Businesses today face myriad challenges, some of which are successfully addressed with help from cloud computing. This is where AWS cloud migration which promises to be a boon for businesses grappling with a sudden increase in traffic or for those who are looking for accelerated app deployment. It is also handy for cautious businesses that want to safeguard their data centers against downtimes and such. Now that we know why one needs AWS cloud migration, let us take a look at the different phases of the process:
- Discovery: The process starts with the identification of what aspects of the system, apps, services, etc. can and cannot be moved to the cloud.
- Assessment: Based on the type of data involved, you will have to choose the method of migration and the resources to do so.
- Proof of Concept: After working on the details of the migration, one must also focus on how and where the project will be stored, i.e. workload testing, getting acquainted with AWS Storage Service, etc.
- Migration: Once you have everything ready to go, it is time to make the switch to AWS Cloud.
- Cloud operations: Be prepared to integrate AWS-driven updates for your existing architecture once the system has been migrated to AWS.
Next up are the actual steps involved in the cloud migration process:
- Workload inventory: Start the process with an inventory that includes all the virtual machines and servers up for migration.
- Licensing costs: It is imperative to get an idea about licensing costs along with the operational restrictions posed by third-party solutions used in the context of your systems.
- Cloud architecture: One must take care to not over-engineer the architecture; all you need is a solution engineered following the business’ current requirements and future goals
- Cost of ownership: It is now time to gauge the true cost of the migration based on the usage of resources such as compute, storage, network, support, etc.
- Migration: The final step in the process is the execution of the migration strategy: remember to keep the migration strategy in sync with the business objectives to sustain the pace.
Now, a look at the key AWS cloud migration strategies:
- Rehost: This involves lifting the apps and services from the current hosting environment and moving them to the cloud via a third-party tool.
- Replatform: This strategy is about optimization of the cloud architecture to enable the realization of benefits sans the need to change an outdated app’s core architecture.
- Repurchase: When migrating to the cloud, you will find some of your apps are incompatible with the new system architecture. Thankfully, AWS Marketplace offers a plethora of services billed on a pay-as-you-use basis.
- Refactor: When faced with limitations while contemplating migration, it would be a good idea to opt for a service-oriented architecture, especially when contemplating scalability, performance, and cost-related challenges.
- Retire: Post-migration, there will be a set of practical apps as well as those that may no longer serve any fruitful purpose. The latter set must be eliminated to drive optimization and save costs.
- Retain: Make sure to have a strategy focused on the retention of apps that cannot be moved to the cloud.
We understand that cloud migration may come across as a rather complex endeavor, and to a certain extent it is, but the fact remains that it is well worth the effort. Hopefully, the above guide about AWS cloud migration steps and more will prove to be handy; if not, you can also engage the services of an expert service provider.
