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This document helps a potential customer understand the migration of data from their legacy system to Strasz’s system. Both the complement of legacy data elements and the processes of migration are described. Note that migration can include some customization. Customizing migration is necessary only when the legacy data is unusual or the normal processes cannot be used.

Content is the most valuable asset of a Certification Body (CB), so it is natural to be concerned about the quality and completeness of content when moving to a new system. While every CB’s situation is different, Strasz has migrated hundreds of thousands of items and related data from a variety of legacy systems using our proven methods. These include rigorous checks for valid data, integrated checkpoint and restart, selective migrations, voluminous logging, and special techniques to increase speed.

• Strasz understands your need to continue day to day operations and can work with you to minimize disruption.
• There is no limit to the number of items (or item banks) that can be imported into Strasz’s system.
• Strasz can provide a shadow host for trial migrations in order to provide for review and corrections prior to the actual migration

Migration to a new system involves item content at a minimum. However, as the legacy system’s sophistication increases, so does the amount and types of data it keeps. The illustration on the left identifies some typical data elements to migrate.

A further breakdown of the data elements can be found in “Sample Data to Migrate” below.

Migration is a well-planned, collaborative effort between your team and Strasz’s team. The amount and types of data, the cooperation of your current vendor or in-house development team, and the condition of the legacy data are factors in the degree of planning.

Strasz will appoint a project manager to assist in the planning and performance of the migration. The project manager will be with you throughout and is skilled at making a smooth transition. In addition, the VP of Software oversees the entire process! The project manager will help organize a review of your legacy data, identify the number of items banks and the count of items in each, what needs to be migrated (e.g. sometimes obsolete content is not migrated), and the development schedule of your certification tests. The results of the project manager’s review are documented in the Transition Plan. They are reviewed with you and used to guide the actual migration.

In the simplest case, migration is performed using spreadsheets. A spreadsheet is adequate to migrate classifications, single and multiple selection items and ancillary content, media references, and item and test statistics. Strasz’s systems support import of these types of spreadsheets. Strasz’s systems support additional means of moving item content if the legacy system is complex or cannot export its data in spreadsheet format, namely XML files, computer-to-computer communication (APIs), or both. Using XML files or APIs may require the cooperation of your vendor or development team as these files typically cannot be prepared by end users.

As a rule, Strasz organizes migration into passes for each item bank or certification test as mutually agreed during the planning phase and recorded in the Transition Planning document. Your team will participate in the investigation and resolution of non-conformant content during each pass. Each pass allows data to be imported, reviewed by you in a parallel system, and cleaned as needed. Typically, the legacy data is cleaned and successfully imported after 2-3 passes. Here is the typical order of migration steps for each item bank with data cleaning assumed at each step and a possible repetition of earlier steps.

• Import Classifications
• Import Media/Exhibits
• Import Item Data
• Create Window and Form Data
• Import item and test statistics

The migration technique depends a great deal upon your legacy system, the number of item banks, the number of items, and special needs. As mentioned in How is the Data Migrated? on page 3, spreadsheets are used to migrate simple data elements like classifications, and more complex methods are used to migrate XML file or computer-to-computer communication through APIs.

Data is migrated into a secure, temporary host and approved by the client prior to the final migration. We describe the iterations of a typical migration (~10,000 items across three item types) below:

• Pass 1: This migration is comprised of a small sample of representative items covering all item types and the spectrum of complexity. The focus of the first pass is to confirm the content and structure of the representative items is within process tolerances (I.E. file formats, data types, content definition, etc.).
• Pass 2: The second pass will include all items from one or two exam titles/programs. The primary focus of this pass is the data and confirming field level mapping and translations including ‘one source to one destination’, ‘multiple source to one destination’, etc.
• Pass 3+: Future passes will build upon the second pass, including more items and exam titles/programs until all planned verification steps are complete for all data. This objective is typically achieved in Pass 3 or Pass 4.

The final migration of cleaned data moves the data to the final production host, a move that is approved by you.

This process has been very successful in the past; it provides clients with insight into their data and assurances that their item bank is properly transitioned while minimizing the amount of time item banks are locked for transfer. Strasz believes this type of rigor is necessary to ensure a successful migration.

The list below provides additional detail about the data that can be migrated into Strasz’s system.

• Items
  • Stem
  • Answer choices
  • Key(s)
  • Current status (operational, retired, etc.)
  • Rationales
  • Comments
  • Classification(s)
  • Enemy item lists
  • References
  • Media references (photos, videos, etc.)
  • Ancestry (descendants and antecedents)
  • Forms usage history
  • Item statistics
• Ancillary content
  • Directions
  • Survey items
  • Score report format
• References
  • Approved literature
  • Informal literature
• Classifications
  • Classifications (blueprints) actively in use
  • Classifications under development
  • Relevant archived classifications
• Media
  • Photo, video
  • “Used by item” cross reference
  • Media Classification
  • Other data, for example copyright expiration, permitted use details
• Forms
  • Ancillary content
  • Item content
  • Test delivery options
  • Scoring parameters
  • Score conversion tables