Legacy Data Conversion for California Law Enforcement Agency

A mid-sized police department in California's Central Valley was facing significant challenges with their aging IBM iSeries OS/400 platform. With imminent migration to a Motorola public safety system, the agency needed to preserve decades of critical law enforcement data while ensuring seamless access to historical records in the new environment.

The agency's records management system contained vital historical data stored in an obsolete IBM iSeries environment. With limited documentation and specialized expertise, they faced multiple challenges:

• Extracting data from an aging IBM iSeries OS/400 platform with approximately 180 DB2 files across multiple libraries
• Preserving data integrity during extraction to maintain chain of custody for critical law enforcement records
• Meeting strict timeline requirements to align with their Motorola system implementation
• Managing the migration with limited in-house technical resources and expertise in legacy systems

The agency needed a partner with specialized iSeries expertise who could design and implement a reliable extraction methodology while working within strict public safety data handling requirements.

CONVX approached this critical migration through a methodical two-phase process:

Phase 1: Comprehensive Assessment

CONVX conducted an in-depth assessment of the source systems, including:

• Remote access verification to the agency's IBM iSeries environment
• Creation of a detailed inventory of all source data files and metadata
• Documentation of data structures and relationships
• Verification of backup compatibility with the migration environment
• Identification of potential conversion challenges and mitigation strategies

This assessment phase eliminated execution and budget risk by providing exact costs and timeline for the full data conversion project.

Phase 2: Conversion Implementation

Based on the assessment findings, CONVX implemented a robust data conversion solution:

• Deployment of a secure on-premises migration environment
• Development of custom export routines to accurately extract the DB2 data
• Implementation of automated verification processes to validate data integrity
• Creation of a repeatable process supporting multiple extraction iterations
• Secure transfer of extracted data to the agency's Motorola system

The conversion strategy preserved complete data fidelity while requiring minimal source system changes, allowing the agency to maintain normal operations during the migration process.

• Source System: IBM iSeries OS/400 with DB2 database
• Data Volume: 180+ DB2 files across multiple libraries
• Migration Tools: Custom-developed iSeries extraction utilities
• Target Format: CSV flat files compatible with Motorola data conversion
• Security: Compliant with law enforcement data handling requirements

The CONVX solution delivered significant benefits to the agency:

• Complete Data Preservation: Successfully migrated 100% of in-scope data from the legacy system
• Risk Reduction: Methodical assessment eliminated uncertainty around costs and timelines
• Timeline Adherence: All project milestones met on schedule
• Multiple Data Refreshes: Supported four complete migration iterations to ensure data currency
• Operational Continuity: Agency maintained full operations throughout the migration

This project highlights CONVX's unique capabilities in complex data migration:

• Legacy System Expertise: Specialized knowledge of IBM iSeries environments and DB2 database structures
• Methodical Approach: Comprehensive assessment phase eliminated execution and budget risk
• Custom Development: Purpose-built extraction tools designed specifically for the agency's unique environment
• End-to-End Management: Complete project oversight from assessment through final data delivery
• Public Safety Experience: Understanding of the specialized requirements for law enforcement data
• Technical Depth: Certified expertise across diverse technology domains

By partnering with CONVX, the agency successfully preserved their critical historical data while enabling a smooth transition to their modern Motorola system. This project demonstrates CONVX's ability to bridge legacy systems with modern platforms through careful planning, specialized expertise, and meticulous execution.