Essential Steps for Creating a Winning Strategy for Cloud Migration Success

The rapid advancement of technology has driven companies all over the world to finally take notice of the transformative power of cloud computing for their respective businesses. Now even though adopting the cloud is not simply trendy — at least not any more, it has become a strategic imperative for companies. Why? Well, clearly because the cloud brings with its the opportunity for companies to revolutionize the way they do business, i.e. how they operate, scale, and even innovate. Unfortunately, this journey to cloud computing is not without its challenges. So, what can one do about it? Well, you can start with a well thought out and strategic cloud migration strategy.

And this is exactly what I will talk about in this article — the most important steps to migrate to cloud.

But before we get to that, let me quickly walk you through the 7 most common approaches for cloud migration.

Cloud Migration And The 7Rs: An Overview

The 7Rs of cloud relocation refers to an overall system for planning the transfer of apps and data from on-premises systems to, you know, the cloud. Each ‘R’ in the 7Rs addresses a different approach that companies can use to switch to the cloud and upgrade their business’ journey in the cloud.

1. Rehost, a.k.a lift and shift: The simplest approach on the list, this method is basically copy and paste for apps.
2. Replatform, a.k.a lift, adapt, and shift: This involves moving the apps to the cloud albeit with some changes to its infrastructure so as to ensure it use cloud-native features without losing its core functionalities.
3. Refactor, a.k.a re-architect: This involves completely rewriting the app or at least making major changes to the app’s code and architecture to ensure it can fully leverage cloud capabilities.
4. Repurchase, a.k.a drop and shop: This approach means you ‘drop’ the existing app and ’shop’ for a cloud-based SaaS solution to take the place of the former app.
5. Relocate: This one is pretty similar to re-hosting but involves moving the app’s infrastructure without modifying the app itself.
6. Retain: As the name suggests, this approach means you retain the app as is. It can also include apps for whom the move has been deferred on account of various reasons.
7. Retire: This one is quite obvious too — this approach means doing away with apps that are no longer needed.

Steps For A Successful Cloud Migration Strategy

1. Prepare: Start by leading a careful evaluation of your ongoing IT setup and then take stock of dependencies, if any, performance KPIs, and any necessities to ensure compliance.
2. Plan: The next step is about settling on the cloud service model, i.e. SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, etc., that lines up with your business’ necessities. As for the provider of said service, my advice is that you select a cloud specialist co-op in light of your company’s requirements, financial plans, and what the service providers offer.
3. Migrate: It is now time to start the actual switch, but don’t dive into it head first. What I mean to say is that it is prudent to start with a pilot migration for only a subset of the app in question.
4. Operate: Once the migration is complete, make sure to implement high level security measures. Oh and do not forget about compliance with the relevant regulations.
5. Optimize: The job does not end at simply migrating to the cloud — one must also continuously optimize the app’s performance by effectively using cloud services.

Final Words

There you have it, folks — by following these fundamental steps, you could develop a robust cloud migration technique that could greatly help ensure an effective switch to the cloud.