5 Key Considerations for Cloud Migration

Migrating from an on-premises environment to Amazon Web Services (AWS) may seem like an overwhelming task. While it may have certainly been so at one point, working with a dedicated managed service provider like Mission Cloud means that journey doesn’t have to be difficult: you just need to know what to look out for. If you’re planning to make a shift to the cloud, here are five key considerations for cloud migration to keep in mind as you plan.

1. Cost

Cost optimization is a huge priority amongst enterprises that have moved to the cloud: according to the RightScale 2019 State of the Cloud Report from Flexera, 64% of survey respondents had cloud savings listed as their top initiative.

To address these cost optimization concerns, AWS offers a variety of solutions, including on-demand, pay-as-you-go pricing, the ability to leverage Reserved Instances, and a variety of cost management tools that enable customers to stay ahead of the game when it comes to their cloud spend. A managed service provider like Mission can work with you to align your cloud spend with your business goals, all under the larger goal of maximizing savings.

2. Security

AWS understands that cloud security is the highest priority, and provides a suite of offerings, such as AWS IAM and AWS CloudWatch that ensure its architecture is equipped to meet the requirements of the most security-sensitive organization.

Additionally, customers migrating from an on-prem data center to the cloud should monitor and evaluate the security of their cloud environment on a consistent basis. This is where the benefit of a Managed Service Provider such as Mission can especially come into play. One of Mission’s core offerings is a Managed Security service that includes AWS Security Best Practices, automated data collection, real-time threat detection, and rapid response & remediation.

3. Migration Readiness Assessment

AWS offers a Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) to help customers move to the cloud through three key phases. The first step, Migration Readiness Assessment (MRA) phase determines the current state of your readiness to migrate and identifies areas where you already have strong capabilities and where further development is needed to migrate at scale. Many companies may be looking to migrate to the cloud but, for one reason or another, are not quite ready yet. For example, legacy applications running on-premises often require some refactoring when moving to newer hardware or operating systems.

Following the Migration Readiness Assessment is the Migration Readiness & Planning (MRP). This phase teams you with AWS Professional Services or a MAP partner, such as Mission, to build the foundation for a large scale migration. This leads to the final stage, the migration itself.

Through Mission’s Well-Architected Review, we can identify areas that need further development work and then work with you to implement these changes (such as refactor code) to expedite migration readiness.

4. Elasticity

One of the biggest benefits of AWS is that it offers a pay-as-you-go model which allows you to increase or decrease infrastructure at will. One particular use case is the cost-saving ability to scale based on demand with AWS Auto Scaling, rather than spending thousands of dollars on new physical servers at your on-prem data center. AWS Auto Scaling monitors applications and automatically adjusts capacity to maintain steady and predictable performance at the lowest possible cost. It only takes minutes to set up in a simple user interface.

AWS also offers auto-scaling for Amazon EC2. Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling helps users maintain application availability while also allowing automatic management of EC2 instances according to predefined conditions. Mission can work with you to best assess the number of EC2 instances you need for a workload at any given time.

5. AWS Managed Services

AWS has the largest collection of managed service providers to help you at each stage of your cloud migration. AWS Managed Services (AMS) operate your AWS infrastructure based on your needs, ultimately reducing operational overhead and risk. 

Tips for a Successful Migration

Migrating to the cloud requires careful planning and execution to ensure success. While we’ve discussed 5 considerations to think about while you plan, these additional tips can help streamline your migration and prepare you for success

Understand Dependencies: Begin by cataloging all applications, services, and data. Understand dependencies and performance requirements to create a detailed migration plan.

Align Organizational Goals: Involve key stakeholders from across the organization early in the planning process to align migration goals with business objectives and ensure buy-in.

Prioritize Workloads for Migration: Determine which workloads to migrate first based on factors such as complexity, criticality, and potential for cost savings. Start with less critical applications to build experience before tackling mission-critical systems.

Develop a Migration Strategy: Choose a migration strategy (rehost, refactor, revise, rebuild, or replace) that best suits each application, balancing effort with long-term benefits.

Implement Monitoring and Optimization Tools: Use cloud-native and third-party tools to monitor performance, identify issues, and optimize resources throughout the migration process.

Plan for Downtime and Data Transfer: Develop a clear plan to minimize downtime and ensure data integrity during the migration. Consider data transfer methods and tools that can handle large volumes efficiently.

Test, Test, and Test Again: Conduct rigorous testing in the cloud environment to validate that applications perform as expected and meet all functional and non-functional requirements before going live.

These tips can help you navigate the complexities of cloud migration more effectively in order to ensure a seamless transition to the cloud.

To learn more about how Mission can assist at every step of your cloud migration, request a free 60-minute consultation today.