Running both platforms while the trackers move.
Four rules for the overlap.
Keep the old account open
Don't cancel the old platform when your server goes live. You still need it for the vehicles that haven't moved, and it holds the history of those that have. Keep it for one billing cycle after the last batch.
Move one client at a time
If a client's vehicles are split across two platforms, they have two logins and two sets of reports. Move each client's fleet in one go, and leave clients with a mix of tracker models until last.
Check before the next batch
After each batch, pick one vehicle that drives a regular route and compare a full day on the new server with a similar day in its old history. Look at distance, stops and ignition times, and carry on once they line up.
Stop making changes on the old platform
While the switch is on, don't add alert rules or zones on the old platform. Make changes on your server only, so nothing has to be done twice.
Reporting to both at once.
Some trackers can send the same data to a second server. Many Teltonika models, for example, have a backup server setting with a duplicate mode. With units like these, you can leave a client on both platforms for a week, compare the two, then remove the old server from the settings.
Check your model's manual first. Plenty of units can't do this, and the ones that can will use more mobile data while it's on.
An example timetable.
Here's how a reseller with a few hundred units across a few dozen clients might do it. A smaller move takes less time, and a bigger one repeats the third week.
- Week 1
Server and imports
The server goes live, and accounts and devices are imported if your platform is supported. Your own vehicles move first.
- Week 2
Pilot client
One client moves over. For five working days, you compare their trips and alerts with the old platform.
- Week 3
Batches
The other clients move a few a day, in groups your team can support. Each one gets notice beforehand.
- Week 4
Final pass
A final import picks up new accounts and recent positions. You save the old reports, and the old account ends at its next billing date.
Questions about the overlap
What if a unit has problems after it moves?
Send it the old server address with the same command, and it goes back to reporting to the old platform. Then send us the model and IMEI, and we'll look at what reached your server.
Do I pay for both platforms during the switch?
For the overlap, yes. Plan the batches so it stays short, and cancel the old account when the last vehicle has moved and you've saved its reports. On our side, the first payment is refundable for 30 days.
Can we pause the move halfway?
Yes. Units already on your server go on reporting there, and the rest stay on the old platform. Both run side by side until you pick the move up again.
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