Cloud migration is the process of moving all your digital
operations to a cloud computing environment. You may look at
it like moving from a small office space to a big one. Cloud
migration does require a lot of prep work which can be
daunting, but it is worth it with all the benefits you can
enjoy in the long run.
An enterprise can execute more than one type of cloud
migration. It can either be, moving from local on-premises or
legacy infrastructure to the Cloud or moving most critical
data and applications from one cloud platform to another.
Further, we will be covering the prerequisites to move to the
Cloud, Types of cloud migration, reasons why businesses are
considering their move to the Cloud, and benefits of cloud
migration.
As per a Gartner survey, by 2026, the prediction is that
public cloud spending will exceed 45% of all enterprise IT
spending, up from less than 17% in 2021. In addition, more
than a third of businesses see cloud investments as a
top-three investing priority.
Prerequisites for Cloud Migration
Migrating to the Cloud can have its own set of challenges.
Moving digital operations in the Cloud requires businesses to
proceed with a proper plan. But before even putting a plan in
place, you need to consider the following points:
-
Ensure your application is ready for data to migrate to the
Cloud. Unready applications carry along a lot of issues
while migrating.
-
Assess the cost of migration you will incur. Most of the
processes lead to needless wastage if not appropriately
planned.
-
Select your preferences in the Cloud-based on your long term
business requirements and goals.
-
Skilled resources are a must, those who will manage your
cloud database.
-
Even after a smooth transition to the Cloud, you may face
some challenges that you have to be prepared for with a
proper backup.
-
A transparent cloud strategy must be ready, a plan that
allows for flexible and easy cloud migration.
Reasons to Migrate to the Cloud
You may come across innumerable challenges in operating and
maintaining existing servers. Therefore, your business
considers the move to migrate to the Cloud. Some reasons for
migration are listed below:
-
Sudden application traffic spikes causing lags in the
application
-
Scaling the server resources becomes difficult
- High cost involved
- High cost involved
- Data storage requirements
- Disaster recovery
-
Increased costs due to in-house disaster recovery processes
The Cloud Migration Roadmap
This may not be the exact roadmap to migrate to the cloud as
it totally depends on the size and complexity of your existing
IT infrastructure and environment. But, here are the basic
steps that one might follow:
-
Planning the migration
You first need a clear migration mindset, with no two minds
of whether to go for it or not, with clear reasons for the
move to the cloud and which strategy is best suitable.
During this stage you will start assessing your current
environment and be calculative about cloud server
requirements based on your current application requirements.
-
Choosing which Cloud environment is suitable
Now you have already taken a leap of faith and have decided
to move to the cloud, you need to decide on which cloud
model to go for – be it public cloud, private cloud, hybrid
cloud or multi-cloud, we are here to guide you depending on
your current and future needs.
-
Migrating your data and apps
Once you have progressed from the planning stage the actual
migration begins. This is one of the most critical stages
wherein you should also keep in mind the challenges of Cloud
Migration. Hence, be aware of security policies, and most
importantly plan for a backup and recovery.
-
Monitoring and validating your migration efforts
Cloud migration is not an overnight success and hence, we
need to monitor and validate the migration efforts to
analyse that everything we did has worked as it was
expected, from a technical and business perspective.
You do not need to panic about migrating your apps and data to
the cloud, if you have a Cloud Migration Service provider like
us, we will guide you through every step, thereby, helping you
sit back, relax and focus on achieving your core business
goals.
Cloud Migration Strategies Enterprises Should Adopt
Gartner research has described five strategies for
organizations considering migrating to the Cloud, known as the
5 R’s, mentioned below:
-
Scalability
Migrating to the Cloud sustains upscale as per your business
requirements. You need not pay for unused data and save
costs. It also allows you to increase and decrease resources
as per your needs.
-
Cost-effective
A proper cloud migration strategy ensures cost reduction.
This is because you do not require a local server that
incurs ongoing maintenance and support costs. You also
eliminate the need for on-site staff.
-
Remote Collaboration
Cloud means remote accessibility. All documents and
databases can be accessed from any geographic location,
which allows your staff to collaborate much effectively,
especially during the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and
not having physical offices. This, therefore, gives the
benefit of work from home.
-
Better Data Storage
Most cloud solution providers offer high-security data
storage at a minimal cost. In addition, storage can be
expanded or reduced as per your needs at that point in time.
-
Security
Cloud environments provide excellent security in issues like
data theft, hacking and intrusions from unauthorized
sources.
-
Disaster Recovery
Recovery on the Cloud using Cloud-based backup is feasible.
This allows enterprises to save time on tedious recovery
operations.
-
Automation of tasks
In the Cloud, automatically updating and application
integration is made very easy. And hence, repetitive tasks
can be eliminated.
-
Flexibility
With cloud storage, varying bandwidth demands are easily
managed. It is much easier to scale up the cloud capacity
whenever you require. Furthermore, testing and deployments
in the Cloud can happen without any hassle.
-
Agility
Quicker business decisions are made possible through the
usage of cloud services. Uptime is released, and time and
effort spent on the infrastructure in the system are
reduced.
-
Zero risk Failure
Cloud services providers offer a 99% uptime wherein the risk
of failure isn’t there. This also allows for smooth
operations and performance of workloads, even under a
disaster.
You do not need to panic about migrating your apps and data to
the cloud, if you have a Cloud Migration Service provider like
us, we will guide you through every step, thereby, helping you
sit back, relax and focus on achieving your core business
goals.
How does Flentas help with Cloud Migration Services?
Flentas’ Cloud Migration Services include an analysis of your
current IT infrastructure and propose a defined and detailed
plan and strategy to help you with a smooth transition to the
Cloud. Our resources are certified by AWS and provide you with
any cloud deployment - public, private, hybrid, or
multi-cloud. Please go through our Cloud Migration Services
and offering here.