Cloud migration is the process of transfer of database, applications or other business elements from a local, on-site data center to a public cloud or from one cloud platform provider to another. Cloud migration requires a comprehensive strategy that includes technology and management resource alignment. The Lift & Shift approach is one of the widely used approaches which help the enterprise to scale up and meet business requirements in one-third of the costs.
So, before you consider migrating to the cloud, here are some best practices to start with.
- Preparation:
Cloud migration can be an expensive project and it is essential to analyze the costs and services that you are getting against the cost of your current setup, basically evaluating your move to the cloud. It is also important to consider the IT assets that you currently own and which of those are you including in the migration. The next step would be to select the right partner(s) with the right agile methodology and project management framework. For a smooth transition, it is also important to have knowledgeable resources in your staff. Any pre-operational training should be a benefit as it will empower your operations team and minimize dependency on the Cloud Provider's helpdesk. If public cloud is on the menu then consider - AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform to rank the list. -
Planning:
There are two ways to migrate from an on-site data center to a cloud. It is essential to plan and organize which applications are to be migrated and if they will require being modified or revamped. The shallow cloud model follows the "lift and shift" principle and would be ideal for applications that can be moved with limited or no changes. Deep cloud migration is sophisticated and offers more advanced capabilities like auto-scaling and dynamic load balancing. -
Testing and Optimizing:Post-migration, it is essential to have a comprehensive monitoring strategy to determine what works and what does not. This can be done by using cloud-native monitoring tools and establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Cloud-native monitoring tools like New Relic, APPDYNAMICS, AWS CloudWatch Logs provide application-level insights and monitoring on your application. It is equally important to monitor your cloud setup to keep a check on your consumption costs. Public cloud providers have their own cloud management tool which can be used extensively to track down unwanted expenses.
In all of this, the best practice for cloud migration to be successful is to get acquainted with topics like using DevOps methods and procedures and building modern applications using services and microservices. Our team at STAQwise can guide you in choosing the right cloud platform like AWS Cloud, Azure Cloud or Google Cloud for your business processes.
Contact us at info@staqwise.com or visit us online at www.staqwise.comto migrate to the cloud.