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Migration Overview

Migration and Batch Loading

This video (Aug 10, 2020) provides an overview of the various options available to migrate data into an Islandora installation.

Islandora Online: Islandora Migration Tools

The three main migration options are:

REST API

Why use the rest API?

  • Works anywhere: You don’t have to work on the Drupal server. Migrate from your laptop!
  • No PHP required: Use any language that can make an http request. Even cURL will do just fine.
  • JSON: Why use XML if you don’t have to?
  • Relies on Drupal’s own REST API

Visit the REST API migration documentation section for more details.

Migrate API

Why use the Migrate API?

  • You can (potentially) do everything with configs!
  • Leverage contrib module plugins.
  • Making plugins for more complex sources and processes is (relatively) simple.
  • Updating metadata is as simple as: drush mim node --update

Two tools that use the Migrate API are migrate_islandora_csv and migrate_7x_claw.

Visit the Migrate API migration documentation section for more details.

Islandora Workbench

Why use the Migrate API?

  • More tailored for end users with less technical knowledge or limited server access.
  • Uses Islandora’s REST API
  • Runs on your computer
  • “CSVs and a pile of scans”
  • Cross Platform - Python

Visit the Islandora Workbench migration documentation section for more details.

Last update: June 25, 2025