Erintech has unique expertise in migrating database applications.

 

The majority of migrations have been towards Oracle. However, we are finding an increasing number of customers wanting to transition to Postgres Plus Advanced Server which has a high level of Oracle compatibility but with significant cost benefits.

 

Oracle Case study (database merge/integration): merger of major pharmaceutical companies.

We were requested to hold confidential discussions with each company independently, subject to non-disclosure agreements prior to the merger to enable us to plan an interim solution for the integration of the Oracle based research databases. No data exchange was allowed before the day of the merger, but time was of the essence.

We achieved an outstanding result with the provision of a GUI data access and data mining tool which enabled all employees of the merged company around the world to access all Oracle research data within seven days of the merger. This exceeded all expectations and remained in use for several years.

 

Typical migration case study:

Customer has an application running on database X. The hardware and the database are old and unsupported but is still does a good job. There is very little documentation and the remaining expert on the system is about to leave the company.

Erintech inspects the system and interviews technical staff and users to generate a functional specification. If we identify weaknesses in the functionality we propose changes accordingly. We then provide new hardware, design the new database, migrate the data (transforming and cleansing as required) and commission the new system. Full training, documentation and ongoing support are provided.

Database Migration

 

By "migration" we mean transfer of your database application from a legacy or other database system to Oracle.

If you are interested in an "upgrade" (moving your existing Oracle system to the latest version, Oracle 11gr2) click here

There are many reasons why you may wish to migrate your database application to a current database system::

legacy database application running on expensive obsolete database/hardware with very little documentation and where few of your staff know how it works

you are consolidating database platforms

you have outgrown a "desktop" platform and need an enterprise solution

after a company merger you need to merge and rationalise database systems

These scenarios present special problems. There is often huge reliance on a tried and trusted application, but documentation and local expertise may be lacking. A business-critical application presents special challenges at the time of transition.

Erintech has a reassuring track record in migrations; we have played key roles in data migrations in small and large companies, including the merger of pharmaceutical giants.

Our migration expertise includes most common databases including Ingres, Rdb, MySQL, SQLServer, Access, PostgresPlus, Mimer, Rapport, and In-housesystems

Our migration service will include some or all of the following:

Project Management Having agreed to outcomes, we develop a project plan in conjunction with your staff to ensure that both parties have a good understanding of roles, tasks, timescales and responsibilities. We include contingency planning and risk assessment and mitigation in the process
Business requirements analysis Our business consultants focus on your business objectives - not just the technology. This important first step ensures that subsequent decisions are based on a solid understanding od commercial benefits	Retrospective documentation If you are replacing an undocumented legacy system we can assist with developing a functional specification as the starting point for the replacement system
Hardware architecture design and sizing Our technical consultants can discuss different strategies with you, including the use of our servers (www.erintech-hosting.co.uk) or cloud services	Database licensing, training and support We offer suitable database platforms and discuss licensing models in conjunction with the choice of hardware. It is often possible to reduce licensing costs by careful choice of hardware and architecture
Data cleansing Our database experts have considerable experience of data cleansing using our own toolset	ETL processing Using either our own toolset or other tools (eg Datastage) we transfer your data onto the new platform
Full system documentation We fully document your new system ready for handover to your staff	Secure transition We develop a transition plan in conjunction with your staff to transition from the legacy to the new system with minimal disruption to users
Handover and training We transfer operation responsibilities to your staff, with an accompanying support plan from Erintech if required	Ongoing support The agreed support plan is applied, to include 1st or 2nd line support, contingency planning, scheduled healthchecks and upgrades as required.