In the data management landscape, NetSuite and Snowflake are two leading tools. While NetSuite is known for its customer relationship management capabilities, Snowflake stores data efficiently on a large scale. The different strengths of both platforms complement each other, making the migration from one tool to another a strategic decision. When you connect both platforms, you can leverage NetSuite's business management tools with Snowflake's real-time storage and advanced analytics capabilities. This article will discuss two easy ways to migrate data from NetSuite to Snowflake.

NetSuite Overview

NetSuite is a software company known for developing cloud-based business management tools. It offers a suite of applications to run businesses, track performance, and drive efficiency. The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system of NetSuite is an all-in-one business management software. It allows you to operate more effectively by automating core processes and providing real-time operational and financial performance visibility. By using a single environment for providing different services like accounting, inventory management, warehouse operations, order processing, and supply chain management, NetSuite gives clear visibility of your business data.

Snowflake Overview

Created in 2012, Snowflake provides data engineering, analytics, warehousing, application development, and secure sharing solutions in one environment. However, it is most commonly used for data warehousing because of its robust features, such as separating storage and computing resources, and its auto-scalability. Snowflake also leverages the infrastructure of major cloud providers, including Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure, promoting platform independence. With more than 8500 clients globally, it is an ideal choice for businesses seeking unified data management services

Why Migrate from NetSuite to Snowflake?

NetSuite to Snowflake integration is driven by the specific needs of features and functionalities of Snowflake. Here are some of the reasons why you might want to migrate data between both platforms: 

• Dedicated Storage System: Snowflake allows you to centralize your customer and product data from Netsuite into a storage system that is specifically designed to store and handle data. By migrating your data to a dedicated data warehouse, you can leverage many additional features like historical analysis, data cloning, scalable storage, and computing.
• ‍Large-Scale Data Analysis: NetSuite is primarily designed as an ERP system offering basic data warehousing and reporting capabilities, which are only suitable for small to intermediate datasets. On the other hand, Snowflake provides a platform for storing and managing huge datasets in real-time. That's why organizations that have exceeded their data processing capabilities in NetSuite and need to perform data analysis on a large scale can benefit from Snowflake.
• ‍Integrations & Ecosystem: NetSuite supports integration, but its range primarily centers around ERP, CRM, and e-commerce. However, Snowflake supports a diverse data ecosystem, offering extensive integration with various tools, including business intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics.
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Methods to Migrate Data from NetSuite to Snowflake

• Method 1: Using Airbyte to move data from NetSuite to Snowflake
• Method 2: Using CSV file Export/Import to manually migrate data from NetSuite to Snowflake

Method 1: Using Airbyte to Move Data from NetSuite to Snowflake

Airbyte is a widely known data integration tool for synchronizing various tools and platforms. Using a library of over 350+ pre-built connectors, it is designed to automate the connection between any source and destination, including NetSuite to Snowflake integration. Here is a detailed guide to how you can use Airbyte to move data from Netsuit to Snowflake within a few clicks: 

Step 1: Set NetSuite as the Source

• Create an Airbyte account or log in to an existing one.
• In the dashboard, select the Sources tab from the left navigation bar.

• Next, look for the search field at the top of the Sources page and type in NetSuite.
• Click on the NetSuite connector card as it appears.

• You'll be directed to the Create a Source page of NetSuite. Fill in the following fields: Realm (Account Id), Consumer Key, Consumer Secret, Token Key (Token Id), Token Secret, and Start Date. 

• Configure other Optional fields and click on Set up source. 

Step 2: Set Snowflake as Destination

• Now click on the Destinations tab from the left navigation bar. 
• On the Destinations page, type in Snowflake in the search field. 
• Click on the Snowflake connector card.

• You'll see the Create a destination page. Fill in fields including Host, Role, Database, Warehouse, Default_Schema, and Username.
• Next, scroll down to Authorization Method and select OAuth2.0, Key Pair Authentication, Username, and Password.

