How to Move to the Cloud

Cloud computing has evolved from an advanced technology that allowed organizations to grow, into a necessary tool that is central to the sustainability of a modern organization. According to Cisco, by 2021, 94% of the entire global workloads and compute instances will be managed by cloud data centers. The use of cloud technology has also been augmented by managed IT service providers that help streamline the process of migration.

As more and more organizations look to migrate to the cloud, decision-makers and CTOs must consider the various steps the entire migration involves. Not only does understanding the process help make better decisions, but it also allows CTOs to better prepare for the switch.

3 Factors To Consider Before You Move To The Cloud

Migration to the cloud involves many factors that need to be considered before the transfer. Here are the top 3 factors you need to consider before you make the switch to the cloud:

Where Do The Applications Go?

Preparing for a cloud deployment offers an excellent chance for organizations to consider their application landscape. A modern organization manages and deploys a wide range of applications – some are suited to a cloud-native environment and some are not.

In addition to organizational applications, there are often unauthorized client-centric and department-centric applications. Depending on the data stored in those applications, compliance policies and security concerns ultimately decide which applications are migrated to the cloud.

What Will Be Your Cloud Deployment Model?

There are three key deployment models that organizations can take:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

As the name implies, in this business model, cloud vendors provide vital cloud assets such as load balancers, virtual machines (VM), storage, etc. This allows organizations to leave hardware maintenance to the vendor while only being responsible for application maintenance and backup.  In a IaaS model resources are often migrated 1-1.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Under a PaaS agreement, the computing platform, operating system, and applications are provided by your cloud service. Key benefits of this model are its high automation and scalability afforded to the organization as the cloud vendor manages the entire platform, even the patch management of the entire database and servers.

Software as a  Service (SaaS)

Under a SaaS model, the application, as well as the other functions, are deployed and managed exclusively by the cloud vendor. The user organization can only access and process such applications and pay the prorated ‘rent.’ This is a highly economical model.

What Will Be Your Migration Path?

Typically organizations will use a combination of these models with their migration.  There are 5 key paths that enable an organization to migrate to the cloud. Here is a list that describes them:

Re-host existing database via an IaaS model

This offers rapid deployment and cost-effectiveness but presents many of the same challenges and inefficncies as on-premisis impementations as the organization scales.

Re-factor existing database for the PaaS model

While this allows developers to use the same tools, coding language, and scalability options, it still operates on the limited features afforded by the cloud vendor. Coupled with a lock-in threat, this model is not entirely flawless.

Revise existing database for IaaS/PaaS model

In this model, developers write application extensions natively for the cloud, which boosts application efficiency. However, if you’re moving the entire application it can slow down your time-to-market before you can avail of the benefits of the cloud.

Rebuild existing database for the PaaS model

Like the previous model, this allows faster and more agile applications as they are being written for the cloud exclusively. The additional features allowed by the cloud platform will also help provide additional feasibility to developers. However, applications need to be tightly knit with the cloud platform if you want to avoid a lock-in situation.

Replace with SaaS

One of the foremost benefits of the SaaS model is the cost efficiency it provides. It also allows access to advanced software and software scalability. However, the lack of flexibility can be an obstacle that is difficult to overcome if you have specific needs not available via the service.

Cloud migration is a highly technical and intricate process that requires CTOs to analyze various factors and considerations before choosing how to go about it. This is where managed IT services providers like us come in.

With Agio Managed Azure you leverage our honed expertise to streamline your cloud migration process, navigating around the “cloud gotcha’s” that less experienced technical teams run into. Equipped with advanced cybersecurity controls to keep your data safe in the public cloud, we provide you a complete package to help you maximize your ROI in the environment.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today.

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