Applications Are Key!

In our last post, we discussed the foundation of your Move Playbook—building your Master Inventory and Application Inventory in parallel with other critical tasks.

This week, we’re diving deeper into what may be the most important aspect of your data center move: your Application Inventory.

Why? Because your business depends on applications. Knowing what can be down—and for how long—directly impacts your move priorities, sequencing, and success.

Why Application Inventories Matter

Applications aren’t just software—they are the lifeline of your business operations and customer interactions. Without an accurate understanding of your applications and their requirements, you risk downtime, security breaches, and operational chaos.

That’s why documenting downtime allowances for each application is non-negotiable. It gives you clarity on which systems move first, which must stay live, and how to communicate with stakeholders.

A Proven Method for Segmenting Applications

Based on decades of experience moving applications across data centers, here’s a structured way to segment and track them:

1. Membership

Designate whether each application is customer-facing or internal.

• Helps prioritize downtime allowances
• Guides stakeholder communication
• Identifies which apps can move together

2. Type

Classify applications by function:

• Web server
• File transfer server
• Database server
• Mail server
• Application server
• File server

This ensures you know what skill sets are required during the move.

3. Security

Record specific security requirements, including:

• Single or two-factor authentication
• Firewall zone
• Regulatory compliance needs
• Internal policy restrictions

Moves often expose new security concerns, so plan resources accordingly.

4. Dependencies

This is where it gets complex. Many applications rely on:

• Databases
• File servers
• External connectivity
• Third-party integrations

Document what you know. For complicated applications, bring in experts to uncover hidden dependencies.

⚠️ Caution: Application Discovery can be expensive—but Application Ignorance can be fatal to your data center move.

Why Experience Matters

Electronic Transport Corp. has over 20 years of experience helping organizations capture and manage both Master Inventories and Application Inventories for successful data center moves.

Ready to Build Your Application Inventory?

Don’t risk downtime, delays, or lost data. Get expert help building the backbone of your Move Playbook.

📞 Contact Electronic Transport Corp. today for a No Obligation Consultation.