Why not migrate everything
The new application was built for current work. History that staff only read still has to be mapped, converted and validated to fit it, and that work sits in front of go-live.
Archival explained
What is data archival?
Data archival moves the records a new system does not need for daily work into a separate place where staff can still search them and read them, so the old application can be retired.
In short
An archive is where the old records live on
- What it holds
- The history your new system does not need for daily work.
- How staff use it
- They search it and read each record as a report, with its related records and files.
- What it replaces
- The old application kept running for lookups.
- What it is not
- A backup. A backup has to be restored before anyone can read it.
What it looks like
A table row becomes a report
The old system stored this arrest as one row of codes. In the archive, staff open it as a report designed with their team.
From a table row to a reportFictional records
What to know before you choose
Why not keep the old system
It works until the license, the server or the one person who understands it goes away. Until then you are paying to run two systems.
What makes an archive usable
Staff need to search by name, number or date, read a record as a report with its related records and files, and see only what their role allows. Without those, an archive is a set of tables.
What happens to the data
LiftShift converts the old system’s data to Parquet, an open file format, and builds the searches and reports on top of it. You can export the Parquet files at any time, with or without an active subscription.
What can change later
Reports start with the fields that matter most. If a field or report is missing later, support adds it under an active subscription. A finished migration is far harder to reopen.
Data archival with LiftShift Records
We extract the data, design the reports with your team and check each report type with your reviewers before the old system retires.
Next step
Discuss data archival
Tell us about the system being retired and what people still need from it.