When it comes to cloud migration, the discussion typically revolves around transitioning from an on-premises environment to the public cloud. However, the public cloud is not always the ideal destination for certain workloads. In some cases, organizations may require a private cloud. This raises the question: is migrating to a private cloud as straightforward as migrating to the public cloud?
When migrating workloads to a private cloud, it's crucial to understand the characteristics of these workloads, regardless of whether the migration is from an on-premises environment, colocation, or a public cloud (repatriation).
Among the essential points to consider before your company undertakes cloud migration, keep these in mind:
What are the characteristics of the workloads?
What should the ideal infrastructure look like to run them in terms of computing, storage, and network configuration?
The main difference between private and public clouds is not that the migration process is vastly different but rather that the landing zone is different.
The private cloud is built, provisioned, and configured differently, often with distinct legal costs and ownership, requiring a different set of skills, resources, and knowledge. This cloud model involves configuring the underlying infrastructure resources yourself or on your behalf by a managed services partner, such as Linkcom. Configuring the public cloud involves learning about the provider's portal and tools.
What are the steps?
1 - Build the business case for migration:
Understand the business goals influencing planning decisions, such as cost reduction or business expansion.
Define the expected outcomes of the migration.
2 - Understand the current state:
Conduct an analysis to assess the existing environment, including physical and virtual devices, storage volumes, and databases.
Identify critical applications and plan the migration to minimize the impact on end users and customers.
3 - Choose the platform:
Analyze all technological needs and the impact of changes on the company.
Decide on the ideal environment for each operation, possibly combining public and private clouds.
4 - Develop the migration plan:
Evaluate security and compliance requirements, the impact of architectural changes, and the necessary resources.
Perform a proof of concept (pilot migration) to test and refine processes before carrying out the full transition.
5 - Accelerate the migration:
With a well-structured migration process, align applications and databases in a pipeline for migration.
6 - Regular operations:
After migrating to the cloud, assess whether business objectives have been achieved, and ensure continuous monitoring, security, and capacity management.
Other important considerations:
Security, as in all operations, is essential for any cloud migration. In a private cloud, security is entirely the responsibility of the company, which can add complexity. Opting for a managed service can help ensure this process is carried out securely.
The method of data transfer can vary based on the source and destination environments. For instance, while electronic transfer may be adequate within the same data center, more complex scenarios might necessitate the implementation of new network circuits or even physical transportation.
Migrating workloads is a complex and time-consuming process. However, with the help of a cloud migration partner like Linkcom, this can be completed with minimal disruption to the company's core business while reducing the risks of data loss or downtime and maintaining data security.
If your company is considering a cloud migration, we can help you choose the best strategy, whether for public or private cloud.
Contact us or visit our website and discover how we can help your company make the most of cloud technology.
Together, we can transform your IT and drive your success.
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