Clearing Your Path to AI: Cloudaeon’s Databricks Migration Accelerator

In the modern business landscape, data driven decisions are more important than ever. To achieve this, organisations are leveraging powerful platforms such as Azure Synapse and Databricks for processing, transforming  and analyzing huge amounts of data. However, managing two separate platforms for data processing can be complex, costly and inefficient.

At Cloudaeon, we offer a seamless solution to simplify your data architecture by migrating from Azure Synapse to Databricks. Our Synapse to Databricks Migration Accelerator provides a streamlined approach, leveraging automation and accelerators to ensure your migration is smooth, fast and error-free.

With this solution, you can consolidate your platforms, reduce operational costs and unlock the full potential of Databricks for advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Why Migrate from Synapse to Databricks?

While Azure Synapse has long been a staple for many organisations to integrate data storage, processing and analytics, Databricks has emerged as a more versatile, scalable solution.

Recent advancements in Databricks now offer the same capabilities as Synapse, particularly around Power BI integration and data processing, but with enhanced performance and more advanced tools for machine learning and AI driven analytics.

Here’s why consolidating your platforms into Databricks can provide significant advantages:

1. Reduced Complexity: By eliminating the need to manage and integrate two separate platforms, your organisation can streamline operations, improve data workflows and reduce the number of resources required to maintain both environments.

   
   

2. Cost Reduction: Maintaining two platforms means double the infrastructure costs, additional licensing fees and a larger workforce to manage separate systems. Consolidating into Databricks significantly lowers these ongoing costs.

   
   

3. Unlock Advanced Analytics and AI: Databricks enables more powerful, scalable data analytics and AI/ML workflows. It’s a unified platform for data science, machine learning, and analytics, which allows organisations to access new insights, predictive models and data driven innovation.

   
   

The goal of our migration accelerator is to help you harness these benefits by providing a smooth, reliable, and efficient transition from Synapse to Databricks.

Key Steps in the Migration Process

Migrating from Azure Synapse to Databricks can seem daunting, but with Cloudaeon’s structured migration plan, we ensure that the process is seamless and error free. We break the migration into clearly defined steps:

Migration Scenarios

Migrating Newly Created Schemas

As part of the migration, we ensure that any new schemas created within Synapse are transferred to Databricks. This involves identifying the new schemas, mapping them to corresponding data in Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) and converting them into Databricks compatible formats.

This is achieved through Delta Frame Migration, which only moves the incremental changes to the data, minimising data transfer times and processing costs.

Below are the identified steps for smoother migration  

1. Schema Identification: Identify all user created schemas in Synapse that need to be migrated. Document the structure and dependencies of these schemas. 

   
   

2. Data Mapping: Map the identified schemas to the corresponding data in ADLS. Ensure that the data in ADLS is structured to match the new schemas. 

   
   

3. Delta Frame Migration: Use Databricks to create delta frames that represent the new schemas. Move only the delta frames (changes) to Databricks, minimizing data transfer and processing time.

   
   

4. Schema Validation: Validate the migrated schemas in Databricks to ensure they match the original schemas in Synapse. Perform data integrity checks to confirm that all data has been accurately migrated. 

   
   

5. Testing: Conduct thorough testing to ensure that Databricks can process the data from ADLS using the new schemas. Address any discrepancies or issues identified during testing. 

Migrating User Created Objects/Data

Many organisations create custom objects such as tables, views and reports within Synapse. These user created objects can be complex and tied to specific business needs. Our solution identifies these objects, exports them from Synapse, and transforms them into formats that are compatible with Databricks. The data is then moved to ADLS, processed in Databricks and integrated into the new environment.

Below are the identified steps for smoother migration  

1. Object Identification: Identify all user-created objects (tables, views, etc.) in Synapse. Document the structure, dependencies, and data contained within these objects. 

   
   

2. Data Export: Export the identified objects and their data from Synapse. Store the exported data temporarily in ADLS. 

   
   

3. Data Transformation: Transform the exported data to ensure compatibility with Databricks. Adjust data formats and structures as needed to align with Databricks requirements. 

   
   

4. Data Import: Import the transformed data from ADLS into Databricks. Recreate the user-created objects in Databricks, ensuring they match the original structures in Synapse.  

   
   

5. Validation and Testing: Validate the imported data and objects in Databricks. Conduct comprehensive testing to ensure data integrity and functionality. Address any issues or discrepancies identified during testing.

   
   

Power BI Integration

Power BI is a key tool for many organisations to create interactive reports and dashboards from their data. During migration, we ensure that all your Power BI reports are seamlessly repointed to Databricks as the new data source. 

This step involves updating connection strings, authentication settings and adjusting any data models in Power BI to align with the new data structures in Databricks. We conduct thorough testing and validation to ensure that all reports work as expected post migration, with minimal disruption to your reporting workflows.

This section outlines the steps and considerations for repointing Power BI reports to Databricks and ensuring their continued functionality. 

1. Inventory of Reports: Create an inventory of all existing Power BI reports and dashboards that currently connect to Synapse. Document the data sources, datasets, and dependencies for each report. 

   
   

2. Repointing Reports: Change the data source connections in Power BI from Synapse to Databricks. Update connection strings and authentication settings to ensure secure and efficient access to Databricks. 

