Once you've decided to migrate from an earlier version of Odoo to a newer one, you'll need to answer the following questions to establish the best migration strategy.

·         Do you have any custom or third-party Odoo modules?

·         What kind of server hosting service do you use?

·         What version of your system do you have?

·         When do you want the migration to happen?

·         How many and how complicated are the customizations in your system?

·         What is the difference between your system's original and target versions?

The answers to these questions will assist you in determining the best migration approach and scheduling the work required for your Odoo migration. You should determine which actions from the list below are required for your system.

Examine the new system, its modifications, and its features rigorously.

Odoo evolves and improves with each new release. It introduces new functionality, and it's critical to understand how these changes affect the system and current features. If you're using an older version, chances are you'll have to customize it in your system because some features aren't available. However, this functionality may have been introduced to the latest version as a result of customer input.

Analyze the Customizations

During each migration, it's critical to compare your custom modules and what they add/change in the system to the new Odoo capabilities. It aids in the removal of stiff modules that are no longer required in your system. This technique can save you money (since you won't have to upgrade the customized modules) and make your users' lives easier (because they won't see redundant information and fields, for example).

If you are using third-party services or modules, it is necessary to evaluate the level of customization and how much work it will require. Among the customizations, you need to check whether that feature or module is default now. If yes, will it offer the same functionality, or do you need changes? Further, you need to list the number of such customizations at a place.

It may be necessary to tweak your company's process from time to time.

It's time to update the code once you've determined which custom modules need to be changed in the newer old version. Some modules can be used nearly immediately (with only minor changes to the manifest file), while others may require more extensive modifications.

Make a Plan

You should be ready to upgrade your database once you've verified that your customization have been upgraded, you've decided not to use them anymore, or you don't have any custom modules installed in your database. Depending on the hosting solution you're using, the upgrade process may differ.

To begin with, we need to plan. We need to examine your current data and comprehend how to structure it after Odoo data migration. It will give you a general understanding of the business needs.

You should take some time to complete your study and prepare for the migration because the migration script normally matures between 4-6 months of its release. It's not a good idea to start using a new version of Odoo right away after it's been released.

Make a Data Backup

To ensure the safety of all your essential data, we need to create a backup before beginning the Odoo migration services or processes. This Odoo backup will allow you to secure all the necessary data in case files get damaged during migration. If you don’t have any data backup module, you can use Odoo Database Backup for your Odoo 16 migration.

Migration

Next comes the Odoo upgrade services. Here, the data, modules, and apps are fully migrated from Odoo XX to 16, and their duration entirely depends upon the size and complexity of the data.

Odoo migration services are incomplete without proper testing before deploying them to the client’s server. Testing checks whether all the apps, data, and modules are migrated successfully or not. Additionally, this is a crucial step in data migration because it decides if there are any errors, crashes, data loss, etc.

Testing : Database Schema Comparison

You need to check the database schema after Odoo upgradation, you must compare it to the new schema and make the necessary changes.

Manual Intervention

If you have modified or updated your database structure (added or removed tables/columns), you must add them manually after the Odoo data migration.

Validate the Upgrade

Test the updates using a ‘Sandbox,’ in a test environment, etc.