How should a team validate migrated data before go-live?

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• 2nd August 2026 at 12:06 pm #3331

  NNick Oscar

  A migration can finish without errors and still omit records, change values, or break relationships. What evidence should a team require before accepting the converted data?

  2nd August 2026 at 12:33 pm #3332

  NNick Oscar

  Accepted editorial answer

  Freeze the source scope and mapping rules, then reconcile record counts, totals, required fields, relationships, duplicates, and rejected records. Sample high-risk records and compare source values with those in the target system.

  Test with realistic permissions and workflows, not just a technical import log. Record every exception, its disposition, who approved it, and whether the correction requires another full or partial reconciliation. Keep a protected source snapshot and a rollback plan.

  GAO’s systems-acquisition lessons states that data outputs should be analyzed and acceptance testing completed before conversion. It also calls for retesting when a correction could affect previously accepted parts of the system.

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