Migrating Legacy Systems to the Cloud
Cloud computing can save a lot of headaches when managing a server. By offloading hardware and software management to an offsite provider, cloud computing enables companies to focus better on core business services and management issues.
Cloud helps businesses save on software licensing costs as well as overhead and IT costs by allowing them to pay for only the online applications they use. At the same time, businesses can increase productivity from software use, as cloud computing provides employees with unlimited access to shared resources and databases. Cloud-based services are also scalable – you can expand in a snap as your business grows.
Cloud computing has thus proved particularly attractive to start-ups and small businesses who have neither the budget for maintaining an onsite IT team nor a dedicated physical infrastructure to depend on.
Migrating to the cloud, however, is much more complex for companies with legacy systems. How do you relocate the old systems and software to the beaming new world of cloud?
With proper planning and execution, these hurdles can be easily overcome. Here are the steps on how to migrate legacy systems without a fuss:
Create a Plan of Action
Migration of legacy systems differs from business to business. Each will have different system specifications and requirements, meaning you need to devise a solid strategy.
Sound planning of legacy system migration allows businesses to determine the functionalities they need. More importantly, it enables them to improve on processes to increase their chances of migration success. When creating a plan of action, you should:
Determine the resources you need. Identify your current workloads, configuration, licensing requirements, apps, hardware, etc.
Categorize workloads into “easy,” “slightly complex,” and “complex” to migrate. Determine this by looking into the following elements: type of application (e.g. web server, streaming service); resource usage (e.g. CPU, memory); shared components, etc.
Set a schedule for migration. Migration means server downtime, so decide on a date or time where migration would minimally interfere with business operations. Start with workloads that are easy to migrate: basically those that use fewer resources, run on a single server, or are low-risk applications are easy ones.
To migrate or to not migrate. You should understand that not all can be migrated to the cloud. You may succeed to migrate some applications through recompilation, while other operations should remain as they are. Some assets you may want to keep include HR payroll software and Photoshop. Others are best relocated to the cloud, particularly if you have workers from different locations or constantly roaming. Before deciding whether to keep or migrate, be clear on the risks and merits of your choices. An experienced IT team can help you identify migration needs.
In addition to the technical requirements, you should also determine whether business organizational objectives are in line with the scope of private cloud? Some of the criteria you need to review include infrastructure cost and acquisition times.
Act on the Plan
Now that you have a plan, you need to put it to action. First, you have to look for cloud providers you can trust. Inform business departments as well as stakeholders about the big change. Ask them to refrain from making urgent requirements of IT staff until after the migration process has been completed.
Finally, you need to train managers and operational staff on how to use the new cloud-based system.
Monitoring Results
Cloud computing is a relatively new technology. Though your cloud provider may have the best intentions, things may go wrong during the relocation so you need to monitor post-migration events.
Some of the issues you may encounter include over-configuration of virtual servers, and missing records of old versions. These problems should be addressed immediately.
In today’s enterprise, people have their own roles to play, which might pose a problem on who will master cloud implementation, migration and maintenance. You may also greatly consider a service provider that has these capabilities. For instance, GMO Cloud offered add-on services for customers who would like to reduce on labor costs and still keep their systems well-maintained and monitored. To find out more about GMO Cloud’s additional services, visit the Add-on Services page.
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About the Guest Author:
Rodolfo Lentejas, Jr. is a fulltime freelance writer based in Toronto. He is the founder of the PostSckrippt, a growing online writing business dedicated to producing top quality, original and fresh content. To know more about him, please visit www.postsckrippt.ca. Like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.
