Tech migration

Switching database, server or framework is one of those tasks that seem simple until the details show up: data that does not fit, hidden dependencies and a rollback nobody prepared. Doing it all at once is the best recipe for spending a whole weekend putting out fires.

This board splits the migration into clear phases so each block is closed before touching the next and there is always a rollback plan if something goes wrong. Seeing progress in columns keeps you from skipping the boring part (auditing and planning) out of the urge to start moving things already.

Four phases that do not overlap

The board takes the migration through analysis, preparation, execution and wrap up. Each phase closes before the next one opens, so you never execute on ground you have not checked.

Analysis

Before touching anything, understand what is there and where it is going, with the risks on the table.

• Audit the current system and its dependencies
• Define the migration goal and what success means
• Identify risks and how to mitigate them

Preparation

Get everything ready to execute without improvising, including the emergency exit.

• Set up the new environment to match the target
• Write the migration scripts and test them apart
• Plan the rollback in case you need to revert

Execution

The moment of really moving, validating at each step and not only at the very end.

• Migrate the data and check it arrives intact
• Switch the traffic to the new system, ideally gradually
• Validate the behavior with real cases

Wrap up

Finish well, without leaving the old system hanging or the process undocumented.

• Retire the old system once the new one is stable
• Document the process and what you learned

How it works in Foco

When you import it, Foco creates the "Migration" workspace with these columns in the Kanban view. You drag each card from one phase to the next as you close it, with drag and drop on desktop and by swiping between columns as tabs on mobile.

In Panorama you see the tasks from all your workspaces at once, each in its own color, so the migration does not bury the rest of the projects you keep running. On the riskiest tasks, like switching traffic, you set priority, a date and an assignee so nobody does them without a heads up.