# Choosing a migration strategy
<a name="migration-strategy"></a>

When transitioning to Iceberg format, the choice between in-place and full migration is crucial. To determine the most suitable approach for your specific needs, consider the following questions and recommendations:


| Question | Recommendation | 
| --- | --- | 
| **What is the data file format (for example, CSV or Apache Parquet)?** |  [See the AWS documentation website for more details](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/apache-iceberg-on-aws/migration-strategy.html)  | 
| **Do you want to update or consolidate the table schema?** |  [See the AWS documentation website for more details](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/apache-iceberg-on-aws/migration-strategy.html)  | 
| **Would the table benefit from changing the partition strategy?** |  [See the AWS documentation website for more details](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/apache-iceberg-on-aws/migration-strategy.html)  | 
| **Would the table benefit from adding or changing the sort order strategy?** |  [See the AWS documentation website for more details](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/apache-iceberg-on-aws/migration-strategy.html)  | 
| **Does the table have many small files?** |  [See the AWS documentation website for more details](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/apache-iceberg-on-aws/migration-strategy.html)  |