The Ultimate Guide to Cloud Migration

Almost every business wants to shift their infrastructure to the cloud. This is a very cost-effective move for every business. However, this is also a very intimidating step for business leaders.

CIOs need to integrate traditional and cloud infrastructure. There are various risks associated with data migration. Data loss is the biggest risk associated with the data migration process. Also, downtime is another risk. You need to minimize the downtime during the migration process. If you want to move your infrastructure to the cloud, then first you must create a strategy. In this article, we will help you in creating a perfect strategy for cloud migration.

1. Create your checklist

There are many benefits to cloud computing platforms. However, you should understand the cloud migration challenges. This will help you in developing a perfect migration checklist. Your plan will help you in minimizing the downtime.

There are various challenges related to cloud migration. First, you need to find a perfect cloud provider for your business. After that, you need to carefully plan every step. The migration is the trickiest part of this strategy. Some of your business data will be unavailable during this process. Thus, you might have to take down your servers offline. If you want to avoid negative consequences, then you must plan every step. Also, it is tough to create a perfect strategy. Thus, you must be ready to change your migration strategy. If there is some risk to your data or applications, then you must modify your strategy.

2. Which Cloud Solution is perfect for you?

There are three types of cloud solutions available in the market:

• Public Cloud: A public cloud provides the infrastructure to its clients. You can access their infrastructure by using the internet. It will help you in efficiently sharing your resources. However, it is less secure when compared to other platforms. Public cloud platforms are more vulnerable to data and security breaches. This is the perfect platform for people that want to develop and test their applications. You can collaborate with other developers. The public cloud will also help you in increasing your computing power. However, you should address all the security concerns. This will help you in avoiding future security issues.
• Private Cloud: In this, the cloud provider will provide services on a separate private network. It is the most secure cloud infrastructure. If you want to give more priority to security, then a private cloud is perfect for you. It will help you in protecting your sensitive data. This cloud infrastructure is perfect for companies that have to follow strict regulations.
• Hybrid Cloud: This is the perfect option for companies that want to enjoy the benefits of both cloud platforms. It is a mixture of private and public cloud infrastructure. This option is perfect for enterprises that are using SaaS applications.

3. Planning and Communication is important

You have to think about your employees while creating your migration plan. Some employees might not like the Cloud platform. Thus, you have to spend some time teaching them about the new cloud platform. This will ensure that they know everything about the new platform.

You need to do proper testing before migrating your infrastructure. You should properly test your integration points and environments.

Consider various factors before creating your cloud migration plan. There are various things like employee productivity, database security, OS stability, and cost management. Also, you need to take care of your security needs.

You should consider all these things before implementing your migration strategy. This will help you in avoiding hurdles in the future. Thus, you can smoothly migrate from in-house infrastructure to the cloud infrastructure.

4. Create security policies

You need to check your security requirements before migrating to the cloud. There are various security compliances that companies need to follow. If you are working in the healthcare or financial sector, then this is very important for you. You need to ensure that you are following all the government regulations.

You have to also worry about identity and access management issues. Only authorized members should have access to your sensitive information. This will help you in minimizing the risk of the data breach. Security is the most important thing for modern companies.

It is important to make sure that only your business leaders have access to sensitive data. You need to protect this data during the whole migration process. Also, you need to protect this data in your cloud.

Enterprises can use encryption algorithms for protecting their data. This will help you in resisting data breaches. It doesn’t matter if you are using a public or private cloud environment. You should ensure that all your data is encrypted. Most cloud providers are already using these security measures. Also, they can modify measures according to your needs. They are continuously investing money in cloud security. Thus, the cloud platform is becoming more secure with time. However, security is still a major issue for cloud providers.

5. Plan for Resource Management

If you are migrating to cloud infrastructure, then you also need to worry about new IT roles. You need to hire new talent for managing cloud monitoring tools. They will also help you in effectively managing your cloud infrastructure.

Cloud servers are very different from the physical servers. Thus, your employees need to learn new skills. There are various challenges that they won’t know about. It is best to hire a third-party company for handling your migration needs. They already know everything about cloud technology. Thus, they will help you in smoothly migrating. Your employees should have a good relationship with the third-party provider. They should call the third-party provider if something is not working. You can’t remove your entire IT department after migrating. However, you can change the roles of your IT teams. Your IT department will have more time to focus on critical tasks.

You have to also worry about physical resource management. Many enterprises forget about this point. If you have an in-house server, then you will have enough electricity to power your servers. Also, you must already have a cooling system. These are the measures that companies take to protect their servers. However, these measures are also very costly for some companies.

If you are working with a third-party provider, then you don’t need to worry about these factors. They will help you in managing your servers. Also, they will ensure that your servers are running optimally. You can contact them if you need any help. They can provide you remote assistance and additional hardware. Your third-party provider can also set up a DR site for your enterprise.

These are the benefits of working with a third-party provider.

6. Calculate your Return on Investment (ROI)

Cloud migration can be very expensive for some companies. First, you need to buy the cloud server space. After that, you need to pay for the migration process.

This might sound like a challenge to you. However, the costs of cloud storage are reducing drastically with time. Thus, the ROI of the cloud is increasing with time.

According to a report, more than 80% of enterprises have already met their ROI expectations. Some companies are saying that they will soon hit the ROI expectations. If you are investing in cloud technology, then you will save a lot of money in the future. You don’t need to worry about buying any additional servers.

The best thing about cloud technology is that you don’t need to store your servers. If you are running your physical server, then you need to power it. Also, you need an efficient cooling infrastructure. This can increase your costs. Thus, cloud infrastructure will help you in avoiding all these costs.

Also, you need to ensure that your infrastructure is up to date. If you are working with a cloud provider, then you don’t need to worry about these things. There are also many other benefits of working with a cloud provider.

Your cloud-provider will also help you in the cloud migration process. This will help you in increasing your ROI. You can work with a third-party provider for implementing your cloud migration plan. If you want quality services, then you should work with third-party providers. They have a lot of experience of working with other companies. Thus, they will help you in creating the perfect cloud migration plan. If you have any questions related to cloud migration, then you should reach out to third-party providers.

Conclusion

Cloud is becoming the most important technology in the world. Almost every company is migrating to the cloud platform. However, it can be difficult to create a cloud migration plan. This article will help you in creating the perfect cloud migration plan. You should have a migration checklist first. This will help you in creating a perfect strategy. Thus, it is very important for your success. You can also work with third-party providers. They will help you in creating a perfect migration strategy. If you need more tips regarding cloud migration, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.