Everyone’s migrating to the cloud, but only some are doing it right. Many businesses make critical mistakes in their cloud migration strategy. Follow this cloud migration checklist to make sure your business has a smooth transition into the cloud.
What Is Cloud Migration?
Businesses have been implementing cloud computing en masse in recent years. Working from home and new hybrid work models have forced businesses to jump into cloud solutions. But what exactly is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is the process of remotely storing business information on an online platform. This gives users the ability to store and access data from any location, as opposed to a hard drive that can only be accessed locally.
Cloud migration is the process of moving digital assets, services, databases, and other IT resources over into a cloud. While this is commonly done from a hard drive, cloud migration also applies to the process of moving information across clouds.
What Are the Benefits of Migrating to the Cloud?
Migrating to the cloud can have a massive impact on your business, especially in the modern age. Benefits of migrating to the cloud include:
- Increased Flexibility
- Ease of Resources
- Cost Reduction
- IT Simplification
- Improved Performance
- Scalability
Implementing the cloud is a critical step to creating an adaptable business. And, as recent years have shown, adaptability is key to survival in the modern age. The accessibility of a cloud model makes it easy to modify, organize, and access your business’s data. While people typically think of cloud computing as something reserved for larger organizations, many small and medium-sized businesses have adopted cloud models.
94% of business enterprises use the cloud. This technology gives you the scalability to compete within your industry. Cloud environments are conducive to growth, and growth leads to success.
The Cloud Migration Checklist
Migrating to the cloud can go very wrong. If implemented incorrectly, cloud migration can be time consuming, slow your business down, and even lead to data loss. We’ve seen too many businesses struggle in their transition to the cloud—that’s why we created a cloud migration checklist. Follow this checklist to make sure that your move to the cloud goes smoothly.
Establish Roles
Anything as intensive as a cloud migration needs to have a manager. That’s why you need a migration architect. A migration architect is responsible for creating and executing an integration plan. Some responsibilities include:
- Defining refactoring
- Designing data migration strategies
- Establishing cloud solution requirements
- Determining priorities
A migration architect is going to be wholly responsible for your cloud migration strategy. A migration initiated without an architect could lead to increased cloud costs, lost data to the cloud, and more.
Choose a Level of Integration
There are two methods to migrate your onsite data center to the cloud. Both options have their applications, and the one you choose will depend on your business’s needs.
Shallow Cloud Integration
Of the two options, a shallow cloud integration is the easier to execute. Frequently called a lift and shift integration, this process involves moving the onsite application to the cloud without altering the servers. This is called a lift and shift model because it shifts your resources to the cloud while keeping them intact and functional.
This model has the least interruption to your core business processes. However, you do lose out on some cloud capabilities.
Deep Cloud Integration
A deep cloud integration involves modifications of your business’s applications during the process of migrating to the cloud. While this process is more intensive, it takes full advantage of the cloud service model.
Your level of integration will depend on your requirements. If you’re not sure which type would be the right fit for your business, contact an IT professional.
Decide on Your Model
This step of the cloud migration checklist is critical. You need to thoroughly research which model would be the best for you before you settle on one.
Single-Cloud Models
Keeping your business on a single cloud provider keeps you more efficient. One cloud provider lets you optimize your business processes for the core architecture of that cloud. Single-cloud models are also simpler for your development team because they only have to learn to integrate their services into one structure.
The main drawback to single cloud models is that it locks you in to just one cloud provider. This gives that sole provider a lot of leverage over your business because they know how time consuming migrating to another provider would be.
Multi-Cloud Models
Managed service providers in Utah improve your bottom line by providing hardware and software at a reduced cost. Partnering with an MSP means your business will be able to get technology at a reduced cost. Furthermore, these MSPs will also be able to configure the technology for you so you save time and money. A good managed service provider in Utah is able to do this because of industry connections and scale—make sure you choose the right MSP.
Establish KPIs To Measure Success
The final step of the cloud migration checklist is establishing key performance indicators (KPIs). Every plan needs to have parameters that help you measure success and progress. Common cloud KPIs include:
- Page Load Time
- Response Time
- Session Duration
- Error Rates
- CPU Usage %
- Disk Performance
- Memory Usage
- Network Throughput
Additionally, you can track external business engagement metrics like cart adds, conversions, and engagement rates.
Make Migrating to the Cloud Easy With Upfront Computer Solutions
If our cloud migration checklist sounds difficult to execute on your own, partner with Upfront Computer Solutions. UpfrontCS has helped businesses of all sizes migrate to the cloud. We offer IT services that cover the full spectrum, whether you need help with cybersecurity or desktop support. Contact us today for a free consultation.
