Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about migrations, cloud platforms, best practices, and the Vibgrate platform. Expert guidance for your migration journey.
How do I start a migration project?
Begin with discovery and assessment: inventory your current systems, identify dependencies, and define your target state. Create a migration strategy (lift-and-shift, replatform, or refactor), build a proof of concept, and plan for a phased rollout with clear success metrics.
How long does a typical migration take?
Migration timelines vary significantly based on scope. A simple lift-and-shift might take weeks, while a full modernization of legacy systems can take 12-24 months. Key factors include codebase size, technical debt, team expertise, and business constraints.
Should I migrate all at once or incrementally?
Incremental migration is almost always recommended. The Strangler Fig pattern lets you migrate piece by piece, reducing risk and allowing continuous learning. Big-bang migrations have higher failure rates and make rollback difficult.
How do AI models help with migration?
AI models can analyze codebases, translate code between languages, generate migration plans, create test suites, and document legacy systems. They accelerate migration by automating repetitive tasks while developers focus on complex decisions.
What is the biggest risk in migration projects?
The biggest risks are data loss, extended downtime, and scope creep. Mitigate these with thorough testing, rollback plans, clear scope boundaries, and continuous validation. Always have a working backup and tested restore procedure.
How do I handle database migrations?
Use schema versioning tools (Flyway, Liquibase), plan for backward compatibility during transition, implement blue-green or parallel running approaches, and validate data integrity at each step. Consider using CDC (Change Data Capture) for real-time sync.
What should I do about undocumented legacy code?
Use AI to analyze and document the codebase, interview long-tenured team members, add logging to trace execution paths, write characterization tests to capture current behavior, and document as you discover. Focus on business-critical paths first.
How do I convince stakeholders to approve a migration?
Focus on business value: reduced operational costs, improved developer velocity, security risk reduction, and competitive advantage. Quantify technical debt costs, create a clear ROI model, and propose a phased approach with early wins to build confidence.
What team structure works best for migrations?
Form a dedicated migration squad with domain experts, platform engineers, and QA. Include someone with deep legacy system knowledge. Avoid 'committee' approaches - empower a small team to make decisions. Consider pairing juniors with experienced engineers.
How do I ensure migrated code works correctly?
Implement multiple testing layers: unit tests for migrated components, integration tests for interactions, end-to-end tests for critical paths, and parallel running to compare outputs. Use canary deployments to validate in production with limited traffic.