Solution Guide for Migrating Oracle on UNIX to SQL Server - Willy .Net

<strong>Solution</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Migrating</strong> <strong>Oracle</strong> on UNIX to SQL Server on Windows 309●There are elements in the production environment that cannot be adequatelyverified in the test environment.Preparing <strong>for</strong> the PilotA pilot deployment needs to be rehearsed to minimize the risk of disruption <strong>for</strong> the pilotgroup. At this stage, the development team is per<strong>for</strong>ming last-minute checks andensuring that nothing has changed since pre-production testing. The following tasks needto be completed be<strong>for</strong>e starting the pilot:● The development team and the pilot participants must clearly agree on the successcriteria <strong>for</strong> the pilot. In a migration project, the main success criterion is that thenew solution effectively replaces the existing solution.● A support structure and issue resolution process must be in place. This processmay require that the support staff be trained. The procedures used <strong>for</strong> resolutionduring a pilot can vary significantly from those used during the deployment andwhen in full production.● To identify any issues and confirm that the deployment process will work, it isnecessary to implement a trial run or a rehearsal of all the elements of thedeployment.● It is necessary to obtain customer approval of the pilot plan. Work on the pilot planstarts early during the Planning Phase so that the communication channels are inplace and the participants are prepared by the time the test team is ready to deploythe pilot.● Ensure that the plan effectively mirrors the deployment process. For instance, if themigration solution is scheduled to be deployed in phases, the entire processshould be replicated <strong>for</strong> the pilot.Note It is important to remember that a pilot program tests and validates thedeployment process as well as the solution.A pilot plan should include the following:● Scope and objectives● Participating users, locations, and contact in<strong>for</strong>mation● Training plan <strong>for</strong> pilot users● Support plan <strong>for</strong> the pilot● Known risks and contingency plans● Rollback plan● Schedule <strong>for</strong> deploying and conducting the pilotConducting the PilotConducting the pilot involves deploying the applications and databases that have beenchosen to be part of the pilot. The golden release of the solution is used <strong>for</strong> pilot testingagainst an audience consisting of actual users using real-world scenarios. When the pilotis conducted in a production environment, care has to be taken to ensure that the existingapplication and databases are not jeopardized. Hence, adequate support has to beprovided while conducting the pilot to monitor and fix any issues that arise.Conducting a pilot also includes testing the accuracy of supporting documentation,training and other non-code elements, such as cutover and fallback procedures. Any