What Should Be Your Cloud Migration Strategy?
As businesses increasingly move their operations to the cloud, it’s important to have a well-defined cloud migration strategy in place. This strategy should outline the goals of the migration, the choices that will be made to achieve those goals, and the timeline for the migration.
Goals of Cloud Migration
There are many reasons why businesses choose to migrate to the cloud. Some of the most common goals include:
- Cost reduction: The cloud can provide significant cost savings by eliminating the need for businesses to purchase and maintain their own IT infrastructure.
- Scalability: The cloud makes it easy for businesses to scale their IT resources up or down as needed, which can help them meet fluctuating demand.
- Agility: The cloud can help businesses move faster and innovate more quickly by providing them with access to a wider range of services and tools.
- Reliability: Cloud providers typically offer high levels of reliability and uptime, which can help businesses avoid costly downtime.
Choices for Cloud Migration
There are several choices that businesses need to make when migrating to the cloud. These choices include:
- Which cloud provider to use: There are several different cloud providers to choose from, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular cloud providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- Which applications to migrate: Not all applications are suitable for migration to the cloud. Businesses need to carefully consider the needs of each application before deciding whether or not to migrate it.
- What migration strategy to use: There are several different cloud migration strategies, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of the most common migration strategies include lift-and-shift, re-platforming, and refactoring.
Lift and Shift Cloud Migration Strategy
Lift and Shift is a cloud migration strategy that involves moving an application and its associated data to a cloud platform with minimal or no changes to the application code. This strategy is often used for applications that are already running on-premises and that are not well-suited for other migration strategies, such as refactoring or re-platforming.
Replatforming Applications
Replatforming is a cloud migration strategy that involves moving an application to a new cloud platform while making some changes to the application code. This strategy is often used for applications that are already running on-premises and that are not well-suited for other migration strategies, such as lift-and-shift or refactoring.
Replatforming for cloud migration
The goal of re-platforming is to take advantage of the cloud platform’s native features and services to improve the application’s performance, scalability, and reliability. For example, re-platforming an application to AWS might involve using Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) to provision virtual machines, Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) to store data, and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) to manage a database.
Replatforming can be a more complex and time-consuming process than lift-and-shift, but it can also be a more rewarding one. By taking the time to make changes to the application code, businesses can ensure that their applications are optimized for the cloud and that they can take advantage of all of the benefits that the cloud has to offer.
Refactoring Cloud Strategy
Refactoring is a cloud migration strategy that involves making significant changes to an application’s code to improve its structure, maintainability, and performance. This strategy is often used for applications that are already running on-premises and that are not well-suited for other migration strategies, such as lift-and-shift or re-platforming.
Practical Scenarios of Cloud Migration Strategy
Now that we have a conceptual understanding of what a cloud migration strategy entails, let’s delve into practical examples to illustrate key decision points and choices. Suppose you are a business aiming to move your IT infrastructure and applications to the cloud to enhance scalability and reduce costs. There are different ways in which IT leadership considers cloud migrations. Here are some scenarios how organizations might approach your cloud migration strategy:
1. Goal: Enhance Scalability and Reduce Costs
In the pursuit of a more agile and cost-effective IT infrastructure, the organization’s decision to migrate to the cloud was guided by the goal of enhancing scalability and reducing operational expenses. Rather than opting for outsourcing, the organization chose to harness the power of cloud services, allowing greater control over applications and the flexibility to scale resources based on demand.
2. Goal: Migrate IT to the Cloud
The overarching objective of migrating IT operations to the cloud prompted an evaluation of different migration approaches. While the initial inclination was towards a ‘Lift and Shift’ strategy for expediency, a deeper understanding revealed the necessity for concurrent code refactoring to ensure the agility required for future business requirements.
3. Goal: Refactor Code for Agility
Recognizing the importance of software agility, the organization faced the critical decision of when and how to refactor its code. Opting for a concurrent refactoring approach during migration introduced an element of risk, yet it promised more efficient and sustainable outcomes, aligning software with evolving business needs.
4. Goal: Address Integration Challenges
Delving into the complexities of integrating various systems, particularly the shopping and shipping processes, the goal was to streamline end-to-end customer experiences. Exploring options ranging from manual data entry to event-driven architecture, the organization settled on the latter to ensure seamless and error-free interactions between these critical components.
5. Goal: Streamlined End-to-End Customer Experience
In crafting the overall cloud migration strategy, the organization aimed for a holistic approach that optimized each facet. The cloud provider selection, migration methodology, and integration strategy collectively converged into a cohesive plan. AWS emerged as the preferred cloud service, with a strategy combining ‘Lift and Shift,’ concurrent code refactoring, and an event-driven integration approach, ensuring a streamlined end-to-end customer experience.
6. Continuous Evaluation and Adaptation
Understanding the dynamic nature of technology and business landscapes, the organization incorporated a goal of continuous improvement into the cloud migration strategy. Choosing to regularly assess and adjust the approach allows for staying nimble, and adapting the strategy as needed to align with emerging challenges and technological advancements. This commitment to ongoing optimization positions the organization for sustained success in the cloud environment.
Timeline for Cloud Migration
The timeline for a cloud migration can vary depending on the complexity of the migration and the size of the business. However, most migrations take several months to complete.
Conclusion
Migrating to the cloud can be a complex process, but it can also be a very rewarding one. By carefully planning your migration and choosing the right cloud provider and migration strategy, you can achieve your business goals and reap the benefits of the cloud
Activelobby’s cloud migration service can help you simplify and streamline your cloud migration process. With Activelobby’s expert guidance, you can develop a comprehensive cloud migration strategy that aligns with your business goals and objectives. Activelobby’s team of experienced cloud architects and engineers can help you assess your current IT environment, design a migration plan, and execute the migration seamlessly. Activelobby’s cloud migration service can help you reduce costs, improve scalability, and enhance agility, enabling you to reap the full benefits of the cloud.