According to Deloitte, the essential goal of cloud migration is the constant reinvention of the business. With innovation, you can gain extra opportunities and change the business dynamic for your own good.
In its turn, McKinsey shows that cloud data migration assists in capturing value, or reaching successful transformation, winning scaling, and accelerated innovation. But what is this digital know-how everybody talks about?
In essence, cloud migration means the situation when you can refer to the Internet resources and facilitate storing and using your information.
Basically, that’s the typical thing we already do in our social media and mailing accounts in our routine lives.
Nevertheless, shifting corporate data is more complex than checking your Facebook timeline. Thus, incorporating cloud migration into your company can be accompanied by numerous risks and challenges. Check our guide to foresee and deal with them in advance!
What Is Cloud Migration?
In essence, the process of migrating to the cloud involves moving elements, information, and applications. The arrival point is the cloud computing environment, or a particular pool of computer services available on the Internet, ensuring that you can reach your data on purpose directly.
This new storage is useful from the standpoint of providing direct access without the need to set the application up and store it on your computer. It’s just like borrowing a book from a library without the need to buy it.
Mostly, the departure point for migrating to the cloud is the old legacy infrastructure or local on-premises server. The process resembles moving to a more spacious apartment — including all the complex preparation and packaging needed, journey completion, and reaching a more comfortable future life that was worth all this effort.
Like in this real-life example, some things may be left behind during cloud migration or modified on the way. Moreover, you can pick online or offline connectivity, depending on the complexity of the process.
All these things contribute to the high flexibility and adaptivity of this strategic move.
Cloud Types
Basically, these exist 3 main types of cloud you can use:
- Public cloud, or the most common type. This is the computing environment that is owned by a third-party vendor. You can use it for free or pay for what you accessed only. Another advantage of this type is the presence of constant updates.
- Private cloud, or the most secure type. You, as an organization, totally control the cloud. Because of this, you can customize and protect your data in an advanced way.
- Hybrid cloud, or the most beneficial type. This type connects the peculiarities of public and private clouds to ensure the most effective storage for different data types.
Transfer Types
Depending on the data composition and the purpose of the transfer, migrating to the cloud may have 3 types:
- From a local server to a public cloud,
- Cloud-to-cloud migration (moving data between clouds),
- Cloud exit: moving information from a cloud back to a local server.
In most cases, service providers deal with the first type. At the same time, the migration between clouds also takes place to capture the advantages of different cloud types.
If you’re interested in getting a more cost-effective technology, it’s better to go for a public cloud that is easy to scale and guarantees pay-for-use only.
On the other hand, the private cloud ensures extra security and control over your data. In this model, you can also get a hybrid cloud solution.
Check our recent blog post to see how this technology can assist data management in the banking sector.
Network Connectivity Types
Cloud migration best practices can happen both online and offline, depending on the database size and its version update.
In some cases, it’s better to apply an old-fashioned method of downloading information to certain hardware and then uploading it to the cloud — especially if you deal with a large outdated database.
Otherwise, it’s OK to rely on the speed and capabilities of the Internet connection.
Strategy Types
While moving data, stick to one of these 5 strategies to ensure the consistency of the process:
- Rehost (or “lift and shift”). The easiest way to cope with cloud migration risks is to keep your infrastructure the same but host it on a cloud. In this case, you get Infrastructure-as-a-Service, or the situation when a third-party vendor possesses all the maintenance responsibility for the cloud.
- Refactor. In this case, companies will choose Platform-as-a-Service to run the existing code on the new platform. In this strategy type, your developers can create and manage apps without the need to learn new infrastructure.
- Revise. This strategy includes partial rewriting of the existing code base before moving it to the cloud.
- Rebuild. In this strategy, the existing code base on the platform. Usually, the process takes time since most applications need not only rewriting but also re-architecturing.
- Replace. You will build completely new applications and ask for Software-as-a-Service from your third-party vendor or make software that is available and maintained on the Internet.
5 Benefits of Cloud Migration
Across industries (including but not limited to banking, insurance, and healthcare), cloud data migration possesses these advantages:
- Cost. Even though reaching the benefits of cloud migration requires extra time and effort, the result saves you money in the long run. Transferring has its cost, but then you won't need to pay for storing as much as you did before. This is possible it becomes unnecessary to invest in extra IT operations and support previous physical servers.
- Performance. Dealing with cloud migration problems is better than avoiding them because of the limitless computer resources it provides. In particular, this strategic move accelerates data processing, provides crucial updates, and stores all the essential data in one place. All this contributes to reaching better overall performance and user experience.
- Security. Like a server room needed for your old infrastructure, a specifically designed data center will store your new computing environment. These separate IT resources dedicated to your cloud ensure the security of storing the essential information.
- Legacy infrastructure update. There are parts of software, equipment, and applications that are too old but still usable in most companies. In the given circumstances, even the partial migration to the cloud can save the essential data before the next dramatic update and accelerate the processing and bring back the official vendor support.
- Scalability and flexibility. When your business grows, timely cloud migration will protect it from the pains of getting additional servers, networking tools and putting your workers under the stress of coping with the growing loads of data. You can get as many additional resources as needed anytime from the cloud computing environment.
