Overcoming the complications of cloud migrations

Why are cloud migrations hard?

1. Cloud architectural complexity: Migrating to the cloud can be challenging due to the complexity of cloud computing architecture, especially if you are unfamiliar with the technology. 
2. Security: Concerns about security and data privacy can arise when sensitive data is moved to the cloud. 
3. Cost: Cloud migration can be costly, especially if you have a large number of existing applications and data that need to be moved to the cloud. 
4. Integration with existing systems: Integrating current applications and systems with cloud infrastructure can be difficult, especially if they are not cloud-optimised 
5. Lack of skilled staff: Because the cloud computing market is extremely competitive and necessitates specialised knowledge, it can be challenging to find personnel with the necessary abilities to carry out the move. 
6. Resistance to change: Some organisations may be resistant to change and hesitant about moving to the cloud, which can make the migration process more difficult. 
7. Performance and reliability: Ensuring that cloud-based applications perform as expected and are reliable can be challenging, especially if you are migrating mission-critical applications. 

How can we address these migration hurdles?

There are several steps organisations can take to ease their cloud migrations. The first is to plan carefully. A migration that I was involved with took over 18 months of planning. This wasn’t just planning what the team and partners would do, but also ensuring that we had the board and finance team working with us at all steps of the migration. We realised from the outset that careful planning was essential to address the challenges of cloud migration and the team developed a comprehensive migration plan that covered a clear timeline, budget, and risk assessment. 

Here are some other key steps for businesses to follow:

1. Address security concerns: All companies have security concerns when moving to the cloud. Conversely, companies rarely look at the concerns of their existing estate. When looking at the risks of migration vs moving to the cloud, most concerns can be met easily. Before migration starts, we should mitigate all risks and implement security measures to ensure that sensitive data is protected during migration, as well as when it’s fully residing in the cloud. 
2. Identify the key driver: Simplicity, time to market and all the other benefits the cloud offers mean nothing unless there is an eventual financial benefit. Recognise that the cost of migration may not be covered by immediate cost savings and instead quantify other benefits than just financial. There are also many types of cloud migration – partial, hybrid, lift and shift, reengineer – which can influence cost and ROI. 
3. Utilise a team with experience of cloud migrations: Migrating to the cloud can be challenging unless you have access to specific expertise in cloud computing to assist with the migration. You need assistance from an experienced team that covers networking, servers, data and platform – as well as people that understand the applications and dependencies. 
4. Invest in cloud-ready infrastructure: The right investments, including hardware and software, can simplify the migration process. This could include infrastructure such as migration platforms, new networking appliances, and cloud security appliances. 
5. Use migration tools: The right migration tools and services can automate the migration process, reducing both the risk of errors and the amount of manual labour required. AWS has native cloud migration tools that can help with this, but there are also plenty of other tools available such as Zerto and Veeam. 
6. Train employees: Provide training and support to employees to help them understand the benefits of cloud migration and ensure a smooth transition. We recognise the shortage of competent technical professionals and have an active training programme in place. It’s vital to cultivate cloud skills in advance to prepare for migrations, while recognising that skills can quickly go out of date. 
7. Monitor and test performance: Always analyse the performance of cloud-based applications before and after migration to ensure that they meet performance requirements. When I once migrated 2000Tb’s of financial data to a new cloud platform, the performance initially was great and nearly matched our on-premise Flash memory solution. However, after 3 months the performance dropped markedly. Through constant monitoring, we could evidence this and identify and predict what was happening. This was then fed back to the cloud provider as proof that the level of service we paid for wasn’t being achieved. 

Finally, businesses should partner with a reputable cloud provider such as BAE Systems Digital Intelligence’s Cloud Enablement Team. We can provide people who have experience in helping organisations migrate to the cloud. We can also provide ongoing support and guidance from technical to C-Suite leadership buy in – potentially the most important part of a cloud migration.