Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform and SAP: migration, solutions and benefits
- December 09
- 11 min
Companies are moving to the cloud due to its ability to provide cost efficiency, scalability, and improved data security. While cloud development and migration are very promising, the migration plan gives many sleepless nights. What should you know about planning a migration to the cloud?
Cloud migration and software migration challenges can be daunting for companies, especially those without experience in the process. When moving to the cloud, businesses must consider a variety of factors that could impact their operations or security. Such an undertaking is a challenge because even if partial, it requires understanding the goals and planning with the right partner.
According to Gartner research, 3 out of 5 Infrastructure & Operations leaders will experience public cloud overspending that could negatively impact their traditional IT budget in the next four years. Enterprises must be mindful of handling costs and optimize for good expenditure as part of successful cloud adoption strategies.
Migrating an enterprise’s workload to the cloud can bring many benefits but can also present unique challenges. Companies need to be aware of potential issues caused by data transfer, security threats, and compatibility problems when planning their transitions. It helps develop effective strategies that minimize disruption while maximizing performance and cost savings in the long run. Let’s take a look at common reasons why cloud migration projects don’t succeed.
Before undertaking a project as complex as migrating to the cloud, it’s important for companies to have clearly defined goals and objectives for the project. Without having a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, it can be difficult to measure success and track progress. Additionally, without clear objectives, it can be easy for teams to lose focus on what needs to be done or become sidetracked by other tasks or issues.
When transitioning to a cloud platform, carefully consider the pros and cons of public, private or hybrid deployments. Then review various services such as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) or IaaS(Infrastructure-as-a-Service). Evaluate them with respect to your needs in order create an effective migration strategy that aligns with business goals while measuring success along the way.
Once goals have been established, they must be broken down into smaller tasks and milestones so that progress can be tracked along the way. Poorly thought-out timelines and budgets can lead to delays in project completion or cost overruns due to unexpected issues or problems that arise during the process. It’s also important for companies to consider scalability issues when planning their timeline; if your business is growing quickly, you may need more resources than you initially anticipated in order to complete your migration on time.
An effective cloud migration strategy is key to a successful transition. If you don’t have one in place, your organization will face the risk of extra time and resources spent for duplication of work until it’s done right. Not only that but also there are additional infrastructure costs due to dual infrastructures in the intermediate stages – making this process more expensive than initially expected.
A lack of resources is one of the most common causes of failed cloud migrations. Even with careful planning, there are often unforeseen challenges that require additional manpower or expertise in order for them to be addressed effectively (for example a comprehensive approach to DevOps and Enterprise DevOps). Companies should ensure that they have an adequate number of qualified personnel available throughout their migration process in order to avoid costly delays or mistakes resulting from a lack of resources or expertise.
Learn why companies choose to work with Hicron Software House.
Infrastructure & Operations leaders may be tempted by familiarity or low cost when selecting a migration partner, but these surface-level decisions can lead to costly mistakes and rework in the long run. To ensure success on cloud migrations, it is essential for organizations to make deliberate choices about their technical partners based not only on price but also experience.
Security is a major concern when it comes to cloud migrations—if security protocols aren’t properly implemented during a migration, companies may find themselves vulnerable to cyber attacks or data breaches after going live on the cloud platform. To minimize these risks, companies should ensure that their team members are aware of any potential security threats and are taking steps toward mitigating them before going live with their new system(s). It is also advisable to have a Cloud Disaster Recovery Plan.
With the shift to cloud infrastructure, organizations must prioritize data protection and regulatory compliance. The level of security required should be on par with any existing on-prem setup, but some deployment models are better suited than others for achieving this goal. For instance, public clouds can pose an increased risk due to shared servers or inadequate virtual machine isolation that could lead to breaches involving confidential information.
Identifying where sensitive applications and data reside may become challenging since full visibility into a service provider’s environment isn’t always available – in these scenarios companies need assurance they’re consistently complying with GDPR regulations.
Learn more about business cybersecurity
Before launching any new technology solution, thorough testing should always take place in order to identify any potential problems ahead of time so they can be addressed before going live with your system(s). If testing processes aren’t properly planned out (automated or manual) beforehand, there could be unexpected technical issues once you go live which can cause significant delays and costs if not caught early on in the process.
Cloud migration testing provides the ability to evaluate how applications will perform when migrated to a third-party cloud services provider. This simulation process can be used as an effective tool for accurately assessing the performance and reliability of essential applications.
Finally, communication between all parties (IT teams, end users, stakeholders, etc.) involved in a cloud migration project must remain open throughout its duration. Without proper communication channels, misunderstandings between different teams can lead to errors being made which could result in costly setbacks.
It’s also important that all parties stay up-to-date on changes being made to plans, roadmaps, timelines, budgets, etc., so everyone remains on the same page throughout the process.
When transitioning to the cloud, it can be tricky to navigate vendors and prevent lock-in. To make sure that you’re not stuck with one provider later on down the line, develop a smart strategy upfront so your system stays agile.
It may pay off to enlist an expert’s help in making decisions about services – this could prove invaluable when considering vendor compatibility & potential egress costs associated with switching platforms.
Successful cloud migration requires careful planning and execution. If your company has been considering a move to the cloud, it’s important to understand the risks and challenges involved to make sure your project doesn’t become one of the many that fail.
Cloud migrations can be tricky undertakings – but with proper planning and execution, they don’t have to be overwhelming. By understanding the key reasons why many migrations fail, you can make sure yours doesn’t become another statistic.
Be sure to set clear objectives upfront, consult, plan carefully & thoroughly test everything before launching – this will help minimize unexpected issues & keep costs manageable. With effective communication & collaboration between all parties involved in the project, your migration will run much smoother. See the real case of how successfully applications were migrated to the cloud.