The Migration Challenge
The customer used Zephyr Scale for Test Management and Defect Management in Jira but had migrated its bug records through an internal process. The main requirement here was to migrate its test cases to Azure DevOps while preserving the traceability link between the test cases and already migrated bug records.
Trivial Challenges in the Industry
Moving data from one project management tool to another, more notably from Jira Zephyr to Azure DevOps presents the following challenges.
- Data Inter-relationships: Maintain specific inter-relations between other data points while migration. Each link should be accurately mapped so that integrity of data is maintained
- Lack of Out-of-the-Box Connectivity: Since Jira is an Atlassian product, and Azure DevOps is a Microsoft product, native connectivity for migrating Zephyr test cases is not there between them, thereby posing further challenges to migration.
- Multiple Data Models: The data model of artefacts should diverge between Jira Zephyr and Azure DevOps, with a degree of caution to allow least data loss or misrepresentation possible.
- User Mapping: The migration of existing users from Jira can be complicated during the process if the existing users lack permission to access the new platform.
- Data Integrity Process: Migration process should ensure sanity and quality of data at each step because the chances of losing or damaging data can have a severe impact on operational processing.
The specific problems involved:
- Preserving Attribute Values: All the test case records along with the steps – which are in Zephyr as descriptions- should be migrated without denting their integrity.
- Integrity of Relationship: Migrated test cases must be linked through actual links to the bugs already migrated to Azure DevOps.
- Maintaining Folder Structure: Replicate the multi-level test case hierarchy of Zephyr into Azure DevOps without losing the folder structure.
- Format of Test Steps: Test steps in Zephyr are present as a single descriptive paragraph. These had to be migrated into the format of test steps, handled individually in Azure DevOps.
How Kovair QuickSync comes into the picture
Kovair QuickSync is a one-stop solution for all kind of data migration needs. It provides an effective, user-friendly solution for the customer’s business needs and ensures data transfer in a seamless manner. As a lightweight Windows desktop application, it requires minimal infrastructure and can be scaled horizontally for parallel migration.
Major functionalities of Kovair QuickSync include:
- Comprehensive Migration: All records along with attachment, comments, and relationships between artifacts are migrated.
- Non-Disruptive Migration: Disturbing workflows for teams do not occur as they can continue to use the tools in operation as they carry on with the migration process.
- Cost Efficiency: Infrastructure requirements are minimal hence it is a cost-effective option for the organizations.
- Real-Time Monitoring: Provides detailed reports and metrics to know the progress of migration on a daily and hourly basis.
- Recovery Mechanisms: With in-built recovery and re-migration features to avoid data loss while migrating.
- Automated Data Checker: Checks data integrity after migration through automatic comparison reports.
- Multi-Project and Parallel Migration: Manages large volumes of data on multiple projects at one go.
- No Code solution: Facilitates the entire configuration without coding just by simple mouse clicks establishing connectivity, mapping projects and entities from source tool to target can be done.
Migration Success
Kovair QuickSync migrated Zephyr scale test cases from customer’s Jira instance to Azure DevOps, moving the critical test case-bug links and folder hierarchy intact. Some of the key features of the migration are as follows:
- Consistent Data Migration: Kovair QuickSync ensures zero data loss and data disparity. It provides the capability of detailed mapping between the fields of the source and target tools, confirming no data is left behind after the migration is complete.
- Test Step Migration: Migrated the test steps from a descriptive paragraph into separate steps within the Azure DevOps and the data format conformed to the demand of the target tool.
- Hierarchical Structure: Zephyr’s multi-level folder hierarchy was preserved in the Azure DevOps, ensuring that the users’ navigation was not compromised.
- Cross-Entity Traceability: Maintaining the data integrity and cross entity relationship is an important aspect for data migration. If a segment of data is already migrated to the target tool, then establishing the relationship become a challenge. Kovair QuickSync facilitates the migration of cross entity relationships even if a subset has already been migrated by earlier.
With the seamless migration, Kovair QuickSync allowed the customer to experience a hassle-free reliable and efficient migration with least disruption to the functioning operation while keeping the integrity of data intact.
Conclusion
Kovair QuickSync demonstrated impressive flexibility and efficiency by performing complex data migrations for the customer, thereby ensuring all artifacts, relationships, and data structures were preserved in the migration to Azure DevOps. The functionalities and capabilities of this platform have proven to be precise, flexible, and cost-effective tools for solving contemporary problems related to data migration.