The Ask: Migrating a Decade of Clinical Trials Data

In 2014, Lightetech Consulting was engaged to migrate an aging, in-house-built LIMS to STARLIMS, a more modern and robust solution. The existing system lacked key features such as comprehensive auditing, traceability, and quality assurance.

The client required:

• Complete data migration from the legacy system to STARLIMS
• Seamless integration between the two systems to ensure business continuity
• Live data replication so that both systems could function in parallel until the old system was retired

With over 10 years of active clinical trials data stored in a complex database, the project required a highly strategic approach to ensure accuracy, integrity, and zero downtime.

The Challenges: Complexity, Scale & Live Data Synchronization

The project posed several technical and operational challenges:

• Large & Complex Database – The legacy system stored a vast amount of data spread across hundreds of tables, many of which were still actively in use.
• Structural Mismatches – The data models of the old and new systems were vastly different; a single entity in the legacy system often needed to be split across multiple tables in STARLIMS.
• Live Data Replication – The old system could not be immediately decommissioned, requiring continuous data synchronization between both platforms.
• Scalability & Performance – The migration process had to support high-volume data processing, while also being transparent and easy to troubleshoot.
• Zero Business Disruptions – Any downtime or data loss could severely impact clinical trials, requiring a risk-free transition strategy.
• Data Integrity verification - Some of the data contained important, subject and patient information, any issue could potentially impact patient safety

The Solution: Automated, Scalable & Transparent Migration

To address these challenges, Lightetech Consulting assisted in a custom migration framework that ensured a smooth, automated, and scalable data transition:

1. Intelligent Data Mapping & Migration Pipelines

•  Conducted an in-depth data analysis to map legacy data structures to STARLIMS equivalents.
•  Used database queueing mechanisms to efficiently batch process large datasets.
•  Ensured data transformation rules were built to preserve integrity, relationships, and auditability.

2. Live Data Replication & Parallel System Operation

•  Implemented a real-time synchronization layer, allowing dual data entry—ensuring all new records in one system were immediately reflected in the other.
•  Developed a transparent troubleshooting mechanism that allowed administrators to track and resolve replication issues without disruptions.
•  Designed the architecture to be scalable and load-adaptive, distributing processing across multiple parallel units to handle fluctuating data loads.

3. Proven Scalability & Future Expansion

•  Once the migration was successfully completed, the same framework was reused to integrate STARLIMS with another LIMS solution—LabVantage, used as a bio-repository, form same client as a result of a corporate merger
•  This demonstrated that the methodology was robust and reusable, cutting implementation time significantly for future integrations.

What Happened After: A Long-Term Success Story

• Seamless System Transition – All legacy LIMS data was successfully migrated into STARLIMS, enabling the company to benefit from advanced tracking, auditing, and automation.
• Live Replication Worked Flawlessly – The dual-entry system functioned for years, ensuring a zero-downtime transition until the old system was fully decommissioned.
• Scalability for Future Integrations – The same proven migration mechanism was later adapted and deployed for STARLIMS to integrate with LabVantage, streamlining bio-repository management.
• Minimal Business Disruption – The entire migration was executed without major disruptions, preserving the integrity and accessibility of critical clinical trials data.

The Takeaway

This project reinforced the importance of partnering with an experienced, specialized team for complex enterprise data migrations. By choosing Lightetech Consulting,you can benefit from a tested, scalable, and expertly managed migration strategy—a solution far superior to an in-house or unproven approach.