Migration Wave Vocabulary
Key vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| migration wave | A batch of workloads migrated together in a single planned effort; migrations are typically broken into Wave 1, Wave 2, etc. |
| discovery phase | The initial stage of migration planning where all workloads, dependencies, and infrastructure are inventoried and analysed. |
| dependency mapping | The process of identifying which applications rely on which databases, APIs, or services — used to determine safe migration order. |
| migration factory | A repeatable, industrialised model for migrating many workloads efficiently using standardised tools, runbooks, and dedicated teams. |
| "Wave 1 migrates …" | Phrase used in planning documents to describe which workloads are included in the first migration batch. |
| "move these 10 workloads first" | Informal instruction that reflects dependency-driven or risk-driven sequencing decisions. |
| workload grouping | The practice of clustering tightly coupled applications into the same wave to avoid breaking dependencies during migration. |
1. The migration programme migrates 200 servers over six months by grouping them into batches of roughly 30, each executed on alternating weekends. What is each of these batches called?
2. Before any workloads are moved, the team spends four weeks cataloguing all servers, running automated discovery scans, and documenting application dependencies. What phase are they in?
3. The team diagrams which applications call which databases and which services connect to which APIs, then uses this information to decide: "We need to move the database before the application that depends on it." What technique produced this insight?
4. The programme lead explains: "We treat migration like a production line — we have standardised runbooks, dedicated migration engineers, and the same toolset for every workload. We aim to migrate 30 servers a week." What operating model does this describe?
5. The project plan states: "Wave 1 migrates the three internal HR applications that have no external dependencies." Why would the team choose to move dependency-free applications first?
Exercise complete!
out of 5 questions