The DAM Book, 2nd Edition

Chapter 12. Data Migration

One of the challenges of digital archiving is the need to periodically migrate your work from one storage medium, file format, metadata field, or software application to another. This process will be absolutely essential to the long-term survival of your photographs.

In this chapter, I will present some workflow tips that can help you successfully navigate these transitions. We’ll start this chapter by looking at how you can perform different types of migrations. Then we’ll see how the parts can fit together, looking at a comprehensive migration from a disorganized collection into an organized, manageable one.

• Data Migration Principles

• Migrating from One Drive to Another

• Migrating from One Metadata Field to Another

• Migrating File Names

• Converting Legacy Camera Originals to DNG

• Deduping

• Migrating Disorganized Digital Files to an Organized Archive Structure

• Migrating from Film to Digital

Data Migration Principles

Let’s spend a little time establishing some general workflow principles for file migration. As everyone’s situation will be a little different, you may have to customize your procedures; however, these general guidelines should still apply:

• Get comfortable with your new system. It doesn’t make sense to start the process until you know exactly what you are migrating to.

• Create a comprehensive plan. Think about what you are doing (the totality of the task ahead), ...