A seamless, customizable migration solution for moving your SolarWinds Service Desk data with perfect fidelity and minimal disruption.
Book free consultationLast updated August 2026
These are the architectural mismatches and technical hurdles specific to a SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako migration.
SWSD's hierarchical ITIL entity graph — incidents linked to problems, problems linked to changes, changes linked to releases — must be flattened into Kayako's structureless conversation model, permanently destroying all inter-entity relationship data.
Kayako's single-case create endpoint does not accept a writable `created_at` field, requiring use of the bulk cases endpoint (`POST /api/v1/bulk/cases.json`) to preserve historical incident timestamps during import.
Kayako exposes no PATCH endpoint, meaning all post-creation updates require a full object PUT, and omitting any field from the payload can silently null it out — requiring a fetch-then-merge pattern before every update operation.
SWSD's REST API uses offset-based pagination with a maximum page size of 200, causing significant server-side scan overhead at high page offsets, which materially slows extraction of large tenants exceeding tens of thousands of records.
SWSD attachment download URLs are authenticated and cannot be passed directly to Kayako; every binary file must be individually downloaded from SWSD and re-uploaded to Kayako, compounding migration time and storage bandwidth requirements.
SWSD categories and subcategories follow a hierarchical tree structure that must be collapsed into Kayako's flat tag or custom field system, causing permanent loss of any parent-child categorical relationships.
Our migration engineer precisely maps every data point from SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako, ensuring perfect continuity for your customer support operations.
Looking for more entity mappings?
Contact our teamMigration between platforms is full of edge cases. Our engineers have identified every risk from SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako and built proven solutions for each one.
“The ease of the process and that ClonePartner was informing me what was going on at every step. If you're on the fence, do it. ClonePartner are great!”
“They were SO helpful. We had a few hiccups because our migration was in the middle of the process, but they were really flexible and did multiple delta migrations for us. We were able to map a lot of our old ticket data so it's usable for comparisons in the future.”
“Overall a great experience. We had to go back a few times to get everything just right, which was totally expected. The transition was smooth, and there was no data loss.”
“One of the easiest migrations I've ever been through. The team took care of everything — all our data, customer interactions and macros. The process was clear, straightforward and we felt supported all the way. An absolutely seamless experience for our support team and our customers.”
“Fantastic at both guiding us through the process and helping us fix things as they come up and dial them in.”
Tailor your migration from SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako exactly to your needs with our flexible customization options. Our experts will configure the perfect migration plan for your business.
Migration Filters
Conversation Type
Filter by chat, email, or social media conversations
Tag-Based Selection
Migrate tickets with specific tags only
User Selection
Migrate tickets for specific users or agents
Time Range
Migrate tickets from a specific time period
Data Types
Tickets & Conversations
Full conversation history with all metadata
Automations & Macros
Workflows, templates, and automation rules
Knowledge Base
Articles, categories, and help center content
Customer Profiles
Customer information and interaction history
A dedicated engineer runs your migration, planned around your schedule and your data.
No babysitting a wizard. Avoid debugging errors yourself.
Looking for a more detailed migration timeline?
Contact our teamSpeed
The migration timeline depends on both our turnaround time and yours.
We can complete a migration in under a day when the accounts are connected and the sample migration is approved promptly.
Background Sync
We also support migrating the newest records first, so you can go live faster while the rest of the data is synced in the background.
Data Volume Impact
Larger data volumes may require longer migration windows.
Continuous Operation
Weekend migrations minimize disruption to your customer service operations.
See how long your migration will take from start to finish. Drag the slider to estimate based on your data volume.
Estimated total
~9 business days
Migration Checklist
1 day · ClonePartner ~2 days · Your teamWe prepare the optimal data mapping as a shareable spreadsheet. Your team reviews, approves, and adds any customizations.
Sample Migration
1 day · ClonePartnerWe run a test migration with a representative sample of your data to verify mapping accuracy and identify any potential issues before the full run.
Review & Approve
~2 days · Your teamYour team reviews the sample migration results, confirms data accuracy and mapping, and gives the go-ahead for the full migration.
Full Migration
2 days · ClonePartnerWe execute the complete migration of all your data to your new Kayako, with real-time progress tracking and comprehensive logging.
Delta Migration
1 day · ClonePartnerWe capture and transfer any new data that was added or updated during the main migration to ensure no data is lost. This final sync keeps everything current.
