In the present times, we are witnessing that an increasing number of enterprises are reaping huge benefits from Cloud Computing technologies. One of the major reasons for this rapid adoption is that enterprises face a high demand to have scalable, nimble, flexible and reliable IT infrastructures.
Cloud migration includes shifting of enterprises’ mission critical digital assets from on-premise IT environments to Cloud-based data centers. Over the years, Cloud-based migrations have proven to significantly improve enterprises’ operational performance and cybersecurity posture.
In this post, we will discuss a few steps that will help you develop a better understanding about the factors that are involved during Cloud migration.
1. Clearly Assess the Need for Cloud Migration
Firstly, enterprises should establish what they hope to achieve through Cloud migration. It is important to define a few baseline metrics for your on-premise IT architecture. This will enable you to map-out Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your workloads, and help you define their scope and eligibility for Cloud-based migrations.
2. Test the Waters with Phased Cloud Migration
Before undergoing a full-blown Cloud migration, it is preferred that enterprises opt for phased migrations. Data should be shifted in segments, so any bugs can be fixed at each phase. The philosophy behind this is that enterprises must hope for the best, but prepare for the worse. Phased migrations allow businesses to prepare for any downtimes, or hurdles that might impede smooth Cloud-based migrations.
3. Prospecting for CSPs
Selection of the right Cloud Service Provider (CSP) is a determining factor that will help you make the migration process both seamless and successful. You should consider the following points, before you lock-in on the best CSP.
CSPs must have a good track record that will prove their expertise, commitment and ethical values. All this must align with your enterprise needs.
It is important to ensure that your chosen CSP follows the compliance guidelines prescribed for your industry. The CSP you choose should comply with both the national and international (if applicable) regulatory standards laid down for the providers of Cloud Computing solutions.
Privacy and security of your sensitive data should also be among the top priorities when shortlisting CSPs. Cloud Providers must also ensure there are no risks posed to Cloud Computing deployments.
CSPs should offer transparent pricing models, and there should be no hidden charges that would unexpectedly inflate your overall cloud bill exponentially.
Customer Support is also very important, and you should make sure that your CSP provides 24/7/365 support via a team of cloud solutions experts, which will help you along every step of the way.
4. Execute the Cloud-Based Migration
The complexity and architecture of your applications and data will determine your Cloud migration roadmap. After following the above-mentioned guidelines, you can migrate your applications over to the Cloud, and run extensive tests to check if everything is working smoothly. Slowly, you can now shift your other processes and workloads over to the Cloud environment.
It is important to know that each enterprise must gauge its own specific needs for security, pricing and compliance, to find the best fit that would help it attain and maintain a competitive advantage in the market. This in turn will maximize value for all the key stakeholders involved.
dinCloud is one such CSP, which offers secure, flexible and scalable Cloud Computing solutions, with transparent, flat rate pricing, and 24/7/365 customer support over multiple channels.
