More businesses are moving to the cloud for its scalability, cost savings, and efficiency. But the path to cloud adoption is not always clear. The process is complex, and an improper migration can lead to inefficiencies, overspending, and security risks.
To have a smooth migration experience, it’s important to learn about the following cloud migration challenges and the practical solutions to overcome them.
Lacking a cloud migration strategy
Many companies charge headlong into cloud adoption without a solid plan, resulting in delays, downtime, and unforeseen costs. A well-defined cloud migration strategy is essential to avoid these issues. Here are the steps in developing one:
Understand your goals
Set your objectives before migrating, whether it’s cutting costs, improving scalability, or accessing advanced features. Clear goals are crucial to avoid indecisiveness and ensure a consistent direction throughout the migration process.
Assess your applications
Not all applications are suitable for cloud migration. Evaluate your existing applications to determine which ones are fit for the cloud and which should remain on your servers. Consider security requirements and the impact on performance for each application.
Create a detailed roadmap
After identifying your objectives and evaluating your applications, create a detailed plan that outlines the steps for migration, the necessary resources, and the distribution of responsibilities. This well-thought-out plan guides your team through each step of the process while addressing issues such as performance and security.
Infrastructure incompatibility
Incompatibility between your current infrastructure and the chosen cloud environment can derail your migration. It can trigger system failures and necessitate unplanned purchases or custom developments to bridge the gap, potentially compromising optimal performance and cost-efficiency. To prevent these issues, follow these steps:
Evaluate current infrastructure
Identify potential incompatibilities by evaluating your current infrastructure. Take note of relationships between applications and other components that could obstruct the migration process.
Choose the right strategy
Based on your evaluation, decide the best way to move data, whether by simply transferring applications or rebuilding them in the cloud. Ensure the chosen method meets your unique needs for smoother integration and optimal performance.
Cost inefficiencies
The cost of cloud services can be complicated and confusing, leading to inaccurate budget estimates. If resources are not managed efficiently, your organization could face significant financial strain, sometimes without you even realizing it until it’s too late. Averting these errant expenses will require the following measures:
Gaining visibility into cloud spending
Use cloud provider tools to gain item-by-item visibility into your cloud spending. Identify optimization opportunities to cut extraneous items.
Implementing best practices
Adopt practices such as rightsizing instances — instances can refer to any realization of something, such as any time you run a program, log in, or create a document — or automatic resource scaling to reduce costs. It would also help to create a governance structure to oversee cloud spending and enforce cost controls.
Data security and compliance risks
Security risks multiply during cloud migration, making data susceptible to unauthorized access, breaches, and noncompliance. Secure your data with these precautions:
Choose a secure cloud provider
Select a provider with robust security features, a proven track record, and expertise with relevant security requirements. At the very least, they should offer cloud migration assistance covering every aspect of the process, including data security.
Use secure connections
Always opt for secure private connections to handle sensitive data. Encrypt your data so that only authorized users can access it, whether it is at rest, in storage, or in transit.
Monitor data
Constant monitoring of your data enables you to quickly detect and address discrepancies, so ask your provider about solutions that enable real-time data tracking and immediate incident response.
Ensure compliance management
Include compliance specialists in your migration team to ensure your data is stored and managed according to relevant regulations.
Overlooking the human factor
The human element is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of successful cloud migration. Employees’ unfamiliarity with the new cloud environment can lead to frustration and productivity loss, hindering the full utilization of the cloud and its benefits. You can overcome the learning curve with practical adjustments:
Invest in training programs
Empower employees with comprehensive training and necessary certifications to facilitate a smoother transition and maximize cloud benefits.
Foster a cloud-centric culture
Cultivate a company culture that encourages innovation, collaboration, and experimentation. This mindset fosters the adaptability and problem-solving skills your team needs to navigate the complexities of cloud adoption.
While cloud migration offers immense potential benefits, it is undoubtedly daunting. Fortunately, by proactively addressing the common challenges during the process, organizations can increase their chances of a successful migration and unlock the full value of cloud computing.
Prepare your business IT for a secure and effective cloud migration by speaking with a Liberty Center One expert. Contact us today.