Data migration
Data migration is the one-time move of records from a source system to a target system, including selecting what moves, transforming it to fit the new model, and proving on evidence that the move was accurate and complete, so the source can finally be retired.
Submit a project Plan a legacy data migrationReviewed by Huy Nguyen (David), CEO · Updated 18 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
This term is one of the entries in the OutsourcingVN glossary of words buyers meet while planning a system change.
Why does data migration matter?
A migration is a project with a defined end, not an ongoing process: the data leaves the old system, lands correctly in the new one, and the move is verified before anyone stops relying on the source. OutsourcingVN is operated by Netbase JSC, and data migration projects that run over time or over budget often do so because the move was treated as a load script rather than something that needs profiling the source and proving the result first.
What is an example of data migration in practice?
A company replacing an old order-management system needs every customer, order and invoice record moved into the new one. The team profiles the old data, finds duplicate customer records and a currency field that was left blank for years of orders in one region, writes a mapping that resolves both issues, and runs the move as a repeatable job rehearsed more than once. Before the old system is switched off, row counts and control totals on both sides are compared and the differences are explained, not just logged as zero errors.
What are the common misreadings of data migration?
Data migration is not only a database engine change: moving the same application's data from one database vendor to another is one kind of data migration, but a move between two different systems also changes the data model and the system of record, which is where most of the mapping and reconciliation work sits. It is also not the same as an application re-platforming, where the software itself is rebuilt or moved onto a new technology stack; a legacy PHP to Laravel migration and a Shopify to WooCommerce migration are examples of that second, broader kind of project, which usually carries a data migration inside it rather than being one. And a migration is not "done" when the load script exits without an error: a green log proves rows were written, not that the right rows, with the right values, reached the target.
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Common questions
No. Only the part that moves records from one system of record to another counts; a visual redesign or a hosting change with no change of system does not.
Yes. Some migrations move data in stages or keep both systems live in parallel for a period, but each entity still needs its own one-time point where it is declared moved and reconciled.
Which decisions does data migration affect?
Planning the data chapter of a modernization project — profiling what the old system holds, agreeing what moves, writing the mapping with the business and accepting the result on reconciliation evidence — is the subject of the legacy data migration planning guide. When you know which systems and records are involved, describe them and Netbase will respond through Netbase's own outsourcing-services platform; submit a project when you are ready.