On-premise to cloud migration, in general, is a process of transferring programs, data, and IT processes from traditional data centers to cloud-based solutions. Organizations migrate data to the cloud to reduce IT expenses, save costs, and increase flexibility. Cloud computing is a safe and secure data-storing solution that supports employee needs and helps teams collaborate from anywhere and anytime.
Due to the well-established value of the cloud, many enterprises across different industries have made the leap into the cloud computing realm. Three main migration strategies help move data from premise to cloud, including lift and shift, hybrid migration, and improving and moving, the model. In this ultimate cloud migration guide, enterprises will learn the 6 Rs of cloud migration and the steps in migrating on-premises data and applications to the cloud.
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Six R’s of On-Premise to Cloud Migration
According to the Cloud Data Market Analysis report released by GlobalData, the cloud computing market is expected to grow from $552.3 billion in 2021 to $1,119.5 billion in 2026 at a growth rate of 15.2%.
The six R’s of migration are the common cloud migration strategies enterprises can choose to transfer data from one database to another.
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Rehosting
Also referred to as the lift and shift strategy, rehosting involves transferring data and applications to a new hosting environment. It is the most popular and straightforward approach to migrating data to the cloud without changing its architecture or code.
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Replatforming
Better called lift tinker and shift, re-platforming involves a few cloud optimizations. Enterprises that intend to transfer data without modifying the application’s fundamental architecture prefer re-platforming cloud migration strategy.
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Refactoring
Although tagged as an expensive and time-consuming process, refactoring future-proofs businesses that want to utilize complex cloud functions, this approach involves rewriting applications to use cloud-native features, including serverless computing and auto-scaling.
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Repurchasing
Repurchasing involves the replacement of current apps with a new cloud-native platform to avoid development expenditures. Experts recommend following the cloud migration strategy when there is a reduction in applications or services they want to manage in the new environment.
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Retiring
Sometimes enterprises determine that cloud migration does not suit their business needs. For instance, it could be when an application surpasses its ability to deliver value. Business professionals can also disable outdated programs to minimize unwanted expenses in such a scenario.
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Revisiting
Enterprises have applications that contain sensitive data or govern internal operations stored in their on-premise database. Moving applications from in-house to cloud-based computing solutions without a robust strategy can be tricky. Revisiting involves considering the cloud migration services in the future when businesses have more risk tolerance, time to plan, and budget.
Understanding the approach can be challenging, especially if the in-house team lacks the knowledge and skills required for cloud migration. Inferenz experts work closely with you to develop a customized plan and make the transition stress-free and smooth. Read our case study to learn more about how our experts help enterprises using the Inferenz framework.
Ultimate Guide for On-Premise to Cloud Migration
No two cloud migration processes are the same; however, following a few steps can help enterprises successfully migrate data and applications from on-premise to the cloud.
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Planning
Careful planning is the first and most crucial step of successful cloud migration. A blueprint of what, how, and why aspects of migration will help the team transfer the digital assets and the enterprise workload to the new environment. Here are the three main questions that should be accessed to avoid the extra work of migrating.
- What all assets need to be migrated?
- Why does the team intend to migrate apps and data to the cloud?
- How complex is the overall migration process?
Having a clear idea and following the strategic approach will help team members execute on-premise to cloud data migration successfully.
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Reviewing
Once a plan is prepared, the cloud migration experts should review the migration strategy to identify troubleshooting and potential issues. The end team’s goal should be limiting the risk and accelerating the cloud migration process.
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Optimizing
The third step involves cloud optimization, where the data experts need to optimize resources and costs based on business requirements. Always contact different vendors and understand the total cost of ownership (TCO). Preparing different migration strategies and considering logistics and resourcing requirements is the cornerstone of a successful migration.
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Secure Migration
Data is one of the most valuable and confidential assets for any sized organization. That said, securing data while migrating it from one system to another should be emphasized. Business experts should deploy a cloud firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS) to minimize exposure and data breach threats while transitioning.
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Migrate Small
Preparing, reviewing, and optimizing are the main steps to designing a strategic procedure. However, enterprises should migrate small data to ensure nothing is left unaccounted for. Advanced planning and testing at each stage are mission-critical to ensure app and data functionality and to execute the on-premise to cloud migration process. Furthermore, enterprises can mitigate the disruption risk by choosing the best cloud service provider and modern tools.
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Measure & Monitor
Cloud migration is not a one-and-done process; it requires measuring and monitoring to accelerate innovation and get the most out of the migration. Data migration experts should ensure that team members get access to the data for business operations. Also, understanding how the application behaves and the financials ensure that enterprises are not over-billed for the services they don’t need.
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Execute On-Premise to Cloud Migration Process With Experts
On-premise to cloud migration can be daunting, but with guidance and modern tools, businesses can make cloud migration successful. There are six common strategies for migration, and the right approach will depend on business needs and preferences. Following the step-by-step process will help businesses move their data and applications without worrying about data breaches.
If you still feel lost or need expert help for your data migration project, Inferenz can assist you from start to finish. Our advanced tools and solutions will cover everything from assessment to post-migration support to ensure a successful on-premise to cloud migration.