Cloud migration has emerged as a crucial step for modern businesses aiming to leverage the benefits of flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Among the top cloud providers, Amazon Web Services (AWS) stands tall, offering a robust platform that empowers organizations to seamlessly transition their applications, databases, and infrastructure to the cloud. In this article, we will explore the process, benefits, challenges, and best practices of migrating to AWS.
What is cloud migration and why do you need it?
Cloud migration refers to the process of transferring applications, data, and infrastructure from on-premises or legacy systems to cloud-based environments.
The reasons for cloud migration are many. However, the most important one is that it is no longer profitable to store important data and build business processes on your own equipment.
Here is why:
- in a local environment, you need to buy, maintain, and repair a lot of expensive equipment
- on-premises infrastructure stretches scaling in time and requires enormous costs
- local servers require significant investments to be protected virtually and physically
Given the above, cloud servers have become a favorable alternative to on-premises IT environments. They allow you to store critical services and data without volume limits and provide you with ample opportunities for further development.
10 benefits of cloud migration
Migrating to the cloud, especially AWS, holds several significant advantages for organizations. Here are the benefits you are going to receive with application migration:
Scalability. You can handle varying workloads without the need for significant infrastructure changes.
Flexibility. You gain the flexibility to choose the most suitable resources and software stack for your application’s needs.
Performance. By increasing IOPS, reducing latency, and gaining sufficient capacity, you receive a highly-performant app.
Cost efficiency. You reduce the upfront costs associated with on-premises infrastructure, such as hardware procurement, maintenance, and power consumption.
Security. You easily access robust security measures such as encryption, access controls, threat detection, firewalls, DDoS mitigation, and more.
Safety. You benefit from built-in disaster recovery capabilities, such as automated backups, replication, and geo-redundancy options.
Collaboration. Cloud environment facilitates the collaboration of distributed teams and improves development team efficiency.
Innovation. By migrating to the cloud, you can leverage the latest technologies and benefit from regular software and hardware updates.
Global availability. You can use virtual servers in different locations to reduce network latency and improve user experience.
Future-proofing. Cloud solutions provide you with a competitive edge and help you evolve along with industry trends.
What is AWS?
AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. It is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Amazon.
AWS offers a wide range of cloud services, including computing power, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning, and more. It provides businesses with on-demand access to a scalable and flexible infrastructure, allowing them to build and deploy applications, store and analyze data, and run various workloads in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
AWS has a global presence, with data centers located in different regions worldwide, enabling organizations to leverage the benefits of cloud computing on a global scale.
In 2022, Gartner named AWS as a leader in cloud infrastructure and platform services.
Among the strengths of AWS, the following have been highlighted in the Gartner report:
Extensive feature set. AWS has the greatest breadth and depth of capabilities of any cloud provider in the market.
Dominant market position. AWS currently holds the top spot in market share, surpassing Microsoft Azure, its nearest rival, by a significant margin, making twice the revenue.
Thriving network of partners. Cloud migration to AWS attracts a multitude of partners due to the provider’s dominant market position, extensive cloud services, and quality customer support.
Preparing for cloud migration to AWS
Migrating to the cloud, whether it is AWS or any other cloud environment, is a significant business decision that requires careful preparation. To ensure a smooth and seamless migration, it is essential to develop a comprehensive cloud migration plan.
Here are the key steps to take:
Step 1. Audit the current IT infrastructure. Before embarking on the cloud migration journey, it is crucial to conduct a thorough analysis of your existing IT environment. The infrastructure audit will help you assess the current state of the hardware, software, storage, network, and security, and define the scope and complexity of the migration process.
Step 2. Create a cloud migration plan. Developing a well-defined migration plan is essential for a smooth transition. This plan should outline the timeline, resource allocation, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies. It should also include a detailed roadmap for each phase of the cloud migration process.
