Moving To Cloud

If not planned properly, a cloud migration could result in decreased workload performance and increased IT expenses, thus negating some of the critical advantages of utilising cloud technology. An enterprise may opt to move an application to the cloud without any changes in a process known as a lift-and-shift migration. This direct transfer from local servers to cloud hosting is done primarily to save on infrastructure costs. However, in some cases, modifying the application’s code or architecture through refactoring or rearchitecting may be more beneficial. This can be done before or after the migration, depending on the performance impact of the lift-and-shift.

Before refactoring an application, IT management should assess its financial viability by considering the costs, performance, and security benefits. Some degree of refactoring will likely be necessary, regardless of the scale of the transformation. Enterprises have several options for transferring data from their local data centre to the public cloud. The method chosen depends on the amount and type of data being moved, also considering the desired migration speed.

One option is to migrate data and apps through the public internet or a private/dedicated network connection. However, it’s essential to calculate the required bandwidth for this method. For large amounts of data, relying on an internet connection may not be practical, so it’s crucial to plan accordingly to avoid prolonged downtime during the migration. An alternative is an offline transfer, where an organisation uploads its local data to an appliance, then physically shipped to a public cloud provider to be uploaded to the cloud. This method may be suitable for transferring large volumes of data. Significant providers, such as Microsoft, AWS, Google, and IBM, offer services for offline data shipping. Although physical shipment may not eliminate the need for additional syncing, it can reduce the time and expense of moving the data.

Before moving to production, the workload must undergo stress testing and optimisation to ensure its performance meets the desired standards. It is also crucial to test for failure scenarios and redundant systems. Although you don’t have to test every function, you should understand the application’s performance before and after the migration to the cloud. Develop a strategy for testing the application’s baseline performance, security, access, and successful integration with other services before and after the migration.

During cloud migration, security should be given special attention. Migrating data or applications over a network can make them vulnerable to various attacks, such as stealing credentials, installing malware, or a persistent denial-of-service attack that causes repeated migrations and wastes system resources. To protect yourself, you need to be familiar with your cloud provider’s shared responsibility model, which outlines your and the provider’s responsibilities. For users, this typically covers everything above the underlying infrastructure, such as data, access, and governance. It’s crucial to establish governance rules, access management, and monitoring.

It’s important to note that the cloud migration process can be complex and time-consuming, and organisations should be prepared for potential challenges and risks, such as data loss or security breaches. It may also be helpful to engage the services of a cloud migration provider or partner to ensure a successful migration.