The race to cloud migration can seem like a good idea for most businesses, but a common trend has been to get there as soon as possible. Much like with the story of the tortoise and the hare, there are lessons to be learned from moving too fast. When it comes to cloud migration, businesses would be smart to choose a more strategic route and take their time.
Migrating to the cloud in phases can help organizations avoid issues involved with rushing. Additionally, organizations should consider the best practices of working in a hybrid environment or using multiple clouds.
Choosing a multi-cloud/hybrid cloud approach helps your business continue to run without having to come to a full stop for migration purposes.
Why Incremental Cloud Migration?
If there’s one thing businesses moving to the cloud have in common, it’s that they want to do it without interruptions. It may seem like a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too type of situation, but the truth is, it’s possible to migrate your workloads to the cloud without disrupting day-to-day business.
Moving to the cloud in phases can take the pressure off your team to shift in a single sitting, and it can save you from making mistakes or overlooking anything. Try starting with less critical workloads and take note of any issues while migrating before you move business-critical data.
You should also always have a plan in place before migrating—you should know how you want to get there and how you want the cloud to work for your business when the migration is complete.
Why Choose a Multi-Cloud or Hybrid Cloud Environment?
Putting all your eggs in one basket is a thing of the past. Many companies are now choosing to work with more than one cloud provider. This allows your business to expand your options and take advantage of different features various cloud platforms provide.
Every business has their own needs, and some cloud platforms may be better suited to meet those needs. Some organizations also find they still need to work on-premises when migrating their infrastructure.
Using a
hybrid cloud solution allows you to gain the benefits of cloud while maintaining control of an on-prem environment. This also makes migration easier, as you can house some of your workloads on-prem while simultaneously shifting others to the cloud.
Prep Your Team
If there’s one mistake capable of ruining your migration, it’s failing to prepare your team. Training your team in the latest cloud migration technology and expanding their skill set will make moving legacy systems to the cloud smoother.
Consider allowing your team to take on smaller migration tasks initially—this can decrease your chances of failing and will also familiarize your team with what it means to shift to the cloud. Investing in skill development programs and education for your team can also benefit the company outside of migration.
Where Do You Go From Here?
Though cloud isn’t going anywhere soon, the benefits of shifting to the cloud are too great to move as slow as the tortoise. Cloud advantages—including flexibility, reduced IT costs, and availability—can prove beneficial when you migrate.
But first, you should start from within. Build your business objectives around your new multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environment and ensure you have the proper training available to enhance the skills your team already possesses while applying best practices for managing your new environment.
The greatest
challenge isn’t cloud migration or the technology it takes to shift but ensuring the IT pros behind the process are trained and ready to adapt.
