Cloud Migration: A Complete Guide Explained

In order for businesses to stay ahead in the world of technology, cloud migration is the answer.Long gone are the days of on-premises data centers which are prone to ''crashing'' or malfunctioning, only to lose years of invaluable data.If your business has not made the move to the public cloud as yet, it's not as daunting, time-consuming or costly as you think!Here's everything you need to know about cloud migration and moving your business data to a safe and scalable place.

Understanding Cloud Migration

Migration to the cloud is one of the best things you can do for your business in today's technological environment.As a business grows, so does its use of technology. Due to the accumulation of years of data, scalable technology is of great importance.This is where cloud migration comes in.It offers businesses a solution to store their data in a space that is both safe and virtually unlimited in size. There is also no risk of the public cloud ''crashing'' or burning out.So, what is cloud migration exactly? In summary, it's the process of moving data and business applications to a cloud computing environment.But, where is the cloud? Cloud migration is internet based, it's a virtual data storage solution.Businesses have the option of using the public cloud, a third-party enterprise, or the services of a private cloud platform provider.

The Benefits of Cloud Migration

One of the greatest challenges many businesses face is the growth of their information infrastructure. This is how cloud migration can help:

1. Increased Agility and Speed

Cloud migration allows a business to respond to the ever-changing demands of the technological environment of their business.With cloud technology, a business is able to procure, store and categorize new data and inventory faster and more efficiently.

2. Increased Operational Efficiency

Cloud migration is simple, and this allows IT teams to work far more productively and efficiently when it comes to data and inventory updates.If your business has multiple branches, cloud technology removes region-specific dependencies, making for collaborative teamwork.

3. Increased Safety and Security

Most cloud platforms are built with robust security programs to ensure data is safe and encrypted at all times. Security analytics and visibility are provided across the cloud environment.

4. Increased Cost Savings

Most cloud platforms offer a pay-as-you-use model which provides flexibility in terms of data and IT budgets. This way a business can scale its data needs up or down per season or as required by business demand.

Common Cloud Migration Strategies

Some of the most common data migration strategies are grouped as the five R's: rehost, refactor, revise, rebuild and replace.

1. Rehost

This is where a business opts for infrastructure-as-a-service, also known as IaaS. Existing data is moved and completely redeployed onto cloud servers.This is the best strategy to opt for if your business is completely new to cloud services.

2. Refactor

This strategy adopts a platform-as-a-service model, known as PaaS. Here optimizations and changes are made to cater to cloud technology.Most applications keep their core architecture, however, cloud-based frameworks and tools are used.

3. Revise

During this process, architectural and code changes are made to business applications and data before migrating to the cloud.The end goal is to optimize each application for cloud migration and maximize the full potential of this new technology.

4. Rebuild

With this approach, existing code bases for applications are discarded and new ones are built before cloud migration.This is a time-consuming approach and is only necessary when the business comes to a consensus that a full revamp is needed!

5. Replace

This is where a business chooses to migrate to a third-party cloud platform from an existing native application.

Make Your Move to the Cloud Seamless

If you're considering moving your business data and applications to the cloud, CodeIntelx is your go-to.For professional, seamless and risk-free cloud migration services, our team of experts has you covered. Contact us for stress-free cloud technology services.