Migrating to Cloud? Avoid These Common Cloud Migration Mistakes

The allure of the cloud, with its promises of cost benefits, more excellent stability, and, more recently, as the lynchpin of digital transformation, is well understood. But if such promises are to be realized, tech leaders need to think beyond just lifting and shifting on-prem applications into the cloud– Thoughtworks Technology Podcast

The cloud has emerged as a must-have driver for the digital transformation of businesses. Cloud migration gives streamlined business value to all, whether in the IT sector, an e-commerce business, or any other domain. According to Forbes, by 2020, almost 83% of enterprise-related workloads will be managed in the cloud.

In addition, the following report by the Harvard Business Review Analytic Services on business performance improvements within the cloud shows the increasing demand and adoption of cloud-based services.

Cost-effectiveness and reduced processing times motivate many domains to migrate from on-premise to cloud platform services. However, migrating to the cloud is more complex than it may seem. A thorough analysis with step-by-step planning is critical before migrating to the cloud. Essential elements like security features, cloud space, and future expansion prospects must be considered before changing to the cloud.

Relocating is challenging, and any mistake in this process might make you roll back the entire process, thus wasting a lot of time and effort.

10 Common Cloud Migration Mistakes that you Must Avoid!

Let’s take a look at some of the common cloud migration mistakes so that you can be ready to avoid them:

Mistake 1: Considering all cloud services as the same

You must understand that not all cloud service providers provide the same features. With other business infrastructures within all organizations, their needs for the cloud also widely differ. The key elements worth considering when deciding upon a cloud service include scalability, security, and other application-related requirements.

Mistake 2: Lack of research in choosing the right cloud platform

Organizations are constantly pressured to migrate quickly with increasing competition to the cloud. But hurrying can bring you a failed cloud migration process. So, before you relocate, do your essential homework well. It is necessary to understand the current requirements and analyze future infrastructure needs.

The IT infrastructure of every application has vivid capabilities and requires a cloud platform that suits their requirements. Also, you should thoroughly look into the cloud contract constraints to avoid any future issues.

Mistake 3: Shifting everything to the cloud

Not all business processes can migrate. Here is another area where you need to know your requirements before deciding what should be migrated to the cloud and what should remain on-premise.

For example, the banking and healthcare domains cannot migrate all their applications because of security compliance issues. Also, only some cloud platforms will support all your applications. So, segregate beforehand and adapt accordingly.

Read More: 5 Reasons Why Cloud ERP is Ideal for Growing Business in 2022

Mistake 4: Absence of in-house cloud migration experts

Even though your service provider deploys an expert team, you can only partially rely on them. The main reason behind this is that your in-house team is far more of an expert in knowing your business-specific applications.

Mistake 5: A speedy migration process

A speedy process might seem very efficient, but the process might create complexities in identifying what has been moved and what is left. Instead, a moderate speed is an excellent option to keep an eye on the process and identify any issues as they occur.

Mistake 6: Ignoring security and compliance

The cloud migration process must comply with specific regulations such as FIS Management and HIPPA. Moreover, a foolproof security protocol is essential to keep user data intact at a central repository.

Mistake 7: Improper testing     

Another mistake organizations need to correct while migrating to the cloud is correctly testing. It is imperative to thoroughly test your apps and infrastructure during the migration process to ensure everything is as it should be.

Many organizations think that their existing tests would be sufficient, and this is the greatest mistake they can make. Also, test your backup and existing data plan to have everything in control beforehand.

Mistake 8: Improper monitoring

It is essential to monitor your cloud environment closely to ensure everything is running as planned. Many organizations assume that their existing tools would be sufficient, which needs to be corrected. It is always necessary to modify the scripts and processes to account for the changes.

Also, keep monitoring your backup to ensure that nothing goes wrong and you have a solid plan in place.

Read More: The Security Level on the Cloud that Protects Your Data

Mistake 9: Not having an exit plan

If something is going out of the plan, it is essential to have a second one. This would help you fall back to your on-premise environment quickly. While you are unlikely to need this plan, having one is essential.

Mistake 10: Not updating the documentation

It is essential to update your documentation after cloud migration. This includes updating things such as network diagrams, inventories, and logbooks. This practice also helps you to keep your documentation process up-to-date.

Wrapping Up

The ever-increasing demand for cloud-based processes is making businesses turn towards cloud migration, but a rush in doing so can bring some unwanted issues. Understanding, planning, and executing the cloud migration process is better.

Also, you must hire expert cloud computing services to avoid any problems at later stages. The above mistakes are prevalent and are an essential guide for you to consider before moving forward with your migration process.