Public cloud guide: What is cloud migration?

In this age of digital disruption and accelerating change, businesses are always looking for ways to become more agile, cost-effective, and secure. One of the ways they can achieve this is through cloud migration.

In this blog we explore what cloud migration is, the benefits it offers businesses, the different types of migration, and actionable steps you can take to prepare for migration.

 

What is cloud migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving a business’ data, applications, and IT infrastructure from physical hardware to a cloud computing environment.

Businesses typically migrate to the Cloud for four reasons:

• • Cost efficiencies. Cloud computing eliminates the need for companies to invest in and maintain their own internal IT infrastructure, which can have significant overhead costs. By outsourcing to a cloud provider’s infrastructure, businesses can significantly reduce their operational expenditures (Op-ex).
    
  • Scalability. In-house infrastructure is costly to scale, which can be a significant roadblock for rapidly growing businesses. Cloud computing provides businesses with the ability to rapidly respond to changes in demand by scaling up, or down, their resources as needed.
  • Flexibility. In order to work remotely, data and applications must be securely accessed anytime from anywhere. Migrating to the Cloud provides business’ with the ability to work from anywhere with an internet connection.
  • Security. It’s important for all businesses, but especially those that handle sensitive information, to keep customer data safe. Migrating to the Cloud provides businesses with strong security measures to protect their users’ data.

Migrating to the Cloud can help businesses become more agile, cost-effective and secure. However, a successful transition requires careful planning and execution. This includes identifying which applications and data are most critical, selecting the appropriate cloud provider, and understanding how different infrastructure should be moved using different migration techniques.

 

A successful migration project should follow a tried and tested plan. Our experts at M247 have created a cloud migration roadmap, which explains the four steps your business needs to take in order to migrate to the Cloud.

 

What are the different types of cloud migration, and how do they differ?

There are six different ways to migrate to the Cloud, often referred to as ‘the 6 Rs of cloud migration’. These are re-host, re-platform, re-purchase, re-architect, retire, and retain.

Re-hosting involves migrating an application to the Cloud without modifying its code or architecture. In other words, the application is moved to the Cloud ‘as is’, without any significant changes to its underlying structure.

Re-platforming refers to migrating to the Cloud and making minor adjustments to its code or architecture to take advantage of cloud-specific features and benefits. The goal of this approach is to optimise the application for the Cloud environment while reducing the time required to make the necessary changes.

Re-purchasing consists of replacing an existing application with a cloud-native application or service that offers similar functionality. Instead of migrating an existing application to the Cloud, the business adopts a pre-built cloud-based solution that can meet its needs without requiring extensive customisation or development.

Re-architecting entails making substantial modifications to an existing application in order to fully leverage the benefits of a cloud environment. This approach may involve redesigning the application’s architecture, rewriting portions of its code, or adopting new cloud-native services and tools. The goal is to create an application that is fully optimised for the Cloud and can take full advantage of its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Retiring refers to the decommissioning of an existing application that is either no longer needed or is being replaced by a newer solution. This can help to simplify the organisation’s IT infrastructure and reduce maintenance and support costs associated with outdated or redundant applications.

Retaining involves keeping certain applications on-premises rather than migrating them to the cloud, typically to maintain greater control over critical workloads and sensitive data. By keeping these applications in-house, organisations can ensure that they have direct oversight and management of these important assets, which can be essential for compliance or security reasons.

To migrate to the Cloud, you will need a combination of some, or all, of these Rs. They each serve a different purpose, and may be used at different points in the migration, either in isolation or in unison.

 

In order to migrate to the Cloud, it’s vital to follow industry best practices. At M247, our team have a tried and tested migration strategy, and have distilled their knowledge into a cloud migration strategy roadmap. To access our expert advice, download your copy now.

 

Preparing for a Cloud Migration Project: Tips and Best Practices

To prepare for a successful cloud migration project, there are five key factors to consider.

1. • Assess your current IT infrastructure to determine which systems and applications are most critical to your business. This will help you prioritise your migration efforts and ensure that your most important systems are given top priority.
   • Identify the right public cloud provider that meets your organisation’s specific needs, such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and security. This requires careful evaluation of the different providers available and their offerings, as well as considering factors such as data privacy and sector-specific compliance requirements.
   • Create a detailed migration plan that follows industry best practices, and outlines the steps and timeline for each stage of the migration process. This plan should be tested and validated by a reliable source to ensure that it will work as expected.
   • Involve key stakeholders throughout the migration process, this includes IT staff, business owners, and end-users. This will help to ensure that everyone is on board with the migration plan and any potential issues or concerns are addressed early on.
   • Long-term costs and savings of the migration, including ongoing maintenance, support, and training. This will help you plan for unforeseen expenses and ensure that the benefits of the cloud migration are realised over the long term.

By following these tips and best practices, you can ensure a smooth and successful migration to the Cloud, with minimal disruption to your business operations.

 

Think you’re ready to move to the Cloud? Download our cloud migration roadmap, which contains our industry best-practice plan, advice, and tips for a successful project.