   
   

3. Data Model Adjustments: Ensure that the data models in Power BI align with the schemas and data structures in Databricks. Adjust any data transformation steps in Power BI to accommodate differences between Synapse and Databricks. 

   
   

4. Testing and Validation: Conduct functional testing of all repointed reports to ensure they display the correct data and perform as expected. Test the performance of reports to ensure they load and refresh efficiently with Databricks as the data source. 

   
   

5. User Training and Support: Provide training sessions for report creators and end-users to familiarise them with any changes in the reporting process. Offer support resources, such as documentation and help desk support, to assist users during the transition. 

   
   

6. Monitoring and Optimisation: Monitor the usage and performance of Power BI reports after the migration to identify any issues or areas for improvement. Optimise queries and data models in Power BI to enhance performance and reduce load times .

Decommissioning Synapse

Once the migration is complete and all data has been successfully transferred to Databricks, the final step is to decommission Synapse. This step involves safely removing any remaining Synapse resources, such as workspaces and data pipelines, to eliminate unnecessary costs. 

We ensure a clean decommissioning process that retains backup data and provides a detailed audit trail for future reference. Access permissions for Synapse are revoked, and security policies are updated to reflect the removal of Synapse from your architecture.

• Pre-Decommissioning Validation: Conduct a final validation to ensure that all data, schemas, and user-created objects have been successfully migrated to Databricks. Obtain confirmation from stakeholders that all necessary data and functionalities are operational in Databricks.

  
  

• Backup and Documentation: Create a final backup of all data and objects in Synapse. Store this backup securely in ADLS or another designated storage location. Document the decommissioning process, including steps taken, tools used, and any issues encountered.

  
  

• Resource Decommissioning: Disable any data pipelines that move data to Synapse to prevent further data flow. Systematically delete Synapse workspaces, ensuring that no critical data or configurations are lost. Remove all associated resources, such as SQL pools, Spark pools, and linked services.

  
  

• Update Access Controls: Revoke access permissions for users and applications that were connected to Synapse. Update security policies to reflect the removal of Synapse from the data architecture.

  
  

• Monitoring and Verification: Monitor Databricks and ADLS to ensure that they are functioning correctly without Synapse. Verify that all Power BI reports, and other analytical tools are working as expected with Databricks as the data source.

  
  

• Stakeholder Communication: Communicate the completion of the decommissioning process to all stakeholders. Offer support to address any issues or questions that arise during the transition period.

Cloudaeon Accelerators

Cloudaeon’s accelerators are a key part of our solution. These pre-built tools and frameworks automate the migration process, reducing the time and resources required for each migration step. From schema mapping to data validation, our accelerators ensure that your migration is completed quickly and efficiently while maintaining data integrity and minimizing the risk of errors.

Our Synapse to Databricks Migration Accelerator delivers a range of significant benefits that go beyond just simplifying the migration process:

1. Cost Efficiency: By consolidating your data platform from Synapse to Databricks, your organisation will see a reduction in both operational costs and infrastructure complexity. You’ll save on licensing fees, resource management, and cloud infrastructure.

   
   

2. Seamless Transition: Our solution minimizss downtime during migration. By automating key steps such as schema mapping and Power BI integration, the transition from Synapse to Databricks happens smoothly, with minimal disruption to your ongoing operations.

   
   

3. Unlock Advanced Analytics and AI: Once your data is migrated to Databricks, you’ll have access to a wide range of powerful analytics and machine learning tools that were previously unavailable or limited in Synapse. Databricks allows you to build and deploy advanced AI models, conduct real-time analytics, and scale your data processes to meet the demands of your business.

   
   

4. Improved Data Accessibility: With Databricks at the heart of your data infrastructure, your data scientists, analysts and business teams will have easier access to the data they need, with a more streamlined, user-friendly interface. The collaborative nature of Databricks also fosters greater teamwork and faster decision making.

   
   

5. Data Integrity and Security: Data integrity is paramount during any migration. Cloudaeon’s solution ensures that your data is carefully validated and tested throughout the process. We also adhere to the highest security standards, ensuring that sensitive data is protected at every stage of the migration.

   
   

6. Scalability: Databricks offers a flexible, scalable platform that grows with your business. As your data needs expand, Databricks can handle increased data volumes and complex workloads without compromising performance.

Choosing Cloudaeon as you Migration Partner 

At Cloudaeon, we specialise in helping organisations streamline their data architecture, optimize workflows and unlock the power of modern analytics platforms. Our Synapse to Databricks Migration Accelerator is specifically designed to make this transition smooth, cost effective, and fast.

By leveraging our automation tools and accelerators, your business can reduce the complexity of managing two platforms and take full advantage of the advanced capabilities Databricks offers. We take care of the migration process from start to finish, ensuring your transition to Databricks is as seamless and efficient as possible.

Are you ready to migrate to Databricks?

Contact Cloudaeon today to learn more about our Synapse to Databricks Migration Accelerator and how we can help your business reduce costs, improve data accessibility, and accelerate innovation.

Let us guide you through a seamless, automated migration process that enhances your data infrastructure, drives business efficiency and propels your organisation towards a future of advanced analytics and AI driven insights.