Broken Links Caused by Data Migrations Lead to Increased Costs, Lost Data — LinkTek Corporation Offers IT Solution With Automated Link Protection

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The problem with current data migration applications is that most or all of their customers’ file links will be broken by the time their migration is done, meaning that data will be missing in one way or another.

Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) June 26, 2014

Data migration — the transference of data between data storage systems, data formats or computer systems — is a complex process that can pose several risks for companies, including unforeseen cost overruns and extensive system downtime. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), “data migrations represent 60% of all large enterprise IT projects, and only 60% are completed on time.”(1) LinkTek Corporation, the international leader of data migration software that automates the management and repair of file links, has responded to the need for a safeguard during data migrations with LinkFixer Advanced, the world’s first and only patented software that automatically finds and fixes broken links in an organization’s most critical file types, so that migrations and file system reorganizations can be completed quickly and accurately, and without the loss of data caused by broken file links.

A study found that while “businesses spend billions of dollars migrating data between information-intensive applications, up to 75 percent of new systems fail to meet expectations, often because flaws in the migration process result in data that is not adequately validated for the intended task.”(2) According to LinkTek Executive Vice President Rick Crites, data migration issues often arise because a company’s IT staff has to conduct migrations with software that offers little to no protection against broken file links.

“We’ve taken steps to protect enterprises against broken links and, in turn, to improve the productivity and efficiency of computer users, IT departments and CIOs,” said Crites. “Depending on the extent of the problem, the cost of fixing broken links manually could top $1 million. Furthermore, businesses also run the risk of noncompliance with regulatory agencies, as well as financial reporting issues. But preserving file links prior to a data migration offers protection against lost data, diminished productivity and exorbitant costs.”

Crites maintains that no organization is immune, as there are several types of data migrations and other situations that cause file links to break:

1.    Migrations due to upgrading or adding new computer hardware — for example, moving data (files and folders) from a legacy hardware system to a new one.

2.    Migrations due to changing the Operating System (OS) on the organization’s network servers — for example, from Novell to Windows.

3.    Migration of data from one’s production network into Network Attached Storage (NAS) or Storage Area Network (SAN).

4.    Data Migration into a Document Management System (DMS), such as OpenText and Documentum.

5.    Migration of files and folders into Microsoft’s SharePoint, either when initially moving into SharePoint or when upgrading from an older to a newer version of SharePoint.

6.    Implementing Distributed File System (DFS), which manages files and folders across multiple computers.

7.    Folder restructuring, renaming folders or moving folders to new locations.

8.    Repathing files or folders. This often occurs when someone moves files or folders without realizing that many of the files in those folders have links to other files, thus inadvertently breaking links, causing data to be missing from the files containing the links.

“The problem with current data migration applications is that most or all of their customers’ file links will be broken by the time their migration is done, meaning that data will be missing in one way or another,” said Crites.

LinkTek’s LinkFixer Advanced offers organizations a reprieve by addressing today’s most common file types and automatically fixing broken links in batch — in any number of files at a time — while also providing the tools to virtually eliminate this type of risk. The software consists of several automated functions that identify, preserve, maintain and repair links:

1.    The Inoculate function safeguards all links prior to a data migration, but also protects links in case of any unexpected problem within the system. Inoculate sets up the links so that they can be quickly repaired when they get broken.

2.    After files have been Inoculated and a data migration has been completed, the Cure function automatically fixes all broken links in a fraction of the time it would take to fix the links manually.

3.    In addition, LinkFixer Advanced users can use the Modify Links function to fix links that were previously broken. This method doesn’t require the pre-step of Inoculation and, in short, provides disaster recovery.

4.    The software also provides a Move/Rename function that moves and/or renames files and folders while automatically keeping links intact throughout the migration.

LinkTek consistently upgrades its software to reflect ever-changing technological industry advances. LinkFixer Advanced supports most of the world’s most common file types, including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Visio, as well as Windows Shortcuts, Adobe Acrobat, InDesign, Autodesk AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation and more.

For more information about LinkFixer Advanced, visit http://www.LinkTek.com or call 727-442-1822 ext. 1546.

About LinkTek:

Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, LinkTek Corporation provides the world’s leading solution for the management and automatic repair of file links found in today’s most common file formats. LinkTek was created by Axiom founder David Greenbaum, who recognized that one concept behind Axiom’s MicroStation plug-ins applied to almost every major file type; he then designed the world’s first fully-automatic link-repairing software, dubbed LinkFixerPlus. Since its unveiling in October, 2002, LinkFixerPlus has been recognized for its new and innovative technology that has created a whole new category of software. LinkTek has continued to perfect its product; LinkFixer Advanced is the next evolution up from LinkFixerPlus, and the patented software surpasses its predecessor in terms of speed and data capacity. LinkTek’s purpose is to improve the lives of computer users, IT departments, Records & Information Managers and CIOs by providing software that automatically repairs file links and while also protecting them from the effects of data migrations and user errors.

1.    Hitachi Data Systems. Reduce Costs and Risks for Data Migrations (n.d.): n. pag. Mar. 2014. Web. 13 June 2014.

2.    Successful Data Migration. Rep. Oracle, Oct. 2011. oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/oedq/successful-data-migration-wp-1555708.pdf.

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