Cloud Migration Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful

With cloud computing being utilized by a majority of businesses nowadays, it’s not as big of a surprise when one wants to move files from a locally-hosted server to a cloud server; or, from a cloud server to a new cloud server. This presents a fair amount of problems that you have to be mindful of if you want to move the data and applications over properly. Today, we’ll take a look at some problems you may face, and how to make sure they don’t weigh down your next cloud migration. 

The Planning Stages

If you are moving part (or all) of your computing infrastructure to the cloud, you are probably familiar with the reasons businesses do so. That doesn’t mean, however, that you’ve given the process the attention it deserves. Like most things in business, a bad plan will likely result in a bad result. In order to complete a cloud migration that is effective for your business, you have to create a definitive strategy to get all of the information over properly, as data loss can become a major problem. 

Data Protection

Speaking of data loss, protecting the data while it's being moved is actually a significant problem. Enough so, that we thought it was important to mention. Data being moved from a physical server to a cloud, or from one cloud to another, is effectively exposed. This is one main reason why XFER suggests having IT professionals that are versed in the exact nature of data protection assist or perform the migration for you. This will ensure that you have the knowledge-base and experience needed to ensure your data stays protected during the migration.

Taking on Downtime

Downtime is a major consideration any business that is looking to perform a migration has to address. If you don’t have any regularly-scheduled time available to allow you to finish a successful migration, you may be looking at significant operational downtime. This can get expensive quickly. Many organizations will choose to set up a backup environment that will allow people to access the data and applications on the server while the changeover is happening, but this comes with a slew of other considerable problems. To minimize your operational downtime during a migration of any kind, it is best to notify all affected parties days ahead of time, and then try to fit the migration into a time period that isn’t going to saddle your company with huge payroll losses. 

The Matter of Interoperability

Of course any new migration is going to have to work with the rest of your computing infrastructure. This process is actually much more difficult than you may think. So much so that interoperability is one of the most confounding issues during any cloud migration. While a lot of these issues are best confronted when performing due diligence, the ones that don’t can be a major drawback to moving hardware, applications, and storage over. Often it will take professional IT technicians to ascertain whether or not a certain piece of computing will work or if they will need to adapt the solution to the cloud platform itself. 

Scale and Adapt

Cloud platforms, as a rule, are more scalable than any other computing construct. So on that front, there should be very little issue. The problem with that additional ability to scale up and back is cost. Some cloud solutions can get very expensive when your demands outweigh your capabilities, so understanding exactly what your needs are, and what you are paying for is important. 

As far as adaptability goes, it is a major issue for any organization that is moving from one platform to another. Having a baseline knowledge of how to manage anything is not like managing it day in and day out. Not surprisingly, the training required to properly utilize a new cloud platform can be substantial. Where there’s training, there’s only cost. This is where XFER can help the most. Regardless of what type of cloud computing system you’ve decided to use for your business, you can always count on our experienced technicians and consultants to help to make any IT transition palatable for your business. Call us today at 734-927-6666 / 800-GET-XFER to learn more.