Step 3. Select appropriate AWS services. AWS offers a vast array of services and tools to cater to diverse business needs. During the planning phase, carefully evaluate and choose the appropriate AWS services that align with your requirements. Consider factors such as performance, security, scalability, and cost-efficiency.
The process of cloud migration to AWS
The cloud migration process to AWS involves a sequential transfer of all software components to the IT infrastructure provided by Amazon.
Here is what you need to do when migrating to the AWS environment:
Database migration. Migrating databases to AWS requires careful planning and execution. Consider utilizing the AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) or the AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to facilitate a seamless transition. These tools will help you migrate both homogeneous and heterogeneous databases to AWS, ensuring data consistency and minimizing downtime.
Application migration. Migrating applications to AWS involves rehosting, replatforming, or refactoring existing applications. AWS provides services like AWS Elastic Beanstalk, AWS App Runner, and AWS Lambda to simplify the migration process. It is important to thoroughly test the applications before and after migration to ensure their functionality and compatibility with AWS services.
Storage migration. AWS offers various storage services, such as Amazon S3, Amazon EBS, and Amazon Glacier, to accommodate different storage requirements. During migration, assess data volume, access patterns, and durability needs, to determine the most suitable storage solution. Plan and execute the data transfer carefully to avoid any data loss or disruption.
Network migration. Migrating the network infrastructure to AWS involves configuring Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and network connectivity. Plan the VPC architecture, IP addressing, and network security groups to establish secure communication between on-premises and AWS resources. Leverage AWS Direct Connect or Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections for a reliable and low-latency network connection.
Testing a cloud-based app
After migrating the databases, applications, storage, and network infrastructure to AWS, it is crucial to conduct thorough testing and validation to ensure migration was successful. Below we provide three essential steps for testing a cloud-based app:
Develop the testing strategy. The testing strategy defines how you will conduct the application testing after it is migrated to the cloud.
As a part of the cloud testing strategy, you should define the following:
- Work scope. Decide what will be tested and who will implement the testing activities. Specify timelines and responsible persons for each type of work.
- Test types. These may include unit, integration, installation, system, usability, load, performance, and security testing. The specific testing types should be chosen considering the app specifics and project objectives.
- Testing tools. You can use tools like AWS CloudFormation and AWS CodePipeline to automate the testing and deployment processes in the AWS environment and ensure the application is functioning as expected.
Validate data transfer. Validate the successful transfer of data from the source to the target environment by performing data integrity checks, comparing checksums, and conducting thorough validation tests. Ensure that all data has been accurately migrated and is readily accessible in the AWS environment.
Finalize the migration process. After validating the applications, data, and infrastructure in the AWS environment, plan the final cutover to switch from the legacy system to AWS. Monitor the performance, address any post-migration issues promptly, and communicate with stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition.
Challenges of cloud migration
Moving to the cloud is a complex process that requires the coordinated work of all team members, including developers, DevOps, and QA engineers. To make the cloud migration process smooth and efficient, you need to understand the risks and challenges you will face. Here are the main points to consider:
Compatibility
On-premises and cloud environments may have different operating systems, hardware dependencies, software versions, or architectures. This may lead to various compatibility issues that you should be ready to address and resolve.
Platform dependencies. Applications developed for specific platforms or operating systems may require modifications to run effectively in a cloud environment. For example, an application designed for x86 processor architecture must be rebuilt from sources in order to run on AWS Graviton2 instance, which has ARM64 processor architecture.
Data formats. Data stored in certain formats or structures on-premises may not be compatible with the data storage mechanisms in the cloud. Data may need to be transformed or converted to conform to the supported formats in the cloud environment.
Integrations. Applications and systems that rely on integrations with other software or databases may face compatibility issues during migration. The interfaces, APIs, or data connectors used in the on-premises environment may need to be reconfigured or updated to ensure seamless integration in the cloud.
Network connectivity. Connectivity requirements may differ between on-premises and cloud environments. Network protocols, firewall configurations, or security measures may need adjustments to establish proper communication between systems and services.
