Cloud Migration: Pitfalls to Avoid

Cloud migration significantly influences how your business operates. And, whether you’re using cloud services for the first time or switching over from one cloud service to another. While it is a critical task and must be done very carefully. The one truth that is common to most modern businesses is that they use the cloud in some way or the other. However, we are long past the time where a fraction of one’s systems on the cloud would suffice; no, sir — it is now the time to fully migrate your systems to the cloud. However, before you decide to do that, it is vital you understand the common issues you are likely to face.

Even though there exist many cloud migration service providers, it is vital to choose wisely. One wrong decision could affect business operations. This would waste a lot of time and money to resolve the consequences. Therefore, without a thorough understanding of the current state and the expected cannot make the right selection of cloud migration services provider.

For your convenience, we have listed some of the most common cloud migration pitfalls below:

1.Choosing an unsuitable cloud platform: One of the biggest complaints we hear about cloud migration is that the platform is not exactly working out for them. This is especially true with those migration projects that decide to opt for the lift and shift approach. So, say, you have a legacy application, it would be wiser to opt for a hyper-scale cloud platform such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services.

2.Migrating messy data: The thing about data and documents is that they can pile up rather quickly. The longer an organization has been in business, the bigger will be its collection of documents and data, of course. This can prove to be quite a challenge when migrating to the cloud, mostly because there is a good chance that a sizable chunk of this data does not serve a purpose anymore. So, sift through all your data and documentation and discard what is no longer useful.

3.Ignoring cloud security: Because the process involves data, security is automatically rendered a critical factor. We cannot insist enough on just how dangerous it is to undertake a cloud migration project without a proper cloud security strategy and measures in place. So, make sure to adopt creative measures and strategies while switching to the cloud: for example, it would be a good idea to organize customer servers when sensitive data is being migrated to the cloud.

4.Failure to set up a disaster recovery plan: This particular pitfall is a tad complex on account it involves two facets: the first one involves a backup plan in case the migration itself runs into issues or fails. For this, you need a tested disaster recovery plan. But wait, there is more — now before you start migrating your workloads, it is imperative to also update the disaster recovery plan to account for the new environment. And make sure that this updated plan takes effect as soon as the first workload is migrated and the first phase of the process goes live.

When it comes to IT infrastructure, the expectations and requirements of each organization are as unique as the business they run. In such a scenario it is important to make use of a well-thought-out and carefully crafted cloud migration strategy that tends to not only the business requirements but also either accounts for the pitfalls associated with the process or completely avoids them. Of course, the strategy and best practices to avoid these pitfalls too will vary from business to business but some commonalities can be easily adapted to suit the individual requirements of the given organization. So, do not forget to take the challenges and issues associated with the cloud migration process when you set out to execute your legacy application migration to the cloud.