Performing the data migration

Run DDM everyday after you upgrade to migrate data changes. On the day that you plan to go live, run DDM every two to three hours so that the final run can complete in less than one hour after you freeze activity.

Use the Delta Data Migration Tool to migrate data from the production server (the source server) to the staging server (the destination server) as follows:

1. Go to the <MigratorInstallDirectory>\DeltaDataMigration folder.

2. Double-click the DeltaMigration.exe file to open the Delta Migrations window.

3. Click the button next to the Source Server field to open the Server dialog box.

4. On the Server dialog box, complete the following fields, and then click OK.

   Field	Description
   Source Server	Name for the source server (the production server)
   User Name	User name for the source and destination servers (same for both)
   Password	Password for the source and destination servers (same for both)
   TCP Port	Default value used by the script. If no port is specified, the default is 0.
   Fast/List Port	You can change the default value of 390635.

5. Click the button next to the Destination Server field to open the Server dialog box.

6. Enter the destination server (staging server) information, and click OK.
   The Delta Data Migration tool validates the versions on your source and destination servers. It provides a list of all supported BMC Remedy AR System products and applications. Applications shown in red indicate that an appropriate package was not found or is not applicable for your server.
   

   Note

   The destination server data will probably not be consistent until all the data up to the current time is migrated. You can migrate the data in one or more "chunks" (using the Start Date and End Date fields in the Delta Data Migration Tool to specify the range of data to migrate). 

7. To ensure that the destination server data is consistent, enter an empty data range (which means the current time stamp) in the End Date field to migrate the final chunk of data.

8. Verify that the Re-run applications with previous criteria & instructions check box is selected.
   You must select this checkbox if you are re-running the migration after fixing data issues.

   Notes

   • If you are using the multi-run approach to migration to minimize your downtime, after confirming that the previous DDM has finished successfully and is error-free, clear the Re-run applications with previous criteria & instructions check box.  At this point, DDM will migrate based on the new date and selection criteria that you have specified. If the previous DDM had errors, fix the errors and run the DDM again with the Re-run applications with previous criteria & instructions check box selected. The DDM is then based solely on the time stamp. 
     

   • The Delta Data Migration (DDM) tool stores the last record ID in the memory for every chunk of data that is migrated. In case of termination due to user interruptions, network issues, or session timeouts the DDM stores this record ID in the <instruction_file>_LastSuccessfulID.txt file present in a Working folder under <MigratorInstallDirectory>\DeltaDataMigration. During re-run the record ID is retrieved from the <instruction_file>_LastSuccessfulID.txt file and the DDM continues the data migration from the next consecutive record. In case your system crashes while performing the DDM operation, the <instruction_file>_LastSuccessfulID.txt file is not created.

9. Select all applications that are not shown in red.

10.  In the Fetch Data/Objects Created/Modified After Date fields, use the Start Date and End Date fields to enter a range of dates (so that you can migrate a "chunk" of data).
    The dates allow you to migrate only those records that were modified or created in that date range. If you are not migrating custom forms data, you can clear the Custom selection in the application name list.

    1. For Start Date, enter the time from when you want to transfer the data. To account for Daylight Saving Time, enter the Start Date and End Date with a time stamp that is later than midnight (for example, 1:00:00 AM).
       Data in the forms that are later than or the same as this time stamp are migrated. If this is the first time you are running the migration, the time stamp that applies is when the production server backup was used to create the staging server. If this is a multiple-run scenario, the time stamp that applies is when you initiated the previous run.

    2. For End Date, enter the date with the time stamp to when you want to transfer the data (for example,12/20/2012 1:00:00 AM PST).
       You can run the migration multiple times, as needed, to finish the DDM. For the final migration, do not enter an end date.

11. Optionally, generate a report by selecting Data count validation.

    Use this option if you ran the DDM only one time and want to view the details of the run. This step is not recommended if you are performing multiple DDM runs due to the additional time taken to generate the reports. Additionally, the reports generate HTML logs and an output file.
    

12. Click Migrate or Compare, and then click Yes.
    The Delta Data Migration window appears, showing the parameters that the Migrator will use. One command window is opened for each application you are running. The windows close automatically when the process is completed or an error occurs. The DeltaMigration.log file is created in the same location from which you ran the .exe file for the Delta Data Migration Tool.

13. When you are finished with DDM, navigate to the Working\Logs folder (by default, <MigratorInstallDirectory>\DeltaDataMigration\Working\Logs) to review the Count_statistics.csv file. 

Troubleshooting delta data migration

If you see errors in the report, see Reviewing migration results and resolving issues to fix them. If you want to rerun the migration or the comparison, you must wait for all of the command prompt windows to close before starting a new run.

Where to go from here