Security
When moving data from on-premises to a cloud environment or from one cloud environment to another, it is essential to ensure this data is not damaged or corrupted.
Here are the main security challenges faced during cloud migration and how to overcome them:
Data breach. To protect data during the transition and in storage, you should implement robust encryption mechanisms, security protocols, and data segregation processes.
Unauthorized access. Strong authentication mechanisms and role-based access controls ensure that only authorized persons have access to sensitive data.
Compliance with regulatory requirements. You should ensure that the AWS cloud provider offers suitable security controls and meets the necessary compliance requirements for handling sensitive data.
Incident response. When in the cloud, you should implement security monitoring tools, threat detection mechanisms, and the incident response plan to mitigate the risk of security breaches and minimize their impact.
Costs
Cloud migration introduces a shift from capital expenses to operational expenses. Given this, you will need to carefully manage your cloud resources and cloud services to avoid unexpected costs and ensure cost efficiency in the long run.
As a part of your cloud migration costs, you will need to consider the following:
- upfront investments associated with infrastructure setup, software licenses, and data transfer costs
- egress costs (charges for moving data from the cloud storage where it was uploaded), if you move data from one cloud provider to another
- costs for staff training and upscaling to bridge the gaps in knowledge of cloud technologies and ensure a successful migration
AWS migration: Erbis expertise
We recently undertook a cloud transformation project for a marketing SaaS provider, aiming to enhance their cloud architecture. Through comprehensive business analysis and market research, they decided to transition to a scalable and cost-efficient IT infrastructure. Seeking expertise, they partnered with us for a seamless migration to a robust cloud environment. Based on our assessment, we recommended AWS, a proven and enterprise-ready cloud provider.
Our comprehensive cloud migration checklist encompassed:
- data analysis and profiling
- conversion of database schema
- thorough testing of migration build
- database replication for a seamless transition
- definition of user permissions
- configuration of logging and monitoring services
- setup of the event management system
- implementation of testing and auditing tools
- automation of incident response and recovery
To minimize disruption to users, the migration was scheduled over a weekend. We invite you to explore the full case study for further insights into this successful project.
Reaching clouds with Erbis
At Erbis, we’ve been developing cloud solutions for 11 years. We have a proven track record of successfully assisting clients in harnessing the power of AWS, whether it involves migrating their applications from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud or seamlessly transitioning from one cloud platform to another. Our team of cloud migration specialists is dedicated to delivering tailored and efficient solutions to meet your specific business needs.
Experience the benefits of cloud migration with Erbis today. Contact us to discuss your cloud migration requirements and take the first step towards optimizing your infrastructure and unlocking new possibilities for your business.
FAQ
Why would a company consider migrating to AWS?
There are several reasons to migrate to AWS, including the need for scalable and flexible infrastructure, cost savings through pay-as-you-go pricing, access to a variety of cloud services, enhanced security measures, improved reliability and performance, and the ability to leverage advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
What factors should I consider when identifying applications and workloads suitable for migration to AWS?
Consider factors such as scalability, resource utilization, dependencies on specific hardware or software, data sensitivity, regulatory compliance, and the potential benefits of cloud features and services.
What tools and resources does AWS offer to assist companies in their migration journey?
AWS provides such tools and services as AWS Migration Hub, AWS Database Migration Service, and AWS Server Migration Service to help companies seamlessly migrate their applications and data to the AWS cloud.
How does AWS ensure data security and compliance during migration and protect against breaches?
AWS ensures the security and compliance of data by implementing robust encryption, access controls, threat detection, and data segregation measures, backed by industry-leading security certifications and compliance frameworks.
What are the best practices for optimizing AWS costs?
The best practices for optimizing AWS costs are using reserved and spot instances, choosing DynamoDS instead of RDS, using CloudFront, setting up auto scaling, and terminating sessions. You can read more about AWS cost optimization here.
