Feature Flagging to Mitigate Risk in Database Migrations

Database migration can be a daunting task for developers, but feature flags can make the process easier and safer. By using feature flags to control reading and writing to each database independently, developers can test their new data store with real, live data while maintaining the integrity of the old store. This approach allows for gradual rollout and monitoring of performance metrics and error logs, ensuring a smooth transition from one database to another. LaunchDarkly successfully implemented this technique during a recent migration from MongoDB to DynamoDB, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.