What is Cloud Migration?

Cloud migration is the process of transferring business data and applications to a cloud environment. There are various types of cloud migrations. One process involves moving your data and applications from a local, on-site data center to a cloud server. Another model involves moving data from one cloud platform or provider to another, which is known as cloud-to-cloud migration. A migration may involve moving some or all of your assets, depending on your business and IT infrastructure. Learn how your business can benefit from cloud migration.

One of the most significant reasons why businesses choose to migrate to the cloud is to give employees access to virtually unlimited resources. Anything you can do on a computer or a physical server can be done within the cloud. It provides flexibility that can benefit your company in several ways.

Cloud services are typically billed at a predictable monthly cost. This cuts out capital expenditure and costs associated with running physical servers. Cloud services like Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) help reduce infrastructure and IT costs by providing employees with devices and support for an affordable price.

Cloud-based services are designed to scale with your business. As your company grows or demand fluctuates, you can easily add more services or modify your plan.

With solutions like Desktop as a Service (DaaS), remote employees can conveniently access important business data and applications from virtually anywhere and on any device. Paired with SD-WAN, they can securely work together regardless of their location.

Companies can back up critical data and retrieve it from virtually anywhere with solutions like Backup as a Service (BaaS). With storage and backup solutions, it’s easy to stay productive—even when faced with a natural disaster or an unexpected event, like a power outage.

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) offers automatic backup and recovery solutions to minimize loss during an unexpected event. With DRaaS, businesses can quickly retrieve vital IT services after an emergency, like a natural disaster, cyber-attack or computer virus.

Cloud-based security solutions offer higher protection against malicious hackers and cyber-attacks. With Security as a Service (SECaaS), help protect your data across multiple locations and reduce costs by consolidating multiple services into one safeguarded solution.

A public cloud allows services to be owned and managed by a third-party vendor via the Internet. Businesses using a public cloud can get these services for free or pay only for what they use, depending on the plan.

A private cloud is either located in an on-site data center or hosted by a provider in a remote location. With a private cloud, your resources are managed and owned by one organization. This setup is typically used by government or financial industries for maximum control.

A hybrid cloud allows resources to move between a private and public cloud. This works well for companies that need high levels of security for sensitive data, but also want access to the cost-effective services offered by a public cloud.

This popular cloud strategy refers to businesses using multiple public and private cloud services in one environment.

Rehosting is a cloud migration strategy that involves moving your data and applications from an on-premises data center to the cloud.

This approach involves updating your applications, such as incorporating scaling or automation for the cloud, without starting from scratch.

Repurchasing is a cloud migration strategy which moves your applications to a new, cloud-based product. For example, moving from a local network like an intranet to Microsoft 365 for a full suite of collaboration tools users can access from anywhere.

This strategy calls for rebuilding your applications from the ground up and is typically used by businesses with an environment that doesn’t support cloud capabilities, such as serverless computing.

This approach requires turning off any applications that are no longer useful to make room for applications ready for migration.

This refers to only migrating certain elements of your business. Any data unable to be moved off-premises due to compliance will not be migrated to the cloud.

The cloud migration process will typically include these steps:

• Evaluation of Applications: Businesses should decide which applications to move to the cloud and which applications need to be modified or repurchased for migration. Security measures should also be considered to help protect your data during the migration.
  
• Selecting a Cloud Provider: Depending on the services your business requires, decide between private or public providers, or a combination of the two. If your IT team is unfamiliar with the cloud, choose a provider to manage the migration. Every migration is unique and having an experienced cloud provider will make overcoming roadblocks much easier.
  
• Calculating Cost: Before migrating to the cloud, figure out a budget. IT staff with limited on-premises experience may need additional support.

A smooth transition to the cloud is challenging without the right plan in place. Here are some common problems businesses may face:

Cloud services save businesses money and alleviate IT strain in the long run; however, figuring out how much to budget can be tricky. Consider the up-front cost of migrating to the cloud, reoccurring subscription fees and any services you may want to add as your business grows.

Cloud migration can get complicated depending on your applications, which model you choose (public, private or hybrid) and your current environment. Consider challenges like slow data replication and circuit delays, as well as necessary server upgrades. If your IT staff doesn’t have experience with cloud migration, choose a provider to help you like Cox Business.

Application dependencies might complicate a cloud migration. Ask your provider about discovery tools to make sure everything is in line.

Not all applications are compatible with the cloud and may need to be rebuilt before migration. Take inventory of which applications can stay as is, which need to be rebuilt and which ones will need to be retired or repurchased.

The more data you move to the cloud, the longer the process will take, causing downtime. To speed things up, some providers recommend you copy your data onto hardware so it can be shipped and migrated off-premises.

Moving your data makes you vulnerable to security breaches. Using cloud security tools and SECaaS  can help protect your data and critical applications.

Cloud migration isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. How your business migrates to the cloud will depend on your applications and the complexity of your environment. A lot of careful planning, testing and resourcing is needed for a successful migration.
Working with a cloud provider helps ease the transition and tackle any challenges. Providers like Cox Business offer a suite of cloud solutions and migration services to meet your business needs. Equipped with a team of industry-leading technology partners, we can tailor a plan for virtual transformation. Once a strategy is in place, Cox Business creates a cloud migration blueprint that gets your applications in the cloud in no time.