AWS professional service providers have been instrumental in helping companies successfully transition to the cloud. Although each migration case has its own unique requirements, the framework with the minor changes required, will suit every large-scale migration scenario, either at a complete or hybrid migration strategy.
To simplify large-scale application migrations, AWS created, among others, the AWS Migration Acceleration Program to guide their best migration service providers, who have integrated these best practices in their strategies.
Pre-Migration Stage
- Build a CCoE (Cloud Center of Excellence) team, with selected personas from all sectors within your organization: IT, Data Security, business decision makers and Finance. Have them get acquainted with AWS, cloud concepts and best practices.
Moving forward, this team will be responsible for your cloud adoption strategy from day one. - Prepare a cloud governance model assigning key responsibilities:
- Ensure the model aligns with your organizations’ security regulations;
- Weigh the different pros and cons of various approaches;
- Seek advice from an AWS partner on the most favorable solutions.
- Build an organization-wide training plan for your employees, with a specific learning path and learning curve per persona - this removes fear of the unknown and facilitates a better cloud journey experience.
- Chart the best approach to transition your operations to AWS. A migration expert will help you figure out:
- Processes requiring alteration or renewal
- Tools beneficial in the cloud
- Any training to equip your team with the required assets
- Implementation of services and solutions supporting regulatory requirements over the new cloud environment
- Create an accurate updated asset inventory to help you set priorities, estimated timeframes and build a cost evaluation for the project. Controlling your information will allow you to set KPIs for the project, the necessary guardrails and even save you consumption costs.
- Choose the right partner to assist you along the way. They should have the right technical experience, project management structure and agile methodology. In addition, consider the operational model you plan to implement and task the partner with setting up necessary processes (IaC and CI/CD pipelines).
The Transition Phase
Simplify your cloud transition with a straightforward approach: Score some early victories with data migration and validation to build confidence within your teams. The more familiar they become with the new technology, the faster your stakeholders see the potential the project holds.
Automation is essential at this stage. Your AWS partner will help you review your existing practices and adapt them to the new environment and to working procedures the automation process would introduce. If automation is not feasible for all aspects, consider which ones can be automated and authorize your team to implement them.
Approach your cloud migration as a modernization process and reconcile your internal processes with it: Use the cloud’s transformative nature to evolve and match stakeholders with this new shift.
Prioritize managed services wherever possible and delegate mundane tasks to AWS so your your team has the time to focus on what matters - your business.
Build an Exit Strategy
Avoid vendor lock-in by preparing a real plan for either a roll back to your current infrastructure environment or to an alternative solution. This will help expediting the process by eliminating common in-house rejections and help you achieve a more resilient Disaster Recovery Plan.
Post Cloud Migration
Once you have shifted to the cloud, automate critical processes like provisioning and deployment. This saves time and reduces manual effort while ensuring tasks are completed in a repeatable manner.
Many cloud providers offer tools and services to help you optimize performance and reduce costs. Also, consider using cloud-native technology to maximize the potential of what the cloud provider offers.
Equally important is having an in-house, dedicated support team to help you address the most complex issues and guide you to design and implement cloud infrastructure.
Mass Migration Strategies
For effective mass migrations, you may need the help of large teams of experts to develop practical migration tools and to document the progress.
Institute a Cloud Center of Excellence or a Program Management Office to oversee the implementation of all important changes and procedures. Operate with agility to accelerate the process and remember to have a backup for any potential disruptions.
Use a dedicated onboarding process for new team members in the migration process. The process should help you efficiently evaluate, approve tools, and look for patterns during the migration.
Conclusion
Migrating applications to AWS requires the guidance of an AWS Partner who like Cloudride, who are also migration experts. This is because cloud adoption is complex and requires careful planning, education, and collaboration.
Cloudride will guide your organization in every step of the digital migration while keeping your migration in alignment with your organization's objectives and budget. So what are you waiting for? Book a meeting today and experience a smooth and cost-effective digital transformation.