In the ever-evolving business landscape, Cloud technology is here to stay. The public cloud market is expected to have a market volume of US$1,062.00bn by 2028. Cloud migration is the first step toward harnessing the full power of the Cloud. With the right practices, you are bound to introduce innovation to your business. Organizations have reported increased revenue, a competitive advantage, and ease of access after migrating to the cloud.
While cloud migration might sound puzzling to you, we’re here to make it a piece of cake. Let’s delve into the world of cloud migration and explore its meaning, process, advantages, and best practices to help you make a well-informed decision for your business.
What is Cloud Migration?
In simplest words, cloud migration is the process of transferring applications and data from one location, usually a company’s on-site premises, to a cloud server. Cloud migrations can also involve moving the data from one Cloud to another.
Introducing cloud migration to organizations opens a plethora of benefits, including better security, cost reduction, operational efficiency, and improved scalability. Achieving cloud migration depending on the requirements and operations of a company is the key to achieving maximum benefits from cloud technology.
Types of Clouds
Although cloud migration brings virtue to all kinds of businesses, not all clouds are created the same. Companies are finding unique ways to leverage cloud migration according to their needs. Here are the types of Cloud you need to know, each with its value and advantages.
Public Clouds:
Public Cloud services are built, provided, and managed by third-party cloud service providers. This includes providers like Oracle, Google, IBM, Amazon and Microsoft. In this model, public cloud providers own and handle everything from infrastructure to processing, allowing you to save time and effort. It’s like a shared city in the sky. While public clouds are not as personalized as private options, organizations still enjoy plenty of flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Public clouds offer many advantages to businesses, including:
- Uncomplicated setup
- No maintenance required
- Unlimited scalability
- Less downtime
Private Clouds:
Private Cloud offers a more customized and controlled solution to organizations seeking personalization. Enterprises with high-profile security protocols, like government agencies, usually prefer private clouds. They allow you to enjoy the perks of a public cloud while giving you complete control of the network, infrastructure, security, and hardware.
While the private Cloud provides many benefits like the traditional public clouds, it can be more expensive as it requires an in-house team for hardware management. However, this doesn’t reduce the charm of private clouds; and organizations, especially the ones requiring control and personalization, keep coming back to this.
- Private connection for better control
- Comprehensive customization
- The ability to offer IaaS and PaaS services from within the Cloud
Hybrid Clouds:
As the name suggests, a hybrid cloud combines the features of both public and private clouds. This model is ideal for agencies seeking unlimited scalability while retaining their control. Organizations leverage the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of the public Cloud for non-sensitive operations while maintaining the security and customization of a private cloud for mission-critical tasks. It offers numerous benefits to users, including the following:
- Security
- Customization
- Infinite scalability of a public cloud
- Cost-effectiveness
Choosing the type of Cloud that caters to your organization’s needs and requirements is the key to achieving maximum benefits and cost-effectiveness with cloud migration.
What Are the 7 R’s of Cloud Migration? Strategies for Cloud Migration
Here are the cloud migration strategies or the 7Rs that will make your journey into the Cloud a game-changer for your business.
Here are the 7R’s of cloud migration:
Rehost:
The rehost migration strategy is like picking up your on-prem application and shifting it to the Cloud using Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). The rehosting strategy involves moving your entire setup without changing the dynamic of work processes. This method is popular among enterprises as it lets you transfer all your apps and data to the Cloud without altering the core infrastructure. The rehost strategy is easy to operate and is perfect for companies that don’t have cloud experts on board.
Relocate:
The relocate strategy, also called the “Lift and Shift” method, involves moving your existing applications, workloads, and infrastructure from your on-site database to a cloud server. The catch in this strategy is there are no significant changes in the configuration or architecture of anything when you shift your workload. It essentially replicates your existing setup in the Cloud, providing a quick and straightforward way to migrate to a cloud environment.
As you don’t need a team to manage hardware, the cost relevant to this operation is reduced significantly. However, as the applications are moved without modifications, you might not get the full advantage of the Cloud.
