Cloud Migration
The process of moving applications, data, and IT infrastructure from on-premises environments or legacy systems to cloud computing platforms.
In-Depth Explanation
Cloud migration is the process of transferring digital assets -- applications, data, databases, and IT resources -- from on-premises infrastructure or legacy hosting to cloud computing environments. It requires careful planning to minimise disruption and maximise cloud benefits.
Migration strategies (the 7 Rs):
- Rehost (lift and shift): Move to cloud with minimal changes (fastest)
- Replatform: Minor optimisations during migration (e.g., switch to managed database)
- Repurchase: Replace with a SaaS alternative (e.g., on-prem CRM to Salesforce)
- Refactor: Re-architect for cloud-native capabilities (most effort, most benefit)
- Retire: Decommission applications no longer needed
- Retain: Keep on-premises (not everything needs to move)
- Relocate: Move to a different cloud provider
Migration phases:
- Assessment: Inventory applications, dependencies, and requirements
- Planning: Define migration strategy per application, timeline, and resources
- Proof of concept: Migrate a low-risk application first to validate approach
- Migration: Execute migration in planned waves
- Optimisation: Tune for performance and cost in the cloud
- Modernisation: Progressively adopt cloud-native features
Migration risks and mitigations:
- Downtime: Plan migration windows, use parallel running, implement rollback plans
- Data loss: Multiple backups, data validation, phased data migration
- Performance issues: Load testing, right-sizing, monitoring
- Cost overruns: Detailed cost modelling, regular reviews, reserved instances
- Security gaps: Security assessment, compliance verification, access controls
- Skill gaps: Training, partnerships, managed services
Business Context
Cloud migration typically delivers 20-40% reduction in IT costs over three years, but poor planning can lead to cost overruns and disruption -- the migration approach matters as much as the destination.
How Clever Ops Uses This
Clever Ops guides Australian businesses through cloud migration, from initial assessment through execution and optimisation. We evaluate each application for the best migration strategy, ensure data sovereignty compliance with Australian regions, and implement migrations in phased approaches that minimise business disruption.
Example Use Case
"An Australian manufacturing company migrates their ERP, CRM, and file servers to Azure over 6 months using a phased approach, reducing IT costs by 35% and gaining remote access capability that was critical during their expansion to regional offices."