Manual Data Migration
Manual data migration is the process of transferring data from one system, format, or location to another through human intervention, often involving manual data entry, transformation, and validation. It is typically used when automated tools are unavailable, impractical, or too costly for the specific data set or systems involved. This approach requires careful planning, documentation, and quality checks to ensure data integrity and accuracy during the transfer.
Developers should learn manual data migration for scenarios involving legacy systems with incompatible formats, small-scale data sets where automation overhead isn't justified, or when data requires complex human judgment for transformation. It is essential in projects like system upgrades, database consolidations, or data cleanup where precision and control over the migration process are critical, such as in healthcare or financial applications with sensitive data.