Cloud computing has become the model of choice for worldwide IT professionals, with Cybersecurity Ventures estimating that, by 2025, data stored in public, private and government-owned clouds will reach 100 zettabytes (a trillion gigabytes). The number will represent half of the world’s data at the time, the same source states.

Moreover, as a report from Markets and Markets showcases, the cloud computing market reached $371.4 million in 2020 and is expected to continue growing at a rapid pace, to $832.1 billion, by 2025.

The shift from on-premise to the cloud is actually understandable, if we take into account its great benefits: it contributes to the acceleration of digital transformation projects, it enables remote working - extremely valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic -, as well as it enables safe, rapid access to intelligence.

According to a Flexera report on where companies are directing their IT budgets in 2021, it appears that Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services are the main platforms, while Google Cloud is also attracting interest. Still, since 78% of companies are using hybrid structures, vendors like IBM, Dell Technologies, HP Enterprise play an important part in IT strategies.

Deciding what to do with the intelligence your company has, what to migrate and how is what actually complicates cloud migration and has many IT professionals postpone it.

If, in a previous blog post, we discussed the benefits and challenges of moving to the cloud, in this material we will focus on the implementation checklist. This should enable you to understand what steps need to be followed when migrating

1.Put someone in charge

Every project requires a professional that leads it, who is connected to the implementation teams and who knows very well the company, its clients’ requirements, its way of functioning and its expectations. This person is known as a migration architect and is the one that designs strategies, defines vendor requirements and ensures they are met, together with the migration priorities.

Having a migration architect means that there is someone who, at all times, knows the status of the project, the next steps, has access to the technical plans and is available to make decisions.

2.Decide what to prioritize

One of the first questions you need to ask yourself is whether you want to move everything to the cloud or start off with some applications. The level of integration is a crucial factor in setting the approach and, of course, in estimating the budget.

By splitting the project into steps and deciding what to manage first, you ensure that the road towards implementation is smoother and more efficient.

3.Know your options

A thing many clients don’t know is that they can opt for multiple cloud providers and that they don’t need to settle for just one. This offers them more space for negotiating and enables them to have more flexibility and autonomy, as they don’t rely on one vendor.

At AEC Cloud, we have noticed that some clients are quite surprised when we tell them that they may even split the same app across multiple providers, thus benefiting from each vendor’s key advantages. Of course, this option also comes with risks, as it means that the app relies on two different servers that may impact its performance and the user experience, as a whole.

Moreover, when designing an app from scratch, you may ensure it runs on any cloud provider, thus benefiting from maximum flexibility. In such a situation, the development itself might be a more complicated process, but discuss the option with your cloud migration implementation partners and they will help you decide whether it is a good option for you.

4.Set up goals and KPIs

Each project requires goals that are later translated into KPIs and metrics. The migration architect should set these, at the very beginning of a cloud migration process, focusing on what the company needs to attain with the changes made.

KPIs may target user experience, app performance, infrastructure or conversions.

Examples of KPIs include smaller page loading time, decrease in error rates, memory usage, conversion percentages.

5.Compare before and after results

If you set KPIs, you need to start with the initial values and carefully assess the initial state. This means that the migration architect should know what the companies’ baselines are, when it comes to user experience, performance, infrastructure and conversions, as well as what it wants to achieve.

6.Focus on migration strategies

In a previous blog post, we focused on the 7 migration strategies, the 7 Rs of cloud migration, as explained by Amazon Web Services: re-architect, replatform, repurchase, rehost, relocate, retain, retire.

Depending on the size of your project, budget and capabilities, you may implement multiple Rs or choose the one that suits your company’s specific needs.

7.All-at-once or step by step

Once everything is finished and you are ready to move legacy systems to the cloud, you have two options:

• You may do it all at once, which means the migration architect needs to ensure that everythings works properly, before switching traffic from on-premise.

• Do it one step-at-a-time, migrating some users, testing their experiences, and, then, focusing on the next batches, until everything is in the cloud.

AEC Cloud, the key to a successful cloud migration

Identifying a cloud migration partner that walks you through the process and which offers support to the migration architect is a key element to any successful project. At AEC Cloud, we have the experience of collaborating with small, medium and large companies, understanding their needs and identifying the best solutions for them.

Contact us to get a quote and discuss your smooth transition to the cloud.