What Is Data Migration? Types, Steps and SAP Tools (2026)

Data migration is the process of moving data from one system, storage location or format to another while keeping it accurate, complete and usable. Teams migrate data during system upgrades, cloud moves, mergers or when they replace a legacy platform with a new one.

A data migration project can be small, such as moving data from one server to another, or large, such as moving all the data from your current system into a new one. It can also be complex and require careful planning and coordination between multiple teams. This guide explains what data migration is, the main types and steps, common tools, and how data migration works specifically in SAP projects.

Table of Contents

What Is Data Migration? Definition and Examples

Data migration means getting data from one place to another: from one server to another, from one database to another, or from a SQL database into an XML file, for example. Common reasons to migrate data include:

Building a new system and moving existing data into it
Moving from an on-premises solution to a cloud solution
Updating database software
Replacing an old system with a new one
Improving the performance of an existing database
Consolidating multiple databases into one

You might have outgrown your current hosting platform and need a more robust environment. You might have bought new hardware that handles more processing power than the old one. Or you might simply be changing vendors or developers and need your files transferred to their systems. Whatever the reason, data migration keeps a business’s systems and customers running smoothly through the change.

What Are the Main Types of Data Migration?

Not every migration moves the same kind of thing. The main types are:

Storage migration: Moving data between storage devices or platforms, such as from on-premises disks to cloud storage.
Database migration: Moving data from one database engine or version to another, for example from SQL Server to MySQL.
Application migration: Moving data when you replace one application with another, such as a new CRM or ERP.
Cloud migration: Moving data and workloads from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud provider, or between cloud providers.
Business process migration: Moving data that supports a business process, often after a merger, acquisition or reorganization.

What Are the Steps in Data Migration?

The table below summarizes three common migration approaches. The steps after it walk through a typical project.

Approach	How it works	Best fit
Big bang migration	Moves all data in one planned cutover window	Smaller datasets, systems that can tolerate a short downtime
Phased (trickle) migration	Moves data in stages, old and new systems run in parallel for a period	Large datasets, systems that need near-zero downtime
Incremental replication	Replicates ongoing changes from source to target while both stay live	Zero-downtime cutovers between two active systems

1. Define the Goals and Scope

Be clear about what you want to achieve. Moving data between two cloud storage providers is much simpler than migrating from a legacy system into a new cloud-based platform. When you define your goals, consider:

What type of data you are migrating: structured or unstructured, images, videos or other media, and how much there is.
Where the data currently resides, what format it is in, and what tools were used to create or access it.
What you want to achieve: a single copy of the data everyone can access, full control over storage and management, or specific security requirements that rule out some public cloud options.

2. Choose a Migration Approach

If you are replacing an existing system with a new one, the migration is usually a zero-downtime process. You cannot take the old system offline while clients are using it, or risk losing data. In this case, incremental replication lets clients keep reading from the old database while new changes replicate from the old system to the new one.

Moving data between two database platforms with compatible APIs and protocols, such as ODBC, may need little or no downtime. For very large migrations across an entire organization without taking down servers or applications, cloud-based ETL and data warehouse tools are the common choice.

3. Extract, Transform, Load (ETL)

Most migrations extract data from the source, transform it into the target format, and load it into the destination system. This step is also where you clean the data: remove duplicates, fix inconsistent formats, and resolve missing values.

4. Test, Validate and Cut Over

Validate that migrated data matches the source in volume and content before you cut over fully. Keep a rollback plan in case something does not match after the cutover.

What Are Common Data Migration Tools?

Tool choice depends on your source and target systems and data volume. General-purpose options include cloud ETL and data integration services from Microsoft, AWS and Google, alongside data warehouse and BI tools for reporting. Confirm current features and pricing directly with each vendor, since these change often.

Data Migration in SAP

SAP migration is the process of transferring data from one system to another, usually to improve productivity and reduce costs. Companies using SAP need both SAP-to-SAP and SAP-to-non-SAP data migration for different projects. The most common reasons behind an SAP migration are:

Upgrading the current version of SAP software, such as moving from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA
Modernizing the technology platform for better features, performance and scalability
Replacing an old hardware platform with a new one

SAP’s own migration tooling has changed over the years. The table below summarizes where each tool stands today.

Tool	Status in 2026	What it does
LSMW (Legacy System Migration Workbench)	Legacy, restricted use on S/4HANA	Older batch-input and BAPI-based tool from the ECC era
LTMC (Migration Cockpit transaction)	Deprecated since S/4HANA 2020, read-only since 2021	Predecessor of Migrate Your Data; existing projects stay viewable only
Migrate Your Data (Fiori app)	Current standard tool	Loads data into S/4HANA through staging tables or direct transfer, using predefined migration objects
LTMOM (Migration Object Modeler)	Current, used for custom objects	Extends or creates migration objects with custom (Z) fields not covered by standard templates
SAP Data Services (SAP DS)	Current, for complex ETL	Handles large-scale extraction, transformation and cleansing before loading

If your project still references the old LTMC transaction, plan to move to the Migrate Your Data app, since new migration projects cannot be created in LTMC anymore. For a broader entry point into SAP’s data and integration landscape, read our article on what cloud computing is and what iPaaS is.

What Should You Watch Out for in a Data Migration Project?

Data migration projects often run into the same few problems:

Underestimating data quality issues: Migrating poor-quality data just moves the problem, and it usually surfaces after go-live.
Skipping the test cycle: A migration that has not been tested with production-like volumes can fail or run far slower than planned during the real cutover.
No rollback plan: If validation fails after cutover, you need a documented way back to the source system.
Ignoring downstream dependencies: Reports, interfaces and custom code that read the old data structure need their own testing.

At MDP Group, we support businesses with a wide range of services to help you migrate your data to the latest version of SAP or to another system, including migrations between on-premises and cloud environments and between different SAP versions. Our expertise covers migrating data from one version to another and from one application environment to another, without affecting business continuity or performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between data migration and data integration?

Data migration moves data once from a source system to a target system, usually as part of a cutover. Data integration keeps data flowing between systems on an ongoing basis, often through an iPaaS or middleware layer.

How long does a data migration project take?

It depends on data volume, the number of source systems and how much cleansing is needed. A small server-to-server move can take days, while an enterprise ERP migration can take months of planning, testing and cutover cycles.

Is LTMC still used for SAP S/4HANA migrations?

No new projects. LTMC has been deprecated since S/4HANA 2020 and is read-only since 2021. Current projects use the Migrate Your Data Fiori app, with LTMOM for objects that need custom fields.

What is the biggest risk in a data migration?

Migrating data without validating its quality first. Duplicate records, inconsistent formats and missing values can cause errors and misleading reports after the migration completes.

Conclusion

Data migration moves data accurately and securely from one system to another, whether that is a server upgrade, a cloud move or an SAP version change. Define your goals, choose the right approach, and test before you cut over. For support with your SAP data migration project, contact MDP Group.