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In the past, individuals would run applications or programs on a physical computer or server on their premises. However, cloud computing has made it possible to access and run the same applications and programs through the Internet. Cloud migration refers to the process of moving business elements like data and applications from an on-site environment to a cloud-based environment. It can also involve moving applications and data from one cloud to another. If you have been wondering why so many businesses are moving to the cloud, this article will highlight some of the benefits of cloud migration.
Why migrate to the Cloud?
You are probably operating a traditional data warehouse and wondering if there is a need to move to the cloud. Jon Hamilton, an expert from PerfectEssay indicates that you should shift to the cloud as soon as possible. Your current data warehouse will be outdated, and it will be expensive to replace both the software and hardware. However, with cloud service infrastructure, you are assured of the latest technology in the industry. At the same time, the cloud allows you to access your data and applications easily. It removes the complexity brought by connecting systems in different locations as it is the case with traditional data warehouses.
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Fundamentals for Cloud Migration
- Establish the migration architect in charge – The person will be responsible for planning and executing all the aspects related to the migration.
- Identify the level of migration – You could be doing shallow migration where there are no or limited changes to the applications. Alternatively, it could be deep cloud migration where you modify the applications during the process.
- Determine the costs – Determining the cost in advance to minimize wastage.
- Choose your preferences – You can go with a single cloud or pick a multi-cloud.
- Skilled resource – Get skilled individuals to manage the cloud database.
- Embrace challenges – The process will obviously not be easy so you should be prepared with issues that emerge during the migration.
Benefits of setting up Cloud Migration
- Easy to set up – When handing a traditional data warehouse, you will have challenges while setting it up. You will need experts, which may be expensive and time-consuming especially if you have a small business. However, with cloud computing, you have a team of experts to assist you in the process. Hence, the process is easier because you have a team behind you.
- Scalability and high performance – The need for resources keeps on fluctuating. In some cases, you may be needing more resources hence the need to scale up. In other instances, business needs may reduce hence the need to downgrade the resources otherwise there will be unused data. Cloud computing allows scalability according to the changing business needs. Hence, during times of high traffic, you can scale up your system resources to reduce strain and ensure high performance. Your users will enjoy the seamless performance of your system because you can resize it depending on the changing needs.
- Flexible and secure – With cloud computing, you get the flexibility