Related Guides
Complete Technical Guide
SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako Migration: Technical Guide
Only SWSD incidents map to Kayako conversations. Use the bulk cases endpoint for timestamp preservation. Archive ITSM-only objects instead of forcing a fake 1:1 mapping.
Export Guide
How to Export Data from SolarWinds Service Desk: Methods & Limits
SolarWinds Service Desk exports ~80% of data cleanly via API. Attachments, tasks, automations, and SLA policies require extra engineering work or manual rebuild.
Alternatives Guide
Top Kayako Alternatives in 2026: Features, Migration, and TCO
Freshdesk and Zoho Desk beat Kayako on TCO for most teams; Zendesk wins for enterprise. Kayako One's $1/AI-resolution fee makes costs hard to predict at scale.
Choosing the right approach is key because migrating from SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako isn't just about moving data – it's about protecting customer relationships.
| Feature / Criteria | ClonePartner | Automated Tools | CSV Import | In-house migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Scripting for complex data | ✓ Engineers build & maintain | ✗ No | ⚠ Manual | ✓ Yes – but costly |
| Sandbox & Pilot Migrations | ✓ Full sandbox + pilot plans | ⚠ Limited | ✗ No | ⚠ Often Informal |
| Manual validation & reconciliation | ✓ Automated + manual QA | ✗ No | ✓ Yes (Manual) | ✓ Heavy manual effort |
| Backup & rollback plan | ✓ Robust procedures | ✗ No | ✗ No | ⚠ Often incomplete |
| Handles automation and integrations | ✓ Full support | ⚠ Partial | ✗ No | ⚠ Possible but fragmented |
| Post-migration engineer support | ✓ Dedicated engineers | ✗ No | ✗ No | ⚠ Limited SLA |
| Adaptable to API changes | ✓ Proactive adaptation | ✗ No | ⚠ Manual fixes | ⚠ Slower response |
| Turnaround / SLA predictability | ✓ Predictable SLAs | ⚠ Fast but brittle | ⚠ Slow and manual | ⚠ Often slower |
| Data Security & Compliance | ✓ High – enterprise grade | ⚠ Medium (depends) | ⚠ Low (manual) | ⚠ Hidden gaps common |
| Pricing predictability | ✓ Transparent & fixed | ⚠ Low (per-job) | ⚠ Low (manual hours) | ⚠ High/variable OPEX |
| End-to-end project management | ✓ Full E2E delivery & PM | ✗ No | ✗ No | ⚠ Often partial |
| Business impact & opportunity cost | ✓ No diversion of staff | ✗ No | ✗ No | ⚠ Diverts engineering |
We blend automation (smart scripts, bulk APIs) with human expertise for speed without risk. Our engineers manually check every mapping, validation, and exception.
You get:
The SolarWinds Service Desk and Kayako APIs each behave differently, which is where our engineers shine. We build custom logic to handle the data quirks where generic tools typically break.
We handcraft API logic for:
We don't just promise smooth migrations—we measure and prove them. Every client receives a Migration Validation Report with all metrics.
Typical results across projects:
No two teams configure SolarWinds Service Desk or Kayako exactly the same way—with unique automations and data. We customize every migration script to fit your exact workflow, tags, and triggers.
Our engineers adapt for:
Your customer data is precious. Our migration process maintains the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance.
SOC 2 Type II
Independently audited compliance with rigorous security standards
ISO 27001
Certified information security management system
GDPR
Full compliance with EU data protection regulations
HIPAA
Certified for handling protected health information
AES-256 Encryption
Bank-grade encryption for all stored credentials
Latest TLS
Secure transfer protocol for all data in transit
Role-Based Access
We follow role-based access control for every migration project
Scheduled Deletion
Automatic data purging after migration completion
Everything you need to know about migrating from SolarWinds Service Desk to Kayako. Can't find what you're looking for? Talk to our team.
Still have questions?
Book a free 30-minute consultation with our migration engineers. We'll walk you through the exact approach for your SolarWinds Service Desk→Kayako migration.
Join hundreds of businesses who have successfully migrated with ClonePartner. Let's discuss your migration needs and build a plan that works for you.
Book free consultationWe meticulously handle every aspect of your migration, ensuring no data is lost during transfer and mapping every field correctly between platforms.
Every business is unique. We tailor your migration strategy to match your specific requirements, workflows, and data structures.
Your customer data is handled with enterprise-grade security protocols, ensuring compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and industry standards.