Data center migration & relocation
Data center migration: controlled, not manual
Relocating a data center means more than changing its address. Systems, dependencies and approvals need to work together in the right order. With FLOWSTER Studio, you turn recurring migration steps into defined, documented workflows – as Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) did.
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Data center relocation: more than moving hardware
A physical data center relocation moves equipment and infrastructure to another site. A data center migration can also involve changing the virtualisation platform, cloud infrastructure or operating environment. In both cases, coordinated IT processes are critical to success.
FLOWSTER does not replace migration planning or hardware transport. It automates the technical processes you define: checking prerequisites, connecting systems, executing steps in the right order and logging results. Recurring tasks become reproducible and deviations traceable.
Four building blocks for a controlled migration
Check prerequisites
Represent connectivity, configuration and dependency checks as workflow steps. Define which results allow the next step to proceed.
Make processes reusable
Instead of handling each migration wave manually from scratch, use defined workflows and adapt their parameters to the systems involved.
Approvals & error handling
Define approvals for critical changes and responses to errors. Rollback steps are planned explicitly – they are not created automatically.
Documentation & logging
Automatic documentation and logging make executed steps and results traceable for the project team, operations and follow-up.
What to clarify before your data center migration
- Record source and target environments and system dependencies
- Define migration waves and responsibilities
- Define checks before and after each migration step
- Agree maintenance windows, approvals and communication
- Test error handling routines and rollback procedures
- Prepare documentation and handover to operations
Three migration phases from the IBB project
1. Inventory & export
The workflows captured snapshots, fault tolerance, PCI passthrough, RDMs and mounted ISOs, among other details. A structured Excel export supported planning and provided input for subsequent steps.
2. Compute migration
Shared-Storage Cross-vCenter vMotion migrated up to eight VMs in parallel. Network mapping and pre-validation were complemented by checks of power state, VMware Tools, ping connectivity and vCenter events.
3. Storage migration
At most two storage migrations ran concurrently. Datastore reports followed, with a manual approval and control step before deleting empty datastores.
IBB: data center migration during ongoing banking operations
Investitionsbank Berlin, the development bank of the State of Berlin, migrated its productive workloads from two local VMware environments to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.x. FLOWSTER Solutions handled automation, while JAEMACOM handled IT operations and project management. The case study describes implementation during ongoing banking operations – without a single planned downtime.
The IBB project achieved 90% relief for internal IT in operational migration effort and 50% time savings for external service providers. Reusable automation logic provides a foundation for further infrastructure projects. These results relate to the specific IBB project, not a guarantee for every migration.
- Planned downtime
- 0
- Relief in internal migration effort
- 90%
- Time savings for external providers
- 50%
Frequently asked questions about data center migration
What is the difference between data center migration and relocation?
Data center relocation primarily means moving hardware and infrastructure to a different site. Migration also covers changes to platforms or operating environments. Both require coordinated technical processes.
Which migration tasks does FLOWSTER handle?
FLOWSTER automates the technical steps, checks and approvals you define and documents their execution. Project planning, hardware transport and defining the migration remain responsibilities of your team and service providers.
Can a data center migration run without downtime?
IBB completed its project without planned downtime. Whether this is possible in your environment depends on factors including architecture, applications and migration methods. FLOWSTER does not guarantee an uninterrupted migration.
What happens if a migration step fails?
You can include error handling routines in every workflow, for example notifications or defined rollback steps. The specific approach needs to be planned and tested for your infrastructure.
Does logging support NIS2 and DORA requirements?
Automatic documentation, logging and specific workflows can support compliance with NIS2 and DORA. They also help with incident follow-up. Software alone does not establish compliance.
Where can I find the IBB case study?
The linked IBB page lets you download the existing case study after completing the form.
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Which migration steps can you automate?
Discuss your starting point, target environment and recurring tasks with us.