Parse is Facebook’s cloud mobile solution. Recently, the social networking behemoth announced that it would be discontinuing Parse from January 2017. This means app developers using Parse to develop applications will have to migrate to another platform. However, this is not as easy as it sounds. A lot of considerations will have to be determined and assessed before developers can narrow down their choice of a good platform-as-a-solution in place of Parse. In addition, the migration itself can be a worrying activity if not done with expert assistance. For many developers, it can be problematic if they don’t know how to execute Parse migration.
Based on our extensive experience in working with the leading development platforms over many years, we have put together a list of things to do to handle Parse migration the expert way. Here are some tips to assist you in the migration activity.
Starting the Migration
Parse offers several features, such as push notification and login and logout that makes it a desirable backend as a services among developers. However, it is the extremely configurable database that developers tend to like. At the same time, these features are the ones that can easily be migrated to another service; and the fact that Parse is not used for complex needs, it makes the transition relatively easy and simple.
So, if your business utilizes the service of Parse cloud mobile solution, it will not be a challenging task to carry out the migration, provided you take care of these points –
Select an alternative solution whose USP seeks to address your specific business problems.
Decide on whether you can do the Parse migration in-house or would need expert assistance
Start with the migration process well before time, so that your Parse migration is completed successfully well before January 2017.
You may face an issue if you have integrated Parse with another third-party service. Under such circumstances, you may want to first define the features you absolutely need, for meeting your business objectives, and then begin limiting any damage the migration may cause.
Opt for Parse-Like Solution
Before you initiate the migration, you need a backend as a services that offers the same or similar features as Parse. You can opt for Amazon’s AWS or AWS Mobile Hub. Google also supports Firebase, while Microsoft offer Cloudmine and CloudKit through its Azure cloud.
These backend services are superior compared to the rest out there, and you will definitely have no regrets if you opt for one of them. However, before you decide on one service, check the solutions they have to offer. Some of the mission-critical features your new backend should provide include:
Clear Migration Solutions: Automated migration tools are passé. You want a service that offers a clear-cut solution, one that is reliable so that you can stick with it on a long-term basis.
User-Friendly Backend: If you have selected Parse, you obviously don’t want to be bogged down with server maintenance and backend coding. Hence, you should be looking for a backend service that is user-friendly and simple to use. Such a service should have a migration process for Parse ready so that you can read it and proceed accordingly.
Quick Resolution: The solution you choose should have the ability to resolve your problems without delay. This will lead to minimal downtime.
Review the Code: A code review is a must. It allows you to pinpoint errors in the app. You may want to execute an internal and external code review to get to the crux of issues. So perform an in-house review for your app as well as for your clients. This will let you ascertain any issues during migration and then take remedial measures to limit the damage.
With Parse shutting shop from January 2017, migration is bound to happen for organizations that are using this solution. Rather than panicking and making a hasty decision, evaluate different backend services and then select one that best suits your and your clients’ needs. You have sufficient time to do this.
