Discover what the existing connection really does.
An integration may have accumulated rules that are absent from its documentation: a field default, a timing dependency, a special customer exception or a manual correction performed every Friday. Replacing only the visible endpoint can leave those responsibilities behind.
We review those behaviours with the teams operating the connection, including the manual repairs. A mapping that appears unnecessary may exist for a particular customer or a downstream report. The migration plan distinguishes what must be retained from complexity the business is ready to remove.
Understand why the migration is happening.
| Reason for change | What to investigate |
|---|---|
| Platform or provider change | A new integration platform, warehouse application or commerce system can change supported behavior and operational responsibility. Map the differences before assuming a like-for-like replacement. |
| API or authentication evolution | Review current official documentation for affected interfaces and announced changes. Confirm the target method, permissions and deadlines for your environment rather than relying on an old migration summary. |
| Business redesign | New entities, channels or ownership rules may require a different flow. Treat the process change explicitly so the migration does not disguise a wider implementation requirement. |
Create a controlled transition.
- 01
Establish the baseline
Record the current business behavior and reconcile a representative period. Identify the test cases and evidence needed to judge the replacement.
- 02
Design the target and transition
Map the new interfaces and define how identifiers, pending work and state will be preserved. Decide whether parallel comparison is possible without duplicating business actions.
- 03
Rehearse and validate
Test full scenarios, errors and recovery in a suitable environment. Reconcile the results against agreed expectations and investigate differences.
- 04
Cut over and retire deliberately
Define the switch, fallback conditions and monitoring period. Remove obsolete access and components through the approved process only after dependencies and retention needs are resolved.
Parallel operation needs safeguards.
Running old and new paths together can help compare results, but it can also create duplicate orders, postings or updates if both act on the same event. Distinguish observation or comparison from authoritative processing. Define which path is allowed to change each destination during the transition.
Keep a record of events and identifiers across cutover. Decide how in-flight work will be handled and which system state determines whether a retry is safe. A fallback plan should explain how to restore a coherent process, not simply switch an endpoint back.
Plan the transition around actual availability
- Can we migrate without downtime?
The feasible transition depends on the systems, transaction states and integration pattern. Some designs support a controlled overlap or queued handoff; others require a planned pause. Establish the actual constraints before making an availability commitment.