1.1 Understanding an eDirectory to Active Directory Cross-Empire Data Migration

The mission of Cross-Empire Data Migration is to quickly and easily perform automated movement of data, based on a variety of scenarios, including the movement of data for multiple users and groups directly to its intended location across multiple servers or shares in a single operation, all while preserving certain file system metadata. Further, Cross-Empire Data Migration lets you leverage the policies provided in File Dynamics to allow you to move to a managed storage environment on the target system and optionally restructure and reorganize data in the process.

A wizard in the Admin Client allows you to implement a phased approach to migration by incorporating one or more migration types offered through the interface to add work onto the File Dynamics event queue. In taking advantage of the dispatching and state machine architecture features of the event queue, the migration effort can be enhanced both in terms of performance through the Agent subsystem and in terms of reliability in overcoming outages and other factors that occur in real-world environments. Additionally, other options involving copying permissions, file ownership, filtering of the files to be copied and more, allow for greater control and flexibility during a data migration operation.

In addition to the eDirectory to Active Directory Cross-Empire Data Migration, there is a separate for-purchase Active Directory to Active Directory Cross-Empire Data Migration offering. For more information, see Section 2.0, Performing an Active Directory to Active Directory Cross-Empire Data Migration.

The eDirectory to Active Directory Cross-Empire Data Migration generally supports three constructs for movement:

1.1.1 User Storage Migration

Cross-Empire Data Migration can be used to copy User object personal file data from the source platform to the target platform. In an eDirectory to Active Directory scenario, this would likely be a migration of the data from the Novell or Micro Focus home directory to the Microsoft home folder. There are two options for migrating personal storage. The difference between the two is related to how File Dynamics determines the path to a specific user’s data on the source network. These options can be used exclusively or in combination with one another during a migration project:

User to User

This option allows you to instruct File Dynamics to determine the source location for user data by using the Home Directory attribute in eDirectory. As part of the migration wizard, you specify a source eDirectory container. The User objects within that container are listed for matching with the target, and you can select one or more users for migration. For each user selected, the Home Directory attribute provides the source file system path to be used. This option is very useful when the Home Directory attribute in the source tree is populated correctly and there is a need to migrate data simultaneously from multiple locations on the source network. It is also very useful if the user directory name on the source does not match the account name on the target.

For procedures on performing a user to user data migration, see Section 1.8, Performing a User to User Data Migration.

Folder to User

This option allows you to specify the location of user data by providing a file system path as the source. Instead of specifying an eDirectory container, you specify a parent folder location on the file system in the source network. From this folder, all immediate subfolders are listed for matching with the target, and you can select one or more for migration. This option is useful when the Home Directory attribute in the source tree is not populated or reliable, or there is a need to migrate a set of users with folders in a single path on a single volume.

For procedures on performing a folder to user data migration, see Section 1.9, Performing a Folder to User Data Migration.

1.1.2 Collaborative or Group Storage Migration

File system data used by groups can also be copied by using the eDirectory to Active Directory Cross-Empire Data Migration subsystem. The options available to the administrator are similar to those available for user storage, but are different in whether to rely on data in directory services or specify the file system paths directly.

The underlying concept behind both options is that the collaborative storage is being moved to a managed storage environment on the target network, which means that the collaborative managed path attribute is being populated and managed in directory services in the target. If you don’t want to move some of the collaborative group directories, you should consider using direct folder storage migration., which is documented at Section 1.1.3, Direct Folder Storage Migration.

The following options are available for moving collaborative storage:

Group to Group

This option allows you to instruct File Dynamics to determine the source location for user data by using the group managed path attribute in eDirectory. As part of the migration wizard, you specify a source eDirectory container. The Group objects within that container are listed for matching with the target, and you can select one or more groups for migration. For each group selected, the group managed path attribute provides the source file system path to be used. This option is very useful when File Dynamics has been used to manage collaborative storage in the source tree.

For procedures on performing a group to group data migration, see Section 1.10, Performing a Group to Group Data Migration.

Folder to Group

This option allows you to specify the location of group data by providing a file system path. Instead of specifying an eDirectory container, you specify a parent folder location on the file system in the source network. From this folder, all immediate subfolders are listed for matching with the target, and you can select one or more for migration. This option is useful when File Dynamics has not been used in the source tree to manage collaborative group storage or when you are migrating only some of the group storage.

For procedures on performing a folder to group data migration, see Section 1.11, Performing a Folder to Group Migration.

1.1.3 Direct Folder Storage Migration

A major benefit in using File Dynamics is that your organization can move to a managed storage environment for its file system data. File Dynamics allows you to define and enforce policies on the data by driving management of it throughout the life cycle of the user or group associated with the data. The architecture of the Cross-Empire Data Migration subsystem allows organizations to move to this paradigm for both user and group storage.

However, you are not required to use this method during the migration process. You might not want to move to managed storage for all of the data, or you might want to move to it in phases. For this reason, the Cross-Empire Data Migration subsystem has provisions for direct movement of data outside of the policy construct by performing a folder to folder data migration.

Folder to Folder

A folder to folder migration allows you to move a folder and its contents directly from the source network to a designated location on the target network. Selecting this method in the wizard allows you to specify distinct file system paths on both the source and the target networks. All file system contents and metadata are copied during the operation.

For your convenience, there is a Skip Open Files option that will migrate all unopened files located in a folder. Open files are not migrated, but the filenames and paths of all of the open files are logged in a delta file. You can then ensure that all open files are closed and do a follow-up migration of these remaining files by simply specifying the location of the delta file.

You can identify and move all files that are new or have been modified from a given date. Additionally, you can verify that all of the files you wanted to migrate from a source server have been migrated.

Following the folder to folder migration, use the CEDMScanCompare utility to scan the NetWare or Open Enterprise Server source for all new and modified folders and files. Once these new folders and files have been migrated, use CEDMScanCompare again to generate a folder and file content list for both the source server and the target server, then use the application to compare the two lists to verify that all folders and files migrated properly.

For procedures on performing a folder to folder migration, see Section 1.12, Performing a Folder to Folder Migration