More than 85% of organizations use cloud platforms for at least one application today. That said, most organizations also face challenges when transitioning to a cloud environment. Find out what some of the most common cloud migration problems are, and how a managed service provider and an end-to-end cloud migration strategy can ensure successful data migration.
WHY BUSINESSES ARE WILLING TO FACE CLOUD DATA MIGRATION CHALLENGES
Few organizations are concerned about the costs of transitioning to the cloud. But the advantages of migrating data to the cloud are exponential.
Virtually every business is willing to bear the short-term pain of migrating to take advantage of the long-term benefits of cloud computing:
- Mobility
- Cost Savings
- Flexibility
- Disaster recovery
- Scalability
- Insight
- Security
- Autonomous software updates
Though every organization’s business objectives are different, and strategies for moving data to a cloud-based environment also unique, most still face very similar challenges.
In this article, we discuss the top challenges surrounding the cloud migration process, and how you can avoid them.
TOP 8 CLOUD MIGRATION CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS
– SECURITY & PRIVACY
The moment your data begins transitioning from physical servers to the cloud is when it’s most vulnerable. Take into account network security and potential vulnerabilities before beginning the migration process.
It’s advisable to check:
- What short-term vulnerabilities could the cloud migration process cause?
- Will systems be monitored for threats in real-time?
- Will data be end-to-end encrypted and backed up?
- How do the cloud platform’s security policies align with your own?
- Is it compliant with data security compliance standards (HIPAA, PCI DSS, CCPA, etc.)?
– DOWNTIME
When moving large amounts of data to the cloud, one of the biggest risks is network outages. If your data is not adequately backed up, interruptions can cause irretrievable data loss.
A potential workaround is creating a backup IT environment that can house and run applications until migration is complete. Note that it’s common for temporary servers to be unable to handle peak user loads.
In such situations, it’s best to manage user workloads and/or proactively inform users of limited capacity and occasional application unavailability.
It’s why handling cloud migration during hours of minimum demand is ideal.
– LACK OF STRATEGY
Many organizations make the mistake of failing to define their cloud strategy. Every business’s cloud migration needs vary, but a detailed cloud migration checklist can go a long way to mitigating issues.
Organizations need to focus on creating a change management plan that explicitly defines:
- Comprehensive cloud migration strategy
- Potential cloud migration issues
- Resources to support migration
- Methods to validate successful migration
It’s why many organizations work with experienced IT professionals to develop high-level plans and metrics for a seamless transition.
– INTEROPERABILITY
Not all apps that need to migrate to the cloud may be compatible with the cloud environment. Some applications work better on a private or hybrid cloud as opposed to a public cloud, other applications require minor tweaking, while others may require extensive recoding.
If you are conducting a lift-and-shift cloud migration, make sure to identify and address interoperability issues between on-prem systems and cloud services.
However, with the availability of cloud-based services from a large number of providers, interoperability is less of a concern. If not the major providers (Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or Amazon Web Services), there are many specialized offerings that may suit your needs better.
– COST
Whereas shifting to cloud-based services will reduce costs in the medium- and long-term, the initial migration process does have costs associated with it.
Consider the costs to your organization:
- Direct Expenses – Contracts, hardware, and software licenses
- Operational Expenses – Maintenance and labor
- Administrative Expenses – Payroll, staff training, and internal system management costs
Make sure the cloud services you opt for don’t have extended vendor lock-in periods, which can limit your freedom to move to cloud services that are more competitively priced.
– ADAPTABILITY
Adaptability in cloud migration refers to an organization’s ability to co-op and become efficient with new systems and policies.
Organizations unable to adapt often face cloud migration problems. When transitioning to the cloud, prepare business processes to operate hand-in-hand with the new architecture. That may mean taking a new approach to allocate:
- Technical resources
- Funding
- Staffing
- Authority
- Control procedures
– CAPABILITY
In-house IT teams have limited skill sets and resources when it comes to handling the rigors of cloud migration. If you’re in an industry where data security compliance standards are high and your IT staff lack proper certifications, you may be putting your business at risk.
Additional risks of cloud migration include data loss, extra latency, and incompatibility with the current IT infrastructure. To avoid these risks, consider working with an experienced IT partner or follow a cloud migration checklist.
– BANDWIDTH
Cloud-hosted applications should reflect similar or better performance than on-premise environments. However, failure to specify the bandwidth requirements for cloud-hosted applications can result in latency, poor user experiences, and negate the advantages of cloud migration.
Before migrating to the cloud, it’s crucial to map out your network constraints and bandwidth requirements.
