Cloud Migration Checklist 7 Steps

Step 1: Appoint a Migration Architect

Begin your cloud migration journey by designating a migration architect to lead the charge. The assigned professional, working as a system architect will be responsible for the complete planning and execution of the cloud migration process. From defining the refactoring and designing data migration strategies to outlining the cloud solution requirements, all will be considered as the primary duty of the solution architect.

Most of the plans, strategies and technical choices are made/updated in the process of the big migration project, and thus having a system architect on your side who is responsible for all the planning of the migration acts as a crucial factor for the success of the project.

Step 2: Define Cloud Migration Objectives and Performance Measures

Depending upon the path you decide, the objectives will be later divided into 2 categories which are operational benefits and cost advantages.

For operational benefits; the goals are to see better user experience and business engagement. It won’t make an immediate impact but if compared to long-term goals, companies will see the major differences by gaining new customers.

Apart from business engagements, cutting costs is one of the other major objectives. It is considered important to aim for fewer mistakes and maintain performance while using fewer resources. Ideally, the best advice is to cover both improving operations and saving money at the same time. Determine the clear metrics to measure success and understand where your organization stands about them.

Step 3: Choose the best Cloud Provider

Before the beginning of your journey, make a note of who will be involved in phase of cloud migration. This will help you to keep everything on track, and you won’t miss anything.

Step 4: Plan your Migration

This is the step where the actual migration will begin, while the expertise and dedicated staff will play a key role. Minor adjustments can be required in this stage depending upon the cloud migration strategies. While the main goal is always to showcase the tangible outcomes of your approach.

Your specialists must be well-informed about their roles, user understanding, and consumer demands. It will be your specialist’s role to assess the costs of your cloud migration strategy and propose ways to cut down the expenses.

Consider this phase as a clear roadmap for your migration process and the results of it will help you boost your confidence.

Step 5: Select your Deployment Model

Your choice of deployment model impacts the range of services provided by your cloud service provider. Remember your decision affects how you execute your cloud migration strategy. Below are the 3 deployment models for you to choose from:
      • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
      • Platform as a Service (PaaS)
      • Software as a Service (SaaS)
Your selection of the deployment model should depend upon the size and nature of the business. However, in general, the larger organizations, majorly technical sectors will opt for IaaS.

Step 6: Examine the Cloud Costs

Regardless of other factors, your cloud migration strategy should always aim to enhance the company’s profitability. Whether it be a quick improvement or gradual, the return on investment (ROI) should remain constant in both cases. In the process of achieving it, you need to assess and calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) for both the current system and the upcoming cloud services.

Step 7: Complete your Cloud Migration Strategy

At this stage, you should have a rough sketch of your cloud migration strategy. Before proceeding, remember to have a comprehensive understanding of the entire process.

To complete the cloud migration strategy, decide all the major timelines and dynamics to use. Ensure that all stakeholders, employees, and teams are on the same track and can deliver successful results.