7 Main Risks of Cloud Computing
1. Everything Works Not as It Should
The workload is the primary factor affecting the price tag for cloud migration. That’s why it’s highly recommended to start the process by defining all the data scope for migration at the very beginning. Also, you can apply horizontal scaling or an in-built feature in the cloud that lets it automatically calculate the extra resources on the way.
2. Not Enough Security
Investing in reliable technologies and true partnership with your third-party vendor is critical, considering the increased sensitivity of your essential data as one of the key cloud migration risks.
3. Transfer Costs Rise on the Way
Be careful with estimating the expenses for migrating to the cloud. Frequently, companies forget to count the cost of migration services and don’t prepare the unified dataset in advance to ensure the predictability of the information transfer. But even if you know your data in advance, application dependencies may appear, complicate the migration, and raise the pricing. Finally, you’ll need to pay regularly for maintenance. All in all, developing a cloud cost optimization plan and saving some money on unexpected expenses is always a good idea to cope with cloud migration problems.
4. Your Data Doesn’t Fit the Cloud
It frequently happens that your current legacy infrastructure is old and turns into a migration nightmare. Thus, be ready to replace or leave behind some elements. Remember: understanding your migration goals is the key to preventing cloud migration risks.
5. Information Is Stuck in the Cloud
If you’re considering the cloud exit strategy, it may happen that you cannot get your data from the cloud computing environment. The situation is relevant for already outdated pieces of information you’d better get rid of, replace, or store on your hardware as an external database.
6. You Have No Idea How to Work With the New Data Storage
With time, you accumulate more information, and the absence of tech talent managing the cloud will become a severe problem for your company. That’s why you need to provide comprehensive training and learn how to deal with your cloud computing environment when new elements appear.
7. The Team Did the Job and Disappeared
Finding a reliable tech vendor is always a sharp question. Make sure your third-party partner reveals true commitment and has all the technical skills needed to develop and maintain the result.
Cloud Migration: Best Practices to Avoid the Risks
In essence, you can mitigate most cloud migration risks with a strategic plan pinpointing the process stages and actors. Moreover, it would be a good thing to work with reliable technologies and set clear migration goals.
Elaborate the Detailed Implementation Plan
While dealing with risks involved in database migration to the cloud, always start with the plan. This way, you can protect yourself from unpleasant surprises and the problems that happen while your essential data is stuck in the middle of nowhere. Here’s the rough plan of how to introduce cloud migration wisely:
- Accumulate everything. Prepare everything you need to move in one place in advance. There are always some pieces of historical and sensitive data that you’ll prefer to keep untouched. In some cases, it’s possible to adopt the easiest lift-and-shift method and move the entire data set unmodified — but that’s not always cost-effective.
- Protect the sensitive parts. Provide data encryption and necessary backups.
- Consult with the tech team on software architecture and costs. This step will protect you from unnecessary delays, let you introduce cost-effective automation where needed, and make the overall process more predictable.
- Hire an external service provider. You need the agency specialized in the cloud migration service exactly to get a satisfactory result.
- Keep a close eye on the migration process. It’s important not to rush, constantly check the stability of the chosen network connection, and guarantee the overall process security.
- Provide the required training. Make sure your IT specialists know how to deal with the new data storage.
- Control the performance and quality. Here, the set of KPIs and constant support from the network provider are needed.
Adopt Trusted Technologies
Here’s the list of platforms frequently used for managing security risks of cloud migration:
- Microsoft Azure Stack. The set of tools includes Azure Migrate, Data Migration Assistant, Database Migration Service, Data Box, and Movere.
- Google Cloud Anthos. With Google, you can rely on Transfer Service, Transfer Appliance, Migrate for Anthos, Migrate for Compute Engine, and BigQuery Data Transfer Service.
- AWS-based Outposts and VMware Cloud. Amazon migration solutions include AWS Migration Hub, Application Delivery Service, Server Migration Service, Database Migration Service, and CloudEndure Migration.
If you’re interested in getting extra control over your expenses, you can also use the calculators offered by these companies (meaning Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS pricing calculators).
Define Your Migration Goals
Ask yourself a question, “Why am I moving to the cloud?” and introduce some awareness of the cloud migration process at the very beginning. Then, elaborate on the list of KPIs that may refer to business performance and overcoming legacy infrastructure problems. Creating and sticking to a consistent security strategy is also a relevant step for dealing with most cloud migration problems.
Check Your Vendor
As for any technology-related process, it’s important to find a true tech partner who will assist and prevent all the possible problems proactively. Here is the short overview of the main principles of collaboration with an outsourcing vendor from our recent blog post:
- Always start by checking the relevant experience and set of technical skills,
- Ask for a pricing list in advance and ensure its transparency,
- Be satisfied with your communication channels and quality during the process,
- Don’t forget to negotiate the security terms,
- Set the clear and fixed scope of work KPIs can control.
Where to Order Reliable Migration in Cloud Computing?
If you need a tech partner who can complete the transfer, maintain your information, and protect you from numerous cloud migration risks, refer to Intellectsoft!
In our set of dedicated development team services, you can ask for cloud data migration. You will get the total tech support needed with detailed planning, transparent pricing, and easy-to-track KPIs in this solution.
Interested? Welcome to talk to our experts! We’d be happy to discuss your project, provide the most cost-effective solution, and share our experience in mitigating these and other cloud migration problems. Let’s get in touch today!
