Tips for assessing your cloud options and migrating most efficiently

The cloud provides multiple benefits in terms of access, scalability, and performance. Cloud migration—moving applications and data into the cloud  can be a tenuous, but rewarding process. As cloud usage ramps up, we’re seeing more and more diversity in terms of the types of cloud strategies people employ—it’s not just one size fits all. While some are still sticking with private cloud, public cloud usage is on the rise, with 55 percent of enterprise workloads expected to be in a public cloud within twelve months, according to Flexera’s 2021 State of the Cloud Report.

And somewhat naturally, we’re beginning to see a spike in multi-cloud and hybrid cloud solutions, as companies start to hone and diversify their cloud strategies. 92 percent of enterprises in Flexera’s 750 respondents have a multi-cloud strategy; and 80 percent have a hybrid cloud strategy.

But in order to reap the most value from the cloud, you want to make sure that the options you choose match your needs, and that the migration goes smoothly and successfully. As providers of Cloud Consulting Services, we’ve helped many companies save time and money by developing cloud strategies that are truly business-aligned, and by  helping to implement them most efficiently.

Let’s look briefly at your different cloud options and then explore some key principles that will guide your cloud migration.

Private Cloud vs. Public Cloud

Private Cloud is limited to a single group of end-users instead of everyone. It is controlled by the enterprise and is not shared with other firms. Public Cloud, on the other hand, is provided by an outside vendor and shared with other firms. In terms of cost, management, security, and efficiency, most companies opt for Public Cloud. However the control you have with private cloud makes it an attractive option for  certain scenarios.

Public Cloud Providers: AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Alibaba Cloud,

Private Cloud Solutions: Some of the largest players in the private cloud market are Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), VMware, Dell EMC, Oracle, IBM, Red Het.

Hybrid Cloud vs. Multi-Cloud

Hybrid cloud consists of a combination of public and private cloud solutions. It is defined as a single environment created via the merging of multiple environments, usually to orchestrate one IT solution. Multi-cloud is the compilation of multiple public cloud services for different purposes. Multi-cloud doesn’t need to include any private cloud solution, though it can in theory. Both options help firms avoid vendor lock-in and apply the right solutions for different situations. Firms often look to multiple clouds for better security and an expanded environment.

Principles to Guide Your Cloud Migration

In the modern world, where cloud migration is accelerating, it’s essential to choose the right path and apply the right framework to make it productive. Your strategy should be focused on:

1. Coordination/Teamwork
2. Research-based planning
3. Clarification of architecture
4. Analysis of technical risks
5. Data analysis and quality assessment

Coordination/Teamwork

A cloud migration plan needs to identify the people or specialists for every task. For the best possible results, those specialists, and every member of the team, need to be able to coordinate with each other. This will necessitate things like backlog grooming, daily meetings, taking reviews, etc. The better team coordination, the better the success rate of the migration.

Research-based planning 

The migration of data is a huge deal: data is a valuable asset. That’s why it is crucial to research well before preparing a plan. Every plan includes some uncertain risk factors. The research process will track them, and you can work on elimination, re-estimation, or re-planning.

Clarification of architecture

Your architecture is the foundation of your software succes, and is an important factor during migration. Clarifying and validating the architecture should include assessing your infrastructure, technical debt, availability of targeted technologies, etc. A skilled architect can guide and offer the most efficient and effective approaches, even if your project is complex.

Analysis of technical risks

Analyzing business needs against technical risks while moving data to the cloud is the most critical stage for any project. That is why it is necessary to determine and consider the purpose of migration while making a plan for the success of the migration process.

Data analysis and Quality assessment 

The success of any project depends on its quality. Data Analysis gives you a clear picture of what, where, and when you should invest for better project consistency.

Migrating to the cloud is essential for your company’s continued growth, but doing it right is also critical. It can help you optimize your resources and realize value faster—which is what we all want in a fast-paced world. If you don’t have the expertise to do it in house, it can be well worth speaking to software consultants who can understand your needs and guide you. There are many options to weight, but the most important thing is to get off the ground!

About the author

Author Bio:

Headspring is a technology consulting firm offering software consulting services that are designed to transform organizations. Our cloud-first solutions range from application development to architectural strategy to legacy system transformation. Headspring’s teams are motivated daily by the core belief that great software has the power to transform organizations and lives.