• You may configure other optional fields and then click on Set up destination. 

Step 3: Create a Connection to Sync NetSuite and Snowflake

• Now that you have configured NetSuite as the source and Snowflake as the destination, you must establish a connection between them.
• Simply select the Create a new connection option after creating the destination or click on the Connections tab from the left navigation menu.

• Select NetSuite as the source (Step 1) and Snowflake as the destination (Step 2). 
• Click on Create a connection. 
• Provide a unique Connection name on the Create a connection page. 
• Configure other details, including Replication frequency, Sync mode, and Streams section. 
• Lastly, click Set up connection > Sync now to start synchronization between NetSuite and Snowflake. 

That's all it takes to migrate NetSuite data to the Snowflake warehouse using Airbyte.

Method 2: Using CSV Files to Migrate Data from NetSuite to Snowflake Manually

In this method, you will see how to manually move data from NetSuite to Snowflake. First, you must export all the data from NetSuite using Full CSV Export, then import the data in the Snowflake database by manually creating a table. While performing this process, you have to ensure that the structure of the Snowflake table matches the structure of the CSV file you exported from NetSuite. Here's a detailed guide:

Prerequisites

• Access to NetSuite
• Access to Snowsight

Step 1: Export Data From NetSuite in a CSV file

• Login to the NetSuite web user interface. 
• Look at the top right corner of the home page and click on Setup. 
• From the drop-down menu, click on Import/Export > Export Tasks > Full CSV Export. 
• Click on Submit.
• A File Download popup will appear. Select Save this file to disk and then OK.
• Give a unique name to the file in the Save As window.
• The file will be downloaded as a zip on your local machine. You can extract it to access the CSV file with NetSuite data.

Step 2: Import NetSuite Data in Snowflake 

• Log in to your Snowflake account.
• In the main dashboard, look at the top left corner and select the Data > Databases option to see a list of your available databases.
• Click on the database to load NetSuite data from Step 1.
• If you don't have an existing database, click the +Database button on the top right.
• Give a unique name to your database in the menu prompt.
• A new database will appear on the list of databases. Click on the newly created database.
• Create a schema by selecting the +Schema option on the database.
• Select the schema you just created and click Create > Table > Standard. 
• An SQL interface will appear. Write a SQL query to create a new table for loading NetSuite data. Make sure the table structure matches the CSV file structure you downloaded in Step 1, or else the formatting will be different.
• Next, select the database table and click on Load Data from the top right.
• Set the file format to CSV and optionally fill in the other fields.
• The CSV file will be loaded into your Snowflake database. Preview the data to verify if the formatting meets your requirements.

That concludes the process. By carefully following the steps mentioned above, you can successfully migrate NetSuite data into Snowflake.

Limitations of Using Manual Method

• Time and Resource Intensive: The manual method can be extremely time and resource-intensive when dealing with large datasets. Exporting data, formatting it correctly, and importing it to another database requires a significant amount of time and human resources with technical expertise in both platforms.‍
• Lacks Automation: Unlike specialized data migration tools like Airbyte, the manual data replication method between NetSuite and Snowflake lacks automation capabilities. This increases the chances of task repetition, human error, and data loss.‍
• Data Structure Complexity: The data exported from NetSuite can have complex structures that might not be well represented in CSV format. Ensuring the structure is properly mapped and maintained needs complex planning and implementation.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve understood two straightforward ways to migrate NetSuite to Snowflake, you can choose the one that suits your operational needs. The first method uses Airbyte. You can use this method to automate the whole process of connecting both tools. Airbyte helps automate the whole process of data integration and is suitable for huge datasets. The other method uses a manual import/export of CSV files for migrating data between NetSuite and Snowflake. It provides more flexibility and can be used for small to intermediate datasets. You can choose either of the approaches according to your specific business needs. However, we suggest using Airbyte to seamlessly perform NetSuite to Snowflake integration.