Here was last week’s question:

Continuing on the theme from last week, we are sticking with the theme of “big data” and now that you have an idea of the types of data that will be coming in, the next question is how do you get the data into your custody?

Additionally, I covered the scenarios of the multiple XML files, databases, and unstructured data.

One comment came from Clive in the UK which suggests probably the fastest and highest bandwidth approach to transferring data: shipping floppies. For those curious, yes Amazon does provide a way of quickly adding a ton of data onto S3 the old school method via Snowcone.

Unless we are talking about schlepping data using physical media, you will more than likely require a transition service agreement (TSA) which I touched on yesterday. This acts as a starting point for allowing your company’s network and the acquired company’s network to have access to each other, and define the terms required for how that communication will work.

Additionally, the TSA will lay out how access to various cloud resources will look like, whether it will be a new account granted access only to the data being conveyed, or a separate account/tenant that will be owned by the acquirer.

Once the agreements are in place, then what? Part of the agreement should include things like:

  • Will there be a dedicated network joining both companies? If so, how will access be restricted to just the parts being conveyed?
  • Will there be dedicated hardware/software sitting in the DMZ that will be trusted enough by both entities to allow for the exchange of data?
  • What data and how will they be synchronized?
  • What optimizations can be done to ensure the efficient exchange of data?
  • What role/impact would both organizations’ change management process play?

Some of these questions may seem technical in nature, but goes towards what governance and controls are required to be in place. Especially as both organizations have their own risk tolerances, change management processes built up over the years that will definitely impact your integration timetables. Think not just allowing app access, but also the people who will be doing the work.

Other questions may lead to new purchases that will need to happen whether hardware or software to facilitate the exchange of data. Think of products such as Oracle’s Golden Gate which can be used to synchronize the Oracle DB instances or NetApp’s SnapMirror for replicating files.

Lastly, there would be the limitations on the specific app and how much data can be transmitted/received over a given period of time. Compression can help, but only if you can compress and extract on both ends. Likewise, some applications may only allow for manual operation for extracting the data.

Does this sound like something you’ve hit? Hit REPLY and let me know!

cab