Cloud Application Migration Checklist

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for moving applications to the cloud, but there are several steps you can take that will help you ensure business continuity. This cloud migration checklist can serve as a framework to help you avoid common missteps as you move data to the cloud.

Let’s Recap: Why Are Businesses Migrating to Cloud Services?

Optimizing your IT helps your business stay agile and respond to changes in the market and stay relevant for your customers. Moving to the cloud can help your systems run at peak efficiency and reduce employee frustration over outdated technology. That’s why most companies have transitioned an average of 20-40% of their data to the cloud. 

An on-site data center also takes up space in your business and uses a lot of energy in the process. Cloud storage can help you optimize your software performance and save you money and time on your data storage strategies.

There are many factors to consider when moving to the cloud, and it can be overwhelming trying to decide where to start, especially if you don’t have the experts you need on staff. Luckily, you don’t have to make the transition all at once. Many companies opt for a mixture of public cloud, private cloud, and traditional hardware for their data storage strategy. 

Cloud Migration Checklist

Many small and medium-sized businesses rely on a third-party vendor for their migration strategies. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) can help you assess your current IT infrastructure and offer proven solutions that work for your industry. Here’s how the process works:

1. Analyze Your Business

It’s crucial to have a firm grasp of your company’s current IT infrastructure before you establish baseline goals you want to accomplish with your migration plan. To start with, you’ll need a comprehensive list of all the technologies you use for your business, and assess how well they are currently performing. 

Then, look for key areas you’d like to optimize and decide how to accomplish it. Create a list of key performance indicators, such as loading times, response rate, availability, CPU usage, and employee conversion rates for new processes. 

For example, how would a full lift and shift of all your applications to the cloud affect your business processes? If your application would do well on the cloud, you need to decide if a public, private, or multi-cloud approach is suitable. Does your company have the capability to create a private cloud, or do you need to outsource? 

2. Define Your Requirements 

Before you can start planning your migration process, you need to understand what it is your business needs and expects from a vendor. You’ll want to explore four main areas: technology requirements, operational requirements, security requirements, and cloud cost requirements. 

Some industries have very strict requirements to meet, such as healthcare providers and financial institutions. A managed service provider with experience in your industry is more likely to have solutions to meet your specialized needs.  

Once you have gathered your requirements, you’ll have the information you need to start comparing cloud vendors. In some cases, you may find that your current applications will need to be rebuilt in order to operate on the cloud efficiently. 

3. Find the Right Cloud Vendor

Creating your own cloud infrastructure requires a knowledgeable team that can help you allocate resources effectively. However, companies with strict regulations may require a private cloud setup in order to stay compliant. 

An MSP can help you find the best cloud service for your company, as well as prepare an application migration to cloud checklist to streamline the shift. 

Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure are the leaders of the pack when it comes to data migration into a public cloud. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks, and an IT specialist can help you determine the best solution for your needs. 

4. Create a Disaster Recovery Plan and Ensuring Business Continuity

Hosting data and applications on the cloud has many benefits, but it isn’t without its risks. You’ll need to define strict security protocols and train your employees to use these new processes. Additionally, you’ll need to organize secure data backups and create a disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity in the event of a breach. 

Working with an MSP will help you form a security strategy and streamline the migration process so you don’t interrupt your business operations in the process. 

5. Shift Operations to the Cloud Environment

Once your plan is in place, it’s time to make the move to the cloud. But you don’t have to do it alone. Netsurit offers complete end-to-end support for all of our clients, so you can control all aspects of the transition with just one vendor, on one invoice. 

Prepare a Customized Cloud Migration Checklist With Netsurit

Effective planning is at the heart of successful cloud migration and you cannot afford to skimp on planning. It’s vital to prepare a detailed checklist of items that must be legislated for before shifting data and applications. 

Talk to a cloud expert at Netsurit today to understand the challenges businesses commonly face and how you can avoid them.