The cloud migration process involves transferring an organization’s digital assets, such as applications, data, and IT processes, from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud environment. It typically begins with assessment and planning, where current systems are evaluated for cloud suitability and a migration strategy is developed. Following this, preparation involves optimizing applications and data for migration, ensuring compatibility with the chosen cloud platform. The actual migration phase includes transferring data and applications to the cloud environment, followed by testing to verify functionality and performance. Post-migration tasks focus on optimization, ongoing management, and monitoring to ensure the cloud environment meets organizational needs efficiently.
The 7-step model of cloud migration provides a structured approach for organizations transitioning to the cloud. It typically includes assessing current IT infrastructure and applications, selecting the appropriate cloud deployment model, planning the migration strategy, preparing applications and data for migration, executing the migration process, testing and validating migrated resources, and finally optimizing and maintaining the cloud environment post-migration. Each step is crucial in ensuring a smooth and successful transition to the cloud while minimizing disruption to business operations.
Cloud migrations can be broadly categorized into three types based on the degree of change made to applications and infrastructure: lift-and-shift, which involves moving applications to the cloud with minimal changes to their architecture; refactor or rearchitect, where applications are redesigned to take advantage of cloud-native features and scalability; and replace or rehost, which involves replacing existing applications with cloud-based alternatives. Each type offers different benefits and challenges, depending on organizational goals, budget, and IT capabilities.
The steps of migration typically include assessing current IT infrastructure and applications, planning the migration strategy, preparing applications and data for migration, executing the migration process, testing and validating the migrated resources, and finally optimizing and maintaining the new environment post-migration. These steps ensure a systematic approach to moving to the cloud, addressing technical and operational considerations while minimizing risks and maximizing benefits.
The 4 R’s of cloud migration refer to different strategies organizations can use to handle applications during migration: rehost (lift and shift), where applications are moved to the cloud with minimal changes; refactor or rearchitect, which involves redesigning applications to be more cloud-native; revise or re-platform, where applications are adjusted for better compatibility with the cloud environment; and retire, which involves decommissioning applications that are no longer necessary or feasible to migrate to the cloud. Each strategy offers distinct advantages depending on the specific needs and goals of the organization.