Path to cloud migrations

Many organizations embark on cloud migrations to achieve scalability, cost-efficiency and higher application performance. But migrating apps to the cloud is a complex process that requires careful planning and deliberation.

It's essential that organizations consider all possibilities -- both good and bad. Cloud migration issues, such as unexpected costs, interoperability, security gaps and unanticipated application rework, can create significant obstacles. To help smooth a frequently bumpy path, organizations need to craft a well-thought-out migration strategy.

Whether your organization is migrating to the cloud from an in-house environment or from one cloud to another, it's important to understand the process and temper any exorbitant expectations. And, since not every application will benefit from the cloud, make sure a migration is right for your organization before diving in.

1.Planning for a cloud migration

Prepare to take the cloud plunge with a migration strategy

Cloud migrations can be fraught with risks and unknowns, so don't go into them unprepared. To avoid potential disaster, map out your strategy and plan for the unexpected. A solid migration strategy acts as a guide or checklist to ensure a successful journey to the cloud. Enterprises need to plan for expenses -- especially the unexpected ones -- as well as the migration's effect on an organization, its systems and users.

2. Performing a cloud migration

Technical considerations for migrating to the cloud

Cloud migrations can be laborious, requiring many steps and manual adjustments. While a solid cloud migration strategy can simplify the process, enterprises still need to consider a number of factors, including tools, governance, performance, application design and more. With a plethora of third-party tools available, it's important to identify those that best meet your migration needs. Additionally, enterprises must consider scary, what-if scenarios, such as a migration driving up, rather than reducing, application costs.

3.Avoiding cloud migration risks

Mitigating migration challenges for cloud success

The path to cloud computing can be a long and arduous one for organizations considering migration. Whether an enterprise is migrating from an on-premises environment or from one cloud to another, it's a risky proposition. Enterprises often contend with regulatory and compliance issues, unexpected budget busters, poor performance, security concerns and more. But for many organizations, improved scalability, agility and other cloud benefits make the risk worth the reward.