Businesses are migrating to the cloud to save money and time, increase productivity and security, and reduce IT dilemmas. A multi-cloud approach has been established or is being deployed in 81% of enterprises around the world this year. It’s the ideal solution for small businesses seeking to reduce IT costs while focusing on their core business operations. But migrating your data and applications to the cloud is a complicated task. Because there are some risks associated with the process, such as compliance issues created by a lack of planning and strategy. Therefore, we are presenting 6 steps to ensure a successful cloud migration. But first let’s find out what the cloud can do to your business.
Benefits of the Cloud:
Businesses used to invest heavily in IT, systems, apps, and data centers before the cloud. Thanks to this brilliant idea, you may now build a smart work culture without spending loads of money. Although the cloud is not a cost-cutting solution, it does offer a number of additional advantages, including:
- Scalability: Businesses may effortlessly scale up using the cloud. Businesses may get storage, systems, apps, and much more in a matter of seconds.
- Accessibility: You can reach your data whenever you desire and wherever you are with the cloud. This allows you and your team to be productive at all times.
- Security: It may seem odd, but the cloud is more secure than you think. with back up, data encryption, firewalls and more tools, your data is safe and secure in the cloud.
- Easy to collaborate: The cloud allows you to effortlessly share and engage with others. For example, if you have a project that spans multiple locations, you can easily exchange the same data and grant the same access to everyone involved in the project, regardless of their location.
The cloud frees you up to concentrate on revenue-generating tasks rather than the ongoing headache of IT issues. So, let’s find out how to smoothly migrate to the cloud!
6 Steps to a smooth cloud migration:
One: Develop a plan!
The key to success is preparing and establishing a strategy before making any business decision. Cloud immigration demands the creation of a comprehensive plan by you. To build this strategy, you have to understand what you have, the company’s infrastructure, systems, applications, and everything related to IT. Then, Create a list of your expectations, objectives, and budget you are willing to spend. The plan should put business objectives before anything else. Asking everyone involved in your business for their opinion can help you at this stage.
You can always contact a technology and consulting organization to help you come up with the best strategy for you.
Two: Establish key performance indicators(KPIs):
This step corresponds to determining your goals. Using these success factors in conjunction with your business goals helps in estimating success rates and exposing failures. Ask the correct questions such as:
- Will the transition make the product more user-friendly?
- Will a widely dispersed content delivery network (CDN) allow end users to access the system or application more quickly?
- Will the operational burden of system maintenance be reduced as a result of the transition?
- Is it useful for you to have automated performance agility?
- Do my team need training?
- Will my data be safe?
These questions give you a clear insight about the whole operation.
Three: Choose the right cloud provider!
This is where you decide on the best cloud model for your company: A cloud can be public, private, or hybrid. Then hunt for the best cloud provider that meets your needs, such as AWS, Azure, Google, and many more. You have a lot of choices, so ask these questions and make your decision based on the answers:
- What tools are they providing? Does it match my needs?
- What is their level of security?
- Do they back up data?
- Will I have the option to “pay-as-you-go”? This is the best purchasing choice for everyone.
- Where are their servers located? This will give you an idea about the level of safety, and the risk of natural disasters.
- What will it take to maintain compliance?
- Does the SLA meet the service level I am seeking?
- Do they have customer support?
You can ask around for advice, try to find out who your competitors are dealing with! look at people’s reviews online, and always seek experience.
Four: Choose the right migration strategy!
This stage is connected to the first one. examining your needs. there are 6 migration strategies, we call them 6 R’s:
- Rehost: it is connected with infrastructure as a service (IAAS). where you move all your data to the servers of the cloud service provider.
- Replatform: where you transfer your applications to the cloud.
- Refactor: Where you transfer your applications and make changes to the codes to comply with the cloud.
- Repurchase: When you replace permanent licensing with Software as a service(SAAS).
- Retire: This refers to shutting down all the applications you won’t use anymore.
- Retain: Refers to the applications that you can’t transfer to the cloud, so you keep them internal.
Sometimes businesses mix up more than one strategy depending on their needs, so choose the most fit ones and be creative.
Five: Prepare a back-up system!
Most cloud providers provide a great back-up solution, this is critical for your business. Because losing data is catastrophic. So there are some steps you should follow to ensure the safety of your data:
1- Choose a provider who offers trustworthy backup tools.
2- Established levels of access for your staff to ensure that the correct people have access to the relevant files.
3- Train your team, most data loss happens because of human error.
4- Mark important data with anti-deletion, providers give you the chance to flag certain aspects in your data, this is like a reminder that these data are critical.
5- Always automate backups: depending on the data flow, some volumes of data come daily, weekly, or even twice a day, so automating backups help with securing your data.
6- After setting a backup plan, test it, to see how things go down when an accident happens. This helps with detecting weak spots and strengthening them.
Six: Execute!
Now with the execution, following the five steps above will make this stage a piece of cake. The provider you choose will assist you in this process, it will provide a step by step guideline to transfer your assets to the cloud.
What’s next?
Following the execution, you must analyze your workflow, employee interaction, and evaluate if your process meets your objectives. If everything appears to be in order, seek innovative ways to get the most out of the process. For example, you could spend your savings on marketing or upgrading your products. And be creative and innovative with your ideas.
Conclusion
Your company can benefit from the cloud in a variety of ways. However, cloud migration isn’t a simple task. It requires a thorough examination of your company’s needs and objectives, followed by the development of a plan to ensure a smooth process.