Re-platform:
The re-platform cloud migration strategy is called the lift and reshape method. As the name suggests, this strategy allows you to move your applications to the Cloud while allowing you to choose the areas for optimization. You can upgrade the applications while keeping the code and structure the same. This way, you can keep your old applications running smoothly while making sure they meet all the cloud rules for safety and compliance.
The method saves time and reduces operational expenses as it allows you to upgrade the apps while giving you the freedom to keep the desired aspects the same. Additionally, as you don’t need to essentially re-write the whole code, your team doesn’t need thorough training.
Refactor:
The refactor cloud migration option is the trickiest strategy. It is a thorough approach that requires re-structuring the workload to support cloud capabilities. Although this approach needs a lot of initial investment, it is the most futuristic approach for migration. Refactoring allows you to enjoy advanced features like serverless computing and distributing load balancing.
Refactoring helps you to break down complex applications into smaller, more manageable ones. It’s like transforming your big castle into smaller units of houses. While refactoring costs a lot upfront, the expenses are way less than operating the existing framework, making it worth it in the long run.
Repurchase:
The repurchase cloud migration strategy involves replacing your existing applications with a cloud-based solution like SaaS. This model essentially focuses on swapping your on-premises applications with a cloud-native alternative, offered and managed by third parties, allowing you to get more scalability and optimization.
As these services are taken care of by others, you don’t require an in-house team to manage and maintain the infrastructure. The repurchase method offers a plethora of benefits, including increased scalability and cloud optimization. Additionally, the method allows your organization’s IT team to focus on other tasks rather than maintenance.
Retiring:
This approach is used when you closely look at any of your on-premises applications and realize they no longer deliver value or are hardly used in your operations. Removing or eliminating such applications from your system is a big step and requires consideration and planning. Retiring an old application or system is the first step toward embracing the modern cloud migration deployment.
Retaining:
There are some applications in a system that either cannot be retired or must operate in their existing framework. In such cases, the retaining cloud migration strategy is followed. Companies usually retain the applications that rely on other applications or the ones bringing no immediate value after migration. Moreover, workloads and applications are also retained if the enterprises realize the cost and effort of migration outweigh its benefits.
The Benefits of Cloud Migration
The reason behind the increasing popularity of cloud migration services is the advantages provided by cloud-based applications at a lower cost and minimal effort. Here are some benefits organizations get when leveraging cloud migration.
Optimized cost savings:
Cloud migration enables organizations to have the advantage of increased cost savings. They can save the money they spend on real estate, maintenance, and resources, allowing them to use it on other operations.
Flexibility and scalability:
Cloud migration allows organizations to pay for only the services and resources they use, so they don’t need to pay additional costs. Moreover, as most cloud providers maintain their servers around the globe, organizations can give their users a better experience by running their workloads closer to the customers.
Improved security:
Public clouds offer specialized security tools and benefits to enterprises. The cloud servers automatically upgrade the security, ensuring better protection of companies’ resources.
Backup and recover:
Most cloud providers offer a one-click backup and recovery option to agencies. This is especially useful for healthcare and government agencies. Some advanced options allow them to store their backups in different geographical locations.
Enhanced collaboration:
One of the most outstanding benefits of cloud applications is they can be accessed anywhere in the world. All you need is an internet connection to access the data and monitor crucial operations. This optimizes productivity and fosters collaboration, regardless of the location.
Cloud migration offers a compelling value proposition to organizations seeking cost-effectiveness and productivity while streamlining their operations and increasing agility.
In conclusion, as businesses navigate the dynamic landscape of technological advancements, embracing cloud migration emerges as a pivotal strategy for unlocking innovation and ensuring sustainable growth. The transformative power of the cloud is undeniable, and by adopting the right practices, organizations can experience heightened efficiency, enhanced competitiveness, and increased revenue streams. In this journey towards digital evolution, look no further than iTANZ as your trusted partner for cloud migration solutions. With a proven track record and a team of experts, iTANZ is committed to tailoring cloud solutions to meet the unique needs of your industry. Don’t just adapt to change; lead the way with iTANZ. Book a consultation today and embark on a seamless transition to a future where your business thrives in the cloud.