Data migration is a risky process when it comes to the Oracle Cloud, especially as it can lead to delays, security concerns, budget overruns, etc. Such problems become the reason behind many organizations still choose to operate with legacy systems. However, as the world progresses digitally, the lure of innovative technologies like cloud computing is unavoidable.

With the rising popularity of Oracle Cloud migrations among businesses, the need for best practices and ways to avoid challenges is also rising. It is essential to understand the challenges that come up with Oracle Cloud data migration, especially as there is critical data underlying the procedures.

In this article, we have talked about the top five Oracle Cloud data migration challenges that one must be aware of before implementation. Let’s begin.

  1. Security Concerns

Oracle servers offer good security standards, with measures for both network and physical access. The Oracle Cloud does multiple background checks and logging activities, and monitors unauthorized access attempts. However, organizations still need to add controls around security and visibility. As many organizations tend to customize their ERP systems, new potential security vulnerabilities can surface while extending functionalities or managing controls. So, teams have to implement additional security features like vulnerability assessments, interface data security, ERP monitoring, and secure configurations for better security.

  1. Incomplete Functionality

Oracle releases quarterly patches with new features and functionalities. So, it is still a work in progress, which is why there are several incomplete or missing functionalities that serve as data migration challenges:

  • Oracle has only selective areas supporting file-based data import (FDBI) loads.
  • Clients with large price-list volumes and configured items face a hard time loading these items.
  • Processes related to attachments can be complicated.
  • Some functionalities don’t work as intended without making any changes to the embedded file-based data import macros.
  • Some existing functionalities, like Item Revision levels, aren’t optimally functional.

The Oracle Cloud is still developing, which is why challenges related to functionalities that impact data migration are many. Service requests play a critical role, as they help people troubleshoot and address the challenges they face with Oracle.

  1. Limited Customization

As discussed earlier, the Oracle Cloud is still developing and releases quarterly patches to become more configurable with each release. However, customizations are still minimal, which makes functionalities more standardized.

Every company has its own set of unique data. As different companies offer different services and deal with different target audiences, the collected data becomes more unique, thus creating the need to have customizable cloud setups for easy data migration. If a company requires heavy customizations, the Oracle Cloud is not a suitable option for data migration. On-premise ERP applications become more relevant in such cases, as leveraging the Oracle Cloud can bring a significant set of challenges due to standardized offerings.

  1. Cryptic Error Notifications

While loading data to the Oracle Cloud, the chances of failure are very high. At the end of every failure, an error report is generated that is usually very cryptic with messages that are hard to understand or resolve.

Many times, the software may show a successful import without any of the data being actually loaded, owing to the ‘silent errors’ feature. Silent errors are the ones that stop data migration processes without actually reporting or communicating the problem.

Another challenge is misleading error notifications that communicate messages irrelevant to the actual problem. On the other hand, clearly reported errors might not always point to the genuine underlying issue that is stopping data migration. For example, instead of directing you to the inactivity of the project manager on the HCM side, the system is going to notify the invalidity of the project manager as the cause of load failure.

Such cryptic and misleading error notifications can halt data migration processes for a long time, thus leading to further delays and losses. Especially if the root cause of an error or a failure is not discoverable, the timelines can get delayed extensively.

  1. Lack of Control

One of the most significant challenges of Oracle Cloud data migration is the lack of control among users. Oracle is in control, which implies that instead of customizing the cloud to fit your business, it is you who has to adapt to the best practices and utilize configuration to fit your business needs with the Oracle Cloud. This seems like a practical and seamless way of doing things till the question of data conversion requirements arises for successful data migration.

Oracle is always in control of the execution of your environments, which need to be scheduled weeks in advance. Also, the timeline of refreshes depends on the volume of data you migrate in your environments. Refreshes can take 24 to 48 hours, requiring you to give Oracle advance notices for the same. As a result, you must validate data before the load so that minimal hindrances occur, you optimally utilize the refresh cycle, and the data is successfully migrated during the scheduled time frame.

Conclusion

The Oracle Cloud gets better with every patch release. It is relatively much more stable now and is a good choice for cloud operations. However, as it is still developing, the data migration challenges are many, which can lead to troublesome consequences if not dealt with effectively. Oracle Cloud data migration challenges are not limited to the ones mentioned in this article, as we have tried to highlight the five most significant challenges that can surface with Oracle Cloud data migration. Considering these challenges and working out effective ways to address them can help organizations optimally utilize their Oracle Cloud setup without many hindrances.