Introduction to Cloud Migration
Cloud is the network of remote servers over the internet used to store and retrieve data. In layman's terms, the cloud is the virtual platform over the internet, allowing you to store and retrieve data. Cloud provides several services like servers, databases, storage, software, and networking. The companies which provide the above-given services are known as Cloud Providers. The major cloud providers are AWS( Amazon Web Services), AZURE from Microsoft, and GCP (Google Cloud Platform). Cloud enables on-demand access to IT resources(computing, storage, software, and networking).98% of companies are running their own on-premises hardware servers to maintain IT infrastructure, the pandemic has made some adjustments. Source: Why Migrate To The Cloud?
What is Cloud Migration?
Cloud migration is the process of shifting a company's digital assets, services, databases, IT resources, and applications into the cloud, either partially or entirely. Moving from one cloud to another is also part of cloud migration.Cloud migration can be completed by transferring from one cloud computing provider to another. This method of migration is known as cloud-to-cloud migration.
What are the benefits of Cloud Migration?
The cloud is a common virtual space where you can place all your data and applications. Any authorized person can access it or work over it without any hustle. Cloud helps organizations increase their capabilities by providing them with powerful resources, enabling organizations to do machine learning like heavy stuff. Cloud provides high-end resources and a production-ready environment.Cost-Effective
If you plan to buy hardware for a specific requirement, it becomes complicated to pick the appropriate hardware. If the hardware doesn't suit the requirement, then you have to live with that purchased hardware. But the cloud gives relief from this trouble by providing a variety of resources with different powers. You can choose as per your requirement, or if in a future requirement increases, you can upgrade your hardware resources(CPU and memory). Just need a few clicks, and you will get a production-ready environment.Accessibility
You need a good internet connection, and you can access resources, hardware, and services from anywhere you want.Security
Security is the first concern for any business, and so is a cloud provider consider. Cloud provides highly secure storage for customers' data by storing it in encrypted form. Also easy to access authorized users at any time.
Scalability
Cloud provides a secure way of scaling your resources. Allows you to set a monitoring tool that will automatically scale up or down resources as per the requirement/need. Now we get the overview of what the cloud is and what its benefits are. Now we have to consider the below-given points to migrate your workloads over to the cloud efficiently.
Learn How to secure your Cloud-Native Applications end-to-end?
Prioritize the Applications for Migration
Suppose you have a large volume of applications, but not all applications need to be migrated over to the cloud. For example, if an application contains credit card information or some highly confidential material, it should be kept in a private cloud. So the first step of the checklist is to make a journal of applications in your organization and migrate accordingly.What is the Cloud Migration Architecture?
The very next step is you need to specify the Cloud Migration Architecture according to the needs of your applications. A Special team of cloud will work on this point and specify the architecture the organization needs. There are four types of cloud architecture:- Public
- Private
- Hybrid
- Multi-cloud.Cloud Migration
Public
The multi-tenant environment allowed access to IT resources over the internet. If your organization is of a small scale, then you can choose the public cloud.Private
This environment is organization-specific. If you have confidential data and want to restrict access to the outer world, you can choose a private cloud.Hybrid
It is a mix of both public and private clouds. Sometimes there is a need for both platforms, some data is shifted to private, and some are shifted to the public cloud.Multi-Cloud
The mixture of two or more public clouds. There is a scenario where you find variation in the pricing of cloud service, so you analyze this information and plan the thing accordingly.
Read more about Multi vs Hybrid vs Hybrid Multi-Cloud vs. Private Cloud
Which Cloud Service Provider to Choose for Cloud Migration?
But keeping in mind your business needs and objectives is of utmost importance.
The next item from your checklist is to select the right cloud provider. The major cloud providers are AWS, GCP, and Microsoft. The main parameters to consider while choosing a cloud provider are:
- Cloud provider company profile: During the planning phase, you have to look around the cloud providers present in the market. The major ones are AWS, GCP, and AZURE. Then plan things accordingly.
- Data Security: Ensure the security provided by the cloud providers.
- Pricing: Inspect your project's cost with respect to each cloud provider and choose the economic one.
- Support: This point is about the customer support provided by the cloud provider. Ensure that customer support is easily reachable.
Now that you have started developing your strategy, consider the following migration strategies for these famous cloud vendors.
AWS Cloud Migration Strategy
AWS is currently helping 1000s of organizations in successfully migrating their significant workloads onto the cloud platform. It believes in acquiring a three-phased strategy for the success of the migration process. These 3 phases include:
- Assess: AWS provides organizations with Cloud Adoption Readiness Tool to evaluate and assess the organization's current readiness for operating in the cloud. It also provides a migration evaluator that provides an AWS projection of TCO based on your workloads' existing resource utilization on-premises.
- Mobilize: This refers to creating the migration plan and refinement of the organization's business case by using the AWS Application Discovery Services, Migration Partner Solutions, and AWS Management and Governance Services.
- Migrate and Modernize: It refers to the phase that includes the designing, migration, and validation of every application by using the various migration services provided by AWS.
Explore AWS based Cloud Migration Solutions for Enterprises to develop scalable and reliable Applications
Azure Cloud Migration Strategy
Microsoft recommends the organizations use the Cloud Adoption Framework that it has provided for Azure to define a standard methodology for the planning and implementation of the cloud migration process with all the required best practices.
Azure believes in taking the holistic approach for a successful migration that includes:
- Before the Migration Process: Define a migration approach and build a holistic plan
- During Migration Process: Prepare your organizational workloads for the migration and adopt the cloud environment
- After Migration Process: Implement the best practices of security and governance, and focus on cost optimization
Google Cloud Migration Strategy
Leverage the Cloud Adoption Framework, Migration Services, and Migration Solutions provided by Google to embark on your journey on the cloud and achieve the desired business benefits by:
- Planning out a roadmap for your journey toward the cloud in some simple steps
- Migrating your workloads into GCP with confidence
- Lowering the risks and costs and reaching the cloud ten times faster
How to set the priority of Cloud Migration?
Suppose your organization handles several applications. You will categorize applications according to their critical and complexity factor. If the application is complex, you must migrate them last by giving them less priority for migration. If the application is less critical and less complex, then you should give it a high priority and migrate first over the cloud.Accelerate Cloud Migration with Azure using Modern CI/CD to deliver software faster and manage applications from anywhere.How to test the success of a Cloud Migration?
After migrating all the applications, you need to test that the application is working as expected. For testing, you can specify the following parameters to match the expectations:
- Performance testing
- Security testing
- Functional testing
- Disaster recovery testing.
Conclusion
In my opinion, I would mention some significant points why you should migrate to the cloud. It provides high security to your data. It increases the accessibility of resources and gives you the option to set up dynamic production-ready infrastructure. So If you are migrating to the cloud, you must have gone through the above-given points.- Click to explore MicroServices Application Migration from AWS to Oracle Cloud.
- Read more about PaaS – An Efficient Cloud Computing Service for Enterprises.
