

By applying this Post-Migration Validation Checklist, teams can ensure a smooth transition, mitigate risks, and maximize the success of their migration efforts.