A rehearsal makes a proposed migration reviewable before a live move is agreed. It uses an authorised test environment and approved test data to examine the mapping, the runbook and the checks. Keep the original source intact while the team records what matched, what did not and what needs a decision.
Agree the inventory and mapping
List the record groups included in the proposed move, the source export format and the intended destination. Name the authorised source owner and the person who understands the destination fields. Record which items are deliberately excluded and why.
For each included field, define its destination and any agreed formatting change. Preserve the distinction between original responses, derived results and document versions. A migration discussion must not quietly introduce a new scoring rule, reinterpret clinical content or overwrite historical assessment meaning.
- Use approved fictional or otherwise authorised test data.
- Record included and excluded record groups.
- Keep mapping decisions separate from unagreed data repair.
Rehearse a repeatable sequence
Write a runbook with the input version, environment, preparation, test import and review steps. Make it possible for an authorised colleague to identify which rehearsal produced a particular report. Avoid putting credentials or record contents in general activity logs or shared planning notes.
Agree how duplicates, rejected records and interrupted runs will be handled in the test. Preserve the source export and the exception list according to the project’s agreed handling arrangements. An apparent success message is one observation; reconciliation still needs its own review.
Reconcile and decide what happens next
Compare the agreed record counts, identifiers and field checks. Distinguish a mapping defect from a source-quality issue and document the proposed owner of each correction. Record unresolved exceptions instead of treating them as accepted by default.
Cognixoft’s migration service scope can include a mapping/runbook, test migration, reconciliation report and agreed cutover, rollback and handover plan. The authorised contacts must agree the acceptance checks and the conditions for stopping or returning to the prior state. A successful rehearsal is not automatic approval for a live move, deletion of source records or clinical use.
Sources & scope
A rehearsal-planning guide. No live migration, source deletion, clinical reinterpretation or data-handling approval is authorised here.