Data Warehouse & Database Migration
Quant Solvent migrates legacy data platforms to modern ones — Teradata to Databricks, on-prem SQL Server to managed cloud — with the unglamorous parts done properly: parallel-run validation, dependency inventory, staged cutover, and a cost model you can defend to finance.
What is involved in a Teradata to Databricks migration?
Four workstreams, in order: (1) inventory and translation — schemas, BTEQ scripts, and stored procedures mapped to Delta Lake / Lakehouse equivalents; (2) data movement with validation — row counts, checksums, and aggregate reconciliation, automated; (3) downstream rebuild — orchestration, BI connections, and consumers repointed; (4) staged cutover — both platforms run in parallel until reconciliation proves equivalence, then the legacy system is decommissioned.
A Lakehouse is a data architecture that stores data in open formats on cloud object storage (e.g., Delta Lake) while providing warehouse-grade SQL, governance, and performance on top — the standard landing zone for Teradata exits because it serves BI and AI workloads from one platform.
Where do migrations actually go wrong?
Not in the technology. They fail on silent data discrepancies (a translated procedure that's almost right) and undocumented dependencies (the report nobody mentioned until it broke). Both have the same cure: automated reconciliation during a parallel-run window, and a dependency inventory before anything is shut off. We treat validation as the core deliverable, not a checkbox.
What we deliver
- Migration assessment: inventory, complexity scoring, sequencing, and a realistic cost/timeline model
- Schema and code translation (Teradata SQL/BTEQ → Databricks; on-prem SQL → cloud-managed SQL)
- Automated validation framework — reconciliation reports your auditors can read
- Cutover plan with rollback criteria, run in parallel until proven
- Post-migration cost optimization — right-sizing compute so the new bill beats the old one
Frequently asked questions
How risky is a data warehouse migration?
The risk concentrates in silent data discrepancies and undocumented downstream dependencies. Both are managed with automated reconciliation during a parallel-run period and a dependency inventory before anything is decommissioned. Migrations fail from skipped validation, not from the technology.
Why do companies leave Teradata?
Cost and flexibility. Teradata licensing and hardware are expensive relative to consumption-priced cloud platforms, and modern workloads — streaming, ML, AI — fit a Lakehouse better than a closed appliance. The math usually works when a license renewal is approaching.
Can a solo consultant really run a warehouse migration?
For the scoping, translation tooling, validation framework, and technical leadership — yes, with less coordination overhead than a large-firm bench. Where a migration needs more hands for mechanical translation, we say so in the Statement of Work and structure accordingly.
Get a migration assessment before you commit
Tell us what you're running and what it costs. You'll get a candid read on feasibility, sequencing, and price — with a same-day Statement of Work.
Book a 30-minute intro call Prefer email? clayton@quantsolvent.co