Moving from an on-premise computing setup to one based in the cloud is no small task. Appropriate planning is compulsory, or it can result in both delays and downtime in a company’s operation. When a business needs to modernise the mission-critical elements, it needs to ensure that it avoids common mistakes to maximise the probability of a successful migration.
On-Premise Computing vs Cloud Computing
There are many reasons to consider cloud computing over On-Premise Computing. On-premise computing is easy to access, but it’s also costly to scale and maintain. Data centres, for example, use a lot of electricity for cooling purposes, whereas cloud computing requires none of this and makes disaster recovery, collaboration and scaling so much easier and cheaper.
In other to enjoy the benefits of cloud computing, the transition from your on-premise setup needs a clear and coherent strategy. To that end, here I’ve put together seven things for you to consider when transitioning from an on-premise computing setup to the cloud.
1# Determine the Role of The Migration Architect:
It’s crucial before beginning the migration to the cloud to appoint a technical person to lead the project. Assign migration Architect as a service owner, and a strong team, organising operations is key to a smooth transition.
2# Set some KPI’s:
Tracking the performance of your cloud setup should be done using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), as they are the best way to highlight any issues with your services. It will also assist with determining when the migration is complete.
3# Single or Multi-Cloud:
An important decision to be made is to decide whether you’re to use multiple cloud providers or a single one. It’s a choice that comes with a few caveats. Often a cloud-agnostic setup is preferred, as it allows an application to operate on any cloud provider. The decision, however, is yours.
4# Determine the Integration Level:
It’s also important to know whether you’re going to perform a ‘shallow’ or ‘deep’ cloud integration. Very different methods are used for both, so knowing what each entail will help.
5# Determining Baselines of Performance:
Comparing how your service or application is performing in its new environment to its pre-migration level is helpful as it illustrates whether the current status is acceptable or not. These baselines can also be a good gauge of any issues with the migration itself.
6# Full or Partial Migration:
You’ll also need to establish whether your migration will be carried out all at once or component by component. The correct modality will depend on the needs of the business in question.
7# Create a Checklist:
You could end up facing challenges without a checklist; you could end up with an impact on performance during the migration, which means that successful migrations are those that planned correctly.
8# Plan for Data Migration:
The migration of your data is perhaps the trickiest part of migrating to the cloud, which means that planning is vital. Without a checklist and proper planning, you could end up with an impact on performance during the migration.
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance
As we mentioned earlier, migrating to a cloud-computing setup is a complex process that’s filled with lots of pitfalls along the way. Ours is a helpful list, for sure, but it’s not an exhaustive one and as the adage goes ‘Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance’, meaning that successful migrations are those that are planned appropriately. By planning everything out before you begin, you exponentially increase the chances of a smooth transition.
Summary
Cloud computing is more efficient, cost-effective and flexible than tradition in-house computing setups, so the benefits are apparent. Although if you don’t plan your migration down to the smallest details, the benefits will not be immediately apparent, as you’re likely to encounter delays and outages.
At this stage of the article, we hope that this article proves helpful in your efforts to migrate to the cloud, however, if you’d like to know more about what we’ve discussed here, you should visit our website www.cxportal.com, where you’ll find lots of useful info. Alternatively, if you would like to talk to us about your business needs directly, we’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch with us by calling +442034416513 where our team are waiting to assist.
Walters Obenson
A dedicated and qualified Enterprise & Solutions Architect at CXPORTAL with nearly two decades of experience delivering cost-effective, agile digital transformations and high-performance technology solutions across diverse industries. Walters combines deep expertise in enterprise architecture, cloud adoption, and AI-driven innovation to design and implement solutions that align technology with business strategy.
