Legacy databases can be the Achilles’ heel of an organisation that prevents them from embracing digital technologies. This stops the business from reaping the benefits these new technologies provide and slows the process in comparison to its rivals. It is also a risk to business continuity in the event that the current system suddenly ceases working or there aren’t any technicians to fix it.
Moving data to an entirely new database is a typical solution. This is a huge undertaking and requires careful planning and execution. This includes ensuring all data can be safely extracted and migrated. It also involves https://advancedexamples.com/2023/06/05/the-risks-of-leaving-legacy-database-systems-alone/ allowing the old formats to be used in conjunction with the new formats and also modifying the application programs that use legacy data to prevent any issues.
Another option is to integrate the legacy databases. This involves bringing all data into a single area, similar to translating everything into a single language. This will reduce silos in data and make it easier to analyze and create data.
The issue with this method is that it can result in errors, which could affect the performance and integrity of the system as a whole. These errors can be hard to locate and correct. It can also be challenging to spot a pattern in the bad data to ensure it is prevented from entering the new system in the future. The data engineer with agility should be aware of these issues and work closely with the programmer of the application to resolve them.