Data center relocation FAQ

Data center relocation is the physical move of servers, storage and network equipment from one facility to another. A full relocation covers inventory and planning, de-racking, packing, secure transport, re-racking, cabling and testing. MIGRA's data center relocation service handles every step.

Data center relocation (or moving) is physically moving equipment to a new site. Data center migration can be physical or virtual: moving data and applications to new servers or platforms. Data center consolidation combines equipment from several sites into one, usually with decommissioning of what is left behind.

Start as early as you can; larger moves need months. For one MIGRA client, a bank moving 200 devices, planning began twelve months before the move date. The intensive planning process ran eight months, with the final two spent scripting the day-of-move plan.

The ten critical tasks are: inventories, security, planning, budget, RFPs and contracts, choosing relocation specialists, planning the physical move, preparing the new facility and closing the old one, backing up the data, and migrating. Each is explained in MIGRA's ten-step relocation checklist.

MIGRA uses four phases: requirements gathering, design planning, implementation planning and execution. The day-of-move plan is scripted in 15-minute increments, with every task assigned to the client, a vendor, MIGRA or a third party. See how we work.

It depends on your internal team. If you lack specialist skills in planning, move-day scheduling, or de-installation, moving and re-installation, one company that provides all of those services reduces hand-offs. MIGRA can lead the whole project or handle only the logistics when your team already has the plan. Eleven questions to ask any relocation company.

Every data center relocation is quoted individually; there is no standard price. The main cost drivers are the number and type of devices, distance and transport mode (truck or chartered aircraft), the length and timing of the move window, the services you need, site conditions, and any specific insurance requirements. MIGRA's first consultation is free, with no obligation.

To quote a move, MIGRA asks for estimated start and end dates, origin and destination addresses, and an equipment inventory if you have one. It also asks whether you need racking, packing, network cabling, project management or connectivity documentation, and about site conditions. Request a quote online.

Site details that change the plan include whether union labor is required at either site, whether vehicles need liftgates, whether elevators are available for upper-floor data centers, and whether racks moving fully integrated are equipped with casters. MIGRA asks about each of these on its quote form.

It depends on device count, distance and preparation. MIGRA completed the physical move of 200 devices for a bank in 8 hours against a 12-hour window, moved 400 devices 1,600 miles in 30 hours against a 48-hour estimate, and moved 1,000+ servers 700 miles over a single weekend.

A physical move always needs a planned window, but downtime can be kept short. MIGRA splits devices into priority move groups, pre-installs new equipment, pre-positions cabling, and can work with a disaster recovery site to keep core operations running. For data and applications, virtual migration is designed to minimize downtime.

MIGRA's crew arrives two hours early for a team meeting and walk-through. Two-person teams de-install devices as the client releases them, check cable, cord and rail counts, pack each device with a Device Spec Sheet, and load by priority. At the destination, one team installs and cables while a second double-checks the cabling before handing devices to the client for testing.

Yes. For a national entertainment and hospitality company, MIGRA flew 400 servers and devices 1,600 miles on a chartered DC-9 cargo plane, with the core team and owners on site, and re-installed them in 30 hours against a 48-hour estimate. Read the case study.

OEM vendors often de-install, re-install and re-certify their own devices. MIGRA coordinates the move-day schedule with on-site vendors, helps crate larger devices, and takes over packing and transport once vendors hand equipment over.

Every device is tested for points of failure and your data is backed up before anything moves. MIGRA tracks each device by inventory number at de-installation, transit and re-installation, labels it with its destination rack and U position, and transports it in GPS-traceable vehicles.

MIGRA's data center relocation services support FACTA, HIPAA, HITECH and GLBA compliance, which matters for healthcare, financial services and other regulated organizations.

Yes. MIGRA carries some of the industry's highest insurance coverages. If your organization has specific insurance requirements, flag them in your quote request so they are built into the plan.

Through data center decommissioning. MIGRA handles hard drive destruction and the disposal of electronic equipment, cooling systems and infrastructure, following the precautions and government regulations that apply.

MIGRA Systems is at 2217 Distribution Center Drive, Suite E, Charlotte, NC 28269. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern. MIGRA relocates data centers nationally and internationally.

MIGRA Systems was founded in 2004 and has completed hundreds of data center relocation projects since then.

MIGRA's clients include Molina Healthcare, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Equinix, Waystar, Harrah's Entertainment, TD SYNNEX, Tapestry, Clemson University, HeartFlow, Actian Corporation, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Weight Watchers International. Read client testimonials.

Call 888.317.4548, email info@migrasystems.com, or request a quote online. The first consultation is free, with no obligation.