1. A Practical Guide to Cloud Migration
Virtual management of an organization’s infrastructure is the imperative of our
times, now more than ever. The evolving remote work culture, as a consequence
of COVID-19 induced lockdowns, means that organizations need to move to the
cloud for ensuring business continuity. Thus, emphasizing on strategizing, planning,
and executing cloud migration.
Cloudhasbecomeanessentialtooltosupportbusinesscontinuityinthesedifficulttimes.Many
organizationshaveturnedtothepubliccloudforitsburstcapabilitiestomeetasuddenspikein
use. Platforms such as Zoom would not have been able to operate without the flexible
infrastructure provided by the major cloud providers.— Alastair Edwards, Chief Analyst,
Canalys
However, organizations feel overwhelmed when it comes to adopting cloud
computing because of the complicated underlying processes of moving the data
that is valuable, intrinsic, and confidential.

2. The most frequently asked question is, “How do we even start?”
So, here it is, your complete guide to cloud migration.

3. What are Cloud Migration
Services?
Cloud migration is the process of transferring data, processes, and workloads over
to the cloud infrastructure. It makes an organization independent of the physical
workplace by introducing virtual management of resources. The anytime,
anywhere access has made migration in cloud computing popular among
organizations of all sizes.
COVID-19 is a catalyst for cloud migration, and 87% of global IT decision-
makers agree to this. Here is how the focus will shift from on-premise to cloud
management, by 2025.

5. Alternatively, migration on the cloud has two more interpretations. It can be
referred to as a process of moving from one cloud to another, popularly known as
cloud-to-cloud migration. Also, you can refer to it as a process of moving back to
on-premises from the cloud, i.e., reverse cloud migration.
The cloud movement, irrespective of the type, requires planning and know-how of
the process for successful and fool-proof execution.
(We will focus on the on-premise cloud migration process, in this write-up.)
An Overview of Cloud Service
and Cloud Deployment Models
Before diving deep into cloud migration, you should understand the different cloud
services and deployment models available. The applicability of these services and
models depends on your business needs.

7. Cloud Service Models
The standard cloud service models include IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Here’s an overview
of these cloud service models that should help you understand their features and
applicability.
 IaaS (Infrastructure as a service):
Involves the migration of the entire or
partial physical infrastructure to the
cloud.
 PaaS (Platform as a service): Involves
deployment of a cloud-based
framework where developers can
experiment and build applications.
 SaaS (Software as a Service): Involves
the availability of cloud-based
applications hosted by the provider.
The application is accessible through
the internet and offers 24/7 access to
the end-users.
Cloud Deployment Models
There are three cloud deployment models, i.e., public cloud, private cloud, and
hybrid cloud. Here’s what each of them implies.

8.  Public Cloud: This is a cloud
environment that is commonly
available to organizations. Here
organizations share server space and
co-exist without interference and
interruption. The majority of IT
services rely on the public cloud to
ensure access anywhere and at any
time.
 Private Cloud: This is a cloud
environment that is designed to be
used by one organization only. In this
case, either the data center is
available on-premise or is maintained
somewhere off-site.
 Hybrid Cloud: When some
applications exist on the cloud and
some are maintained on-premises, a
hybrid cloud is formed. The features
of both cloud environments are
integrated to offer an orchestrated
experience. Organizations often use
the on-premise setup for sensitive
data and applications and public
cloud otherwise.

9. What are the Benefits of Cloud
Migration Services?
The hardware and software resources in an organization are together referred to
as legacy infrastructure. An on-premises presence of this legacy infrastructure
leaves you dependent on your physical workplace while adding to the cost of
maintenance.
On the other hand, the cloud offers independence. It is like carrying your office in
your mobile device and accessing it from anywhere.
Here are some benefits that highlight why cloud migration is important for your
business strategy.
1. Cost-Optimization
The most significant benefit of migrating to the cloud lies in the cost savings. The
infrastructure migration to the cloud is cheaper than physical management. Most
of the leading cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure,
and Google Cloud Platform base their pricing model on the Pay-as-you-go basis,
i.e., you only pay for what you use.
Costoptimizationistheprimaryreasonfor47%ofenterprises’cloudmigration.— OpsRamp,
The Emergence of Cloud-First Enterprises Report

10. 2. Agility and Responsiveness
The cloud environment facilitates the buy-in of new legacy infrastructure and
storage space in a timely manner. Such a fast response from a cloud provider means
speedier adoption of newer technologies that can offer a competitive edge.
3. Remote Access
With cloud computing, you can access your data from anywhere and at any time.
An organization no longer solely relies on its physical setting to get work done. This
is also the primary reason why cloud computing is gaining more traction as remote
work is becoming the future of how we work.
4. Increased focus on Core
Business
With cloud adoption, organizations have less to worry about downtimes or data
security. The cloud provider ensures to provide the required cloud space, security,
and 24/7 access. Thus, organizations can focus on core business responsibilities
more, which results in improved productivity.

11. 5. Scalability
Cloud computing can manage heavy workloads and a more extensive user base.
Where it takes extra time, effort, and costs to accommodate the increased demand
in an on-premise environment, the cloud makes it much simpler and affordable.
Cloud Migration Strategies:
The 5 R’s of Cloud Migration
There are five R’S of cloud migration strategy that are referred to when migrating
applications to the cloud. Here’s what each of the R’s imply.

12. 1. Rehost
Also called Lift-and-shift, rehost involves lifting your data and applications from an
on-premise setup and shifting it over the cloud. It is the mirror image of the current
legacy system. In a way, you can describe the process as a copy from on-premise
and paste on the cloud.

13. 2. Refactor
Also called Lift, Tinker, and Shift, refactor involves migrating to the cloud, making
some optimization to the legacy infrastructure, and adopting PaaS (Platform as a
Service) cloud service. This strategy proves beneficial for developers as they can
experiment and take advantage of the cloud platform.
3. Revise
This strategy involves modification to the core architecture and the code before
migrating to the cloud. The aim of revising it is to customize the applications to fit
the cloud environment. Revise takes technical know-how of the process, which, in
turn, means that you would either have to rely on your in-house tech team or would
have to rely on outsourcing.
4. Rebuild
This strategy involves re-writing and re-architecture of the applications, i.e.,
rebuilding it from scratch. It should be considered when the existing application
framework does not suit the changing business needs and technological
advancements.

14. 5. Replace
This strategy involves discarding an application altogether if it is outdated or does
not suit the cloud environment. In such a case, replace — existing applications
with SaaS applications (either in-house or publicly available). However, replacing
does not mean that all data will be lost as it can be migrated over to third-party
applications.
Types of Cloud Migration
Tools
The legacy infrastructure is sometimes not prepared for the big shift, which is
where migration tools come into the picture. These tools ensure migration speed
and effectiveness without affecting the routine operations of the organization.
Here are the types of cloud migration tools:
1. SaaS Tools
SaaS or aptly Software-as-a-service tools act as an anchor between on-premise
applications and cloud storage destinations so that all the data can be transferred
safely. The good thing about these SaaS tools is that they are automated and user-
friendly.

15. 2. Open-Source Tools
These tools are available free of cost and can be used by anyone. However, there’s
a catch! Your technical team should be able to customize these tools to cater to
your business and functional requirements.
3. Batch Processing
These types of tools are primarily used to transfer large volumes of data. Batch
processing tools are automated to work at frequent intervals so that network
congestion can be avoided.
Step-By-Step Guide to Cloud
Migration
Cloud should always be executed in a sequence of well-defined steps to ensure a
streamlined transition. Although the basic cloud migration steps are the same, the
core process relies on the size of your business and the complexities of the legacy
infrastructure involved.
Here are the necessary steps that answer how do you migrate to the cloud:

16. 1. Prioritize Requirements
To start with, consider the size of your organization and the corresponding business
needs. It should be a Q&A within the organization to establish goals that will further
help with framing a robust cloud migration plan.
Some of these questions can be:
 Why do you want to move to the
cloud?
 What are your expectations from the
cloud?
 What cloud migration strategies suit
your business needs?
 What are your performance, security,
and server requirements?
The answers to these questions lie in a comprehensive overview of your current
on-premise environment.

17. 2. Look for a Suitable Cloud
Provider
Assess the various cloud platform providers in the market. For instance, running
a comparison between AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud would be helpful as they suit
the needs of small as well as large-scale businesses.
Comparisons should be primarily based on these parameters:
 Compute of the proposed providers
 Storage capacity that they offer
 Price model and flexibility
 Markets share and the corresponding
reach
3. Finalize Cloud Migration Style
Before moving ahead with the migration process, it becomes essential to choose a
suitable cloud migration style. Here are three of the most prominent ones to
choose from:
 Hybrid Cloud: As already discussed, a
hybrid cloud is an amalgamation of
public, private, or even on-premise
server centers.

18.  Single-Cloud: This involves the
deployment of just one cloud vendor,
which is not always ideal considering
the market dynamics.
 Multi-Cloud: This involves the
deployment of two or more public
cloud providers to help create the
best of all worlds scenario.
4. Communicate with the
Stakeholders
Cloud migration is a major change for your organization. Some organizations also
consider it a digital transformation that changes the operational guidelines on the
whole. This is why it becomes essential to communicate effectively about cloud
migration for paving the way for a smooth migration.
5. Choose Cloud Migration Tools
There are numerous cloud migration tools in the market to choose from. You can
also choose a cloud migration partner here to help you out with choosing the best
tools that can synchronize with your cloud deployment model and strategy.

19. 6. Data and Application Migration
Based on your cloud migration strategy, you can move ahead with actual migration.
Your technical support team can help you with the migration, or you can outsource
the migration work.
Understanding and adhering to security and privacy protocols become essential at
this stage.
7. Ensure Security and Cloud
Management
Once the migration is completed, you can get most of the performance benefits
while adding to the savings. However, ongoing maintenance of the cloud is also
essential. That is why you need to assess cloud health continually with the help of
cloud monitoring tools. What you need to track and monitor:
 Measure uptime performance
 Map memory utilization for virtual
machines
 Identify, analyze, and fix any security
and utilization gaps

20. Cloud Migration Checklist
There is a lot to cover when it comes to cloud migration. So, before moving ahead
with the process, it is a safe strategy to create a migration checklist so that you stay
on track without missing out on anything.
Here’s the cloud migration checklist for you:
Cloud Migration Checklist
Categorize workloads that you want to maintain on-premises vs the workloads you want to
move to the cloud
Choose a suitable cloud provider that suits your business size and corresponding needs.
Run a comparison between shortlisted providers if necessary
Appoint an in-house team for executing migration or outsource the migration work for
avoiding roadblocks and loopholes
Estimate costs for migration through cost calculators and total cost of ownership (TCO)
calculators available with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
Communicate with the stakeholders to keep everyone in the loop
Build a cloud migration roadmap, i.e., choose cloud migration strategy and create a timeline
for execution
Build team skills by introducing training sessions to accelerate adoption to the organizational
change
Choose the right cloud migration tools for a smooth transition
Establish KPIs for migration to ensure the effectiveness of migration
Execute migration according to the laid out plan, either in phases or all at once

21. Maintain and manage the cloud presence to ensure security, privacy, and uptime
Challenges of Cloud Migration
To navigate through the cloud migration often seems a challenging task for
organizations. It is easier said than done. Here’s a glimpse of some challenges of
cloud migration that you need to be aware of:
1. Temporary Downtimes
Your in-house servers can suffer a downtime temporarily while migrating to the
cloud. This, in turn, can adversely affect customer experience, in case, the outage
prolongs for unexpected intervals.
2. Architectural Complexities
Sometimes it becomes tricky to match the cloud strategy with the organization’s
needs. Especially for executing hybrid environments, lack of planning can lead to
an overcomplicated architecture. To avoid this, focus on building a cloud migration
architecture that is compatible with the in-house IT infrastructure.

22. 3. Loss of Data
When migrating to the cloud, data loss is possible. Moreover, the risk to breach
also magnifies. To mitigate such risk, encryption should be considered seriously.
Also, security protocols should be strictly adhered to, to avoid any loopholes.
4. Large Data Migrations
It takes a considerable amount of time to transfer larger volumes of data over the
cloud. Larger the databases, more the time it takes for transferring it over the cloud
servers. This could also result in prolonged downtimes, or even in data loss.
5. Skill Gap
The tech team that managed the physical servers might not feel comfortable
handing the virtual servers. In this case, consider cross-functional training courses
and also introduce new roles if it seems necessary.

23. What Type of Applications
Should Move to the Cloud?
It is not required to migrate all applications to the cloud, nor is it economical. The
following table highlights the applications that should be moved to the cloud vs
the applications that should be maintained on-premises.

25. Commonly Asked Questions
About Cloud Migration
Here are some commonly asked questions with respect to cloud migration.
1. Which Cloud Deployment Model
is the best?
The public cloud offers flexibility and scalability through its pay-per-usage model.
A private cloud is suitable for organizations that prioritize security and control.
Whereas, the hybrid model provides the best of both worlds, although
performance and connectivity lag might occur.
2. What is the Best and Most
Reliable Cloud Service?
The choice of cloud migration service provider depends on your business and
functional requirements. If you are looking for a wide range of services and tools,
Amazon AWS cloud migration is the right option.
In case, your organization primarily runs on Microsoft and Windows, Microsoft
Azure is a suitable option. And, if yours is a small scale web-oriented startup, and

26. have been experimenting with machine learning, Google Cloud Platform is the right
choice to make.
3. How to Switch Over Cloud?
There are mainly two approaches when you are ready to shift your operations over
to the cloud.
 Do it all at once: When you have
moved your required legacy
infrastructure over to the cloud and
validated that it works, you can shift
your operations from on-premise to
the cloud all at once.
 Transition in Phases: Move a few
customers and the corresponding
data over the cloud. See how it works
and if everything seems to work just
fine, move a few more until you
eventually move everything to the
cloud.

27. 4. How to Get Cloud Migration Cost
Estimate?
The popular cloud migration service providers, i.e., AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
work on a pay-as-you-go model, i.e., you only pay for what you use. Moreover,
these service providers also offer tools such as price calculators and TCO (Total Cost
of Ownership) calculators for estimating cloud expenditures based on services and
tools you choose.
5. What is Cloud Rightsizing?
If you choose Rehost, as your cloud migration strategy, you are in a way lifting the
workload from on-premise as it is and shifting it to the cloud. In this case, you would
require excess compute and storage capacity, thus increasing the overall cost of
ownership. To avoid this situation, rightsizing is needed, i.e., a practice to analyze
workloads thoroughly to remove redundancies and outdated records.
Conclusion
Cloud migration is a process of moving your organization’s legacy infrastructure
over to the cloud environment. With successful cloud adoption, you can expect
to transform digital experience, which will benefit your organization and the
customers.

28. In this blog, we have covered everything that an organization should understand
about cloud migration before planning for the big shift.
Thus we can conclude – before choosing to migrate – plan! And, such plans can
only be successful if you understand the ins-and-outs of cloud computing. This will
ensure a smooth transition, maximum uptime, and magnified cloud benefits.
In this era of cloud-first, take this opportunity to ensure the high-availability of
infrastructure resources while saving on costs.
Source - https://www.netsolutions.com/insights/cloud-migration-guide/