Cloud Migration – Key Steps

Business leaders around the world are replacing legacy on-premise technologies with the flexible, scalable, and cost-effective computing power of the Cloud. From reducing IT costs to accelerating innovation, there are many compelling reasons to begin the migration process. However, such a transition is not easy without a well-developed plan and access to expert knowledge. Today, we reveal how to migrate to the Cloud the right way.    

When should you move your business to the Cloud?

Cloud migration is a significant undertaking, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Here are a few signs that the time is right.   Outdated technology Cloud migration is a much more cost-effective option for companies than investing in expensive IT hardware. Cloud solutions also provide access to cutting-edge technologies.   Technology that cannot keep up with company growth Keeping up with the demands of a growing business is not easy. A common problem is dealing with a lack of disk space on local devices. Migrating data to the Cloud, which provides the ability to scale efficiently, is a way to avoid this challenge.   Lack of a Disaster Recovery Plan Cloud computing allows you to transfer all critical data to external servers. In the event of loss due to accidental deletion or a cybersecurity incident, the data will remain easily accessible. High IT costs Managing local IT infrastructure for small and medium-sized businesses is very expensive. Over time, server warranties also expire. Due to cybersecurity concerns, extending these warranties is necessary, which leads to additional expenses. Partnering with a Cloud provider will help reduce the costs associated with maintaining IT infrastructure.   Remote staff Cloud migration enables employees to freely use home office options, which positively impacts team morale and helps maintain a work-life balance.

Why should you move your company to the Cloud?

Migrating data to the Cloud provides numerous benefits related to, among other things, RPA/RPAaaS or environmental protection. Understanding these is key to making an informed decision regarding Cloud migration. Below, we have listed the most important ones. Cost-efficiency and scalability The Cloud helps improve a company’s financial performance, among other things, by providing the ability to scale without the need to invest in expensive local infrastructure. Moreover, as you continue to use it, the business benefits will continue to grow. Performance and reliability Downtime can cause serious problems and generate significant costs. Partnering with any of the major Cloud service providers is therefore much more sensible than relying solely on your own servers and IT infrastructure. Security Taking extra steps to protect against cybercriminals is crucial for companies. To ensure information security, data in the Cloud is monitored 24/7, encrypted, and backed up multiple times in various data centers, while applications are updated on an ongoing basis.    

What are the most common problems with moving a company to the Cloud?

In addition to the benefits, Cloud migration can involve a number of challenges. These are most often the result of a lack of strategy and action plan. Moving blindly can significantly prolong the entire process and negatively affect cost optimization. Therefore, it is crucial to find the right IT partner/service provider.

How to choose a partner for moving your company to the Cloud?

Before choosing an external company and starting a partnership, it is worth paying attention to aspects such as:

• extensive experience in migrating to private, public, and hybrid clouds,
• application of so-called best practices,
• know-how regarding cultural changes and their impact on end-users,
• availability of transparent, real-time reports on migration progress,
• collaboration with industry-leading migration tool providers,
• flexibility in terms of nearshore and offshore delivery,
• provision of a proof-of-concept that justifies how new technologies will fit into current and future business goals and allows you to check if existing resources can be used to maximize return on investment.

   

Cloud migration strategies

Gartner has described five models of Cloud migration, known as the “5R” (Rehost, Refactor, Revise, Rebuild, Replace). Below is a brief presentation of them. Rehosting, or lift and shift Rehosting is otherwise known as the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model. It involves moving existing databases and applications to servers in the Cloud. It is easy to execute and therefore suitable for organizations less familiar with cloud environments. It is also a good option in cases where it is difficult to modify the code, but it is necessary to keep the application intact. Refactoring, or re-architect and shift Refactoring involves fine-tuning and optimizing applications for the Cloud. In this case, the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model is used. The underlying architecture of the application remains unchanged, but adjustments are made to enable better use of Cloud-based tools.   Revise, or improve The “Revise” strategy translates into significant changes in architecture and code. These are intended to allow applications full access to cloud services. This approach requires extensive planning and advanced knowledge.   Rebuild, or rebuild and gain The “Rebuild” methodology completely discards the existing codebase and replaces it with a new one. This process is time-consuming and is only considered when companies decide that their existing solutions do not meet current business needs. Replace, or replace instead of moving Finally, in the “Replace” strategy, as the name suggests, all elements of old systems are replaced with new ones. The only thing that is moved in its original form is the data. However, in this case, the company does not create a native application itself but uses a ready-made solution from an external provider.    

Cloud migration… Google? How to migrate to the Cloud – step by step

The migration process itself should consist of four stages: planning, business justification, execution, and ongoing maintenance. In other words, you should, among other things:

• define the goals the cloud environment will serve,
• conduct an analysis of factors that will be critical for migration (such as critical application data),
• determine what tools will be needed,
• familiarize yourself with the relevant services offered by Cloud providers and their costs,
• prepare a list of expected benefits,
• calculate the TCO for each application to be moved to the Cloud,
• estimate future expenses,
• collaborate with Cloud providers to learn about cost-saving options for the proposed deployment,
• carry out the migration with minimal disruption to daily work, at the lowest cost, and in the shortest possible time,
• synchronize changes made to source data during the migration,
• assess data security at rest,
• monitor data in real-time and perform ongoing performance and availability tests.