Salesforce Data Migration is the process of moving or transferring data from the Salesforce to the destination such as Databases, Data Warehouses, or applications. This process also helps in cleaning the data and optimizing it. Some of the characteristics of data after Salesforce Data Migration are listed below:

• Relavant

• Accuracy

• Accessibility

• Uniqueness

• Reliability

Why do Data Migration?

Businesses feel the need to set up Salesforce Data Migration in the following situations:

• Replacing old and outdated database systems.

• Requirement to include advanced features and specifications.

• Demand to use the auxiliary application, database, or storage system along with the present working system.

• Need to renovate the conventional system with the advanced functionality and database such as Cloud or IT module.

• Merging of one or two systems to improve the performance of complete infrastructure.

Some planning to avoid pitfalls

• Data Security

We must ensure that data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.

• Schema Management

We should get ready with Schema before the start of the process. Like detecting schema of incoming data and maps it to the destination schema.

• Scalability

As the number of sources and the volume of our data grows, we should scale horizontally, handling millions of records per minute with very little latency.

• Incremental Data Load

We do the transfer of data that has been modified in real-time. This ensures efficient utilization of bandwidth on both ends.

• Data Integrity/Duplicate Prevention

We must analyze the existing data before pulling the new data to prevent duplicate. We must also utilize data tools in salesforce like duplicate/matching rules and data merger to preserve the data integrity.

Set up and start of Data Migration

• User Setup

Salesforce database software gives businesses the ability to define roles, grant access, and describe responsibilities to employees across all the departments. All the employees, however, should have an account on Salesforce. So before migrating from SF Source instance (let's call it 'AA') to target instance (let's call it 'BB'), al the users from 'AA' should be created with proper Roles and Profiles in SF instance 'BB'.

• ETL/Schema Document

It is important to get the detail schema of both source and target system. Compare them and create a detailed mapping for each object and fields in them.

We should get ready with the schema document which basically contains Objects and Fields from both the instances - AA and BB. So that we will know what objects can be directly merged and what needs to be created newly. Also, picklist fields and values must be merged.

• Custom object and Fields

We need to create custom objects and fields from AA in instance BB. We must be mindful about the data type of each field. We must create lookup/master objects first before creating the dependent fields.

Also, we must be careful with permissions like enabling read, write, edit access according to Profile/Roles, page layout assignments etc.

• Data Transfer

First data from main objects like Account, Contacts, Lead, Opportunities, etc should be transferred via Data Loader or Ant Migration Tool depending upon the Data Value. And most important thing is External Id (key) which maps the external data to our system with the corresponding owners (From previously created Users).

Make sure to assign Ownership accordingly to the business units for all the data during transfer itself.

• Custom Settings, Assignment Rules, Process Automations

Finally, we can update the custom settings, Lead Assignment Rule, Case Assignment Rule, Process Builder or Flow Automations. Page layout customisations, Reports and Dashboards changes, etc., can also be done now.

Post Migration Task

We should make sure that there are no Data loss, or there are no Duplicates having known that both SF instances AA and BB can have same customers. Duplicate and Matching Rules can be re-run. And we must make sure that the Data Migration and Integration is securely done. It is good idea to have a knowledge sharing sessions especially for the new users added to the system on where to look for the data, how to handle them, reports & dashboards used in the existing process.