What Is Cloud Migration?

Cloud migration is the transfer of applications, data, or other business elements from a physical space to a non-physical computing environment. This type of migration requires the cloud to be the destination, which can simply be understood as on-demand resources that are not managed by the user. Cloud migration is also known as cloud-to-cloud migration.

Moving your computing environment to the cloud comes with many benefits. The cloud will host applications and data in the most optimized environment possible, helping you achieve greater performance while using fewer resources. You can think of cloud migration like a physical move, but for IT processes, operations, and data. Much like a home or office move, planning is key to success—as is choosing the right company to guide you. 

At RackWare, we not only accelerate your cloud migration strategy, but we also automate the process. This article describes why moving data and applications across environments is an important decision. RackWare’s cloud migration process will not disrupt your production environment. We will only improve it.

Cloud Migration Strategy Basics

We have written previously about Netflix’s Cloud Migration and the 6 Common Strategies for Cloud Migration. The moral of the Netflix story, if you recall, is that its success was not inevitable. Netflix’s transition to its current and successful business model only happened because of its migration to the cloud. 

Every business has different needs and will therefore follow a slightly different cloud migration strategy. RackWare can help your business set up and implement its migration process according to your unique and specific needs. Regardless of the scope of the job, however, your cloud migration strategy will include certain basic steps.

First, an assessment occurs in which your company looks at its IT environment and fully analyzes the business case for migration. Second, in-house resources are evaluated in concert with your business’s IT staff. This ensures consistent application of the best industry practices associated with cloud migration. Third, we replicate workloads from one server to another.

Next we verify applications. In this step, applications are evaluated for function, performance, and communication. Finally, servers are cutover and applications are optimized. The latter service is available with RackWare Hybrid Cloud Management.

A security assessment may reveal additional features that could benefit your business, including encryption and firewalls. 

With the RackWare Management Module (RMM), migrations are easy and straightforward. We’ve addressed the basic steps of the RMM before, but the short version is this: Once you install the RMM, all that’s left to do is input of source and target information. The RMM removes the need to install agents that require additional troubleshooting or security exceptions.

Cloud Migration Challenges

It is important to anticipate the challenges associated with cloud migration. For example, managing a public cloud can introduce complexity, especially with hybridization of elements. You will need to consider application dependencies, which can benefit from provider discovery tools.

Costs can also be easily misunderstood or misconstrued. There may be unforeseen, recurring expenses or a need for more bandwidth. Further, it can take time to copy large amounts of data to the cloud. 

And then there is the matter of legacy infrastructure and legacy applications. Infrastructure or applications are termed “legacy” if they are still used despite being obsolete. Legacy software is notoriously difficult to make cooperative with cloud migrations.

Seven Cloud Migration Benefits

So then, why should your business consider cloud migration? There are seven general benefits of moving your assets to the cloud: 

• You can scale up or down rapidly, according to shifts in demand, without the need for capacity planning.

• Cloud applications save you money by letting you pay for only usable resources.

• The cloud will shift your IT from capital expenditures, which depreciate, to operating expenditures, which are regular and fixed.

• You will have greater agility in working with IT applications.

• Performance, reliability, and resiliency are improved with the best, most modern technology.

• Security is increased.

• There is less IT maintenance, and maintenance is simplified.

Keep in mind that cloud migration benefits are rarely achieved without proper planning and a carefully considered strategy.

Cloud Migration Strategy Checklist

Before migrating to the cloud, there are choices you will need to make with respect to the type of data that should move and the way it is migrated. Consider the following checklist before you devise your own cloud migration strategy. 

• Assess and Map

Take a detailed account of your infrastructure and applications and diagram them with all associated dependencies.

• Select and Develop

Select your applications and cloud service options and draft a comprehensive migration plan.

• Create and Replicate

Create an appropriate hosting environment; clone images and dependencies.

• Stage

Pilot-test applications under simulated conditions and real-world conditions with migrated beta users.

• Check and Optimize

Do a final security and compliance check. Monitor performance, and then optimize performance, making security
adjustments, as necessary.

Need More Information?

Regardless of your workload, migration of complex, multi-tier applications can be completed in just a few clicks. RackWare can help with the fastest migrations and the most uptime. Contact us to obtain a cloud migration data sheet today!

Cloud Migration Statistics

1. Up to 33% of an organization’s IT budget is likely to be used for cloud services.

2. Approximately 9 out of 10 companies do some of their work on the cloud.

3. It’s estimated that 94% of all workloads are going to be processed by data centers on the cloud this year.

4. Spending on public cloud services is three times greater than it is for private cloud services.

5. Roughly 9 out of 10 businesses currently use SaaS for cloud services.

6. As of 2019, the United States had the greatest amount of spending on cloud services with nearly $125 billion spent.

7. Around the world, spending on public cloud services is expected to reach over $330 billion this year.