7 Key Tips For Preparing For A Cloud Migration

Businesses today are utilizing cloud technology. It is worth considering to level up your business and maintain an edge in a highly competitive industry. Among the latest technological trends, cloud migration is gaining popularity, which involves moving a company’s digital assets, databases, services, applications, and IT resources either partially or completely into the cloud. Once you decide to streamline daily operations, shifting to the cloud may be a wise move. 

That’s what many businesses have been doing recently, and it’s something that your business should consider as well. If you still hesitate, you may want to learn more about the benefits of cloud migration, such as streamlined data management and overall performance.

Transitioning to the cloud can be challenging, but being ready will make the entire process manageable. Remember that the transition to the cloud can bring about several benefits to your organization in the long run. Here are several key pointers to keep in mind when preparing for cloud migration.

1. Establish Both Individual And Team Responsibilities

One of the initial preparatory tasks is to organize those who’ll play a role during the transition. Generally, it involves designating roles and responsibilities, so you have a cloud migration team ready. 

The head of the team is a migration architect. It’s crucial to note that the migration architect is responsible for planning and strategizing the entire cloud migration process, executing high-level decisions, and determining how and what to refactor for the cloud. 

In addition to the migration architect, you’ll assign specialists to assist in navigating various aspects such as compliance, security, and many more. 

2. Decide On The Level Of Cloud Integration

In cloud integration, there are two levels—shallow and deep. Every level has its perks and drawbacks. It’s the responsibility of the migration architect to decide which approach to take. Remember that the decision should be under careful thought since it can have a significant impact on the timeline of the transition process. 

Shallow cloud integration involves moving an on-site application to the cloud with minimal changes. An advantage of this approach is that it’s timely and affordable. However, your application needs more optimization for cloud-based operation. Sadly, you’ll miss out on cloud-based features such as distributed workloads and auto-scalability.

Deep cloud integration includes re-platforming and restructuring. In simple terms, it involves rewriting an application to ensure it is compatible and optimized for the cloud. This approach takes time and requires a sizeable investment, but the end product is an application that caters to all cloud capabilities.

3. Select A Single Or Multi-Cloud Approach

If you’re going to migrate to the cloud, you need to choose a cloud provider. You can select a single-cloud or multi-cloud approach during the process. 

A single-cloud approach is relatively straightforward. Once you decide on the cloud provider to work with, it involves optimizing your application to function in a cloud environment. Generally, it requires you to learn only one application programming interface (API). 

For a multi-cloud approach, you have several routes to consider. The simplest is utilizing one cloud provider for one application and a different one for another. 

4. Determine The Cloud Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The key performance indicators (KPIs) are crucial in determining the success of cloud migration. Before starting the transition, make it a priority to establish your metrics for success.

In most cases, the metrics include how well the migration should go and what the status will be once the migration is completed. The migration architect oversees the setting and monitoring of KPIs and keeps everyone in the loop for its progress.

5. Keep The Migration Components In Mind

Depending on the scale of your company, you may have to decide if you’ll migrate the entire application at once or by component or service. Remember that migration doesn’t have to transpire all at once. 

If you migrate an application one component or service at a time, it may be best to organize and prioritize each aspect of your application. Some components depend on others, which is something to keep in mind. As the migration starts, prioritize elements with the least dependence on others since they’re the easiest to relocate to the cloud.

6. Outline The Migration Steps

Once everything is in place, the migration architect can develop the actual migration plan. It details the necessary steps to migrate from start to completion. Depending on the scale of your business, a migration plan can cover several actions, including the synchronization of data the workload requires, validation of the completed migration, implementation of workload monitoring, and the creation of contingency plans. 

7. Reassess Resource Allocation

Even after completing the migration, it’s crucial to review the resource allocation of your application. One of the perks of the cloud is that it enables the dynamic allocation of resources, in which you can add and remove the servers you need and only pay for what you’re using. 

Final Thoughts

The cloud migration process can be a complex one. However, it’s a crucial move to consider if you want to streamline daily operations and maintain a competitive edge among industry peers. These insightful preparatory measures will serve as your guide if you’re looking to transition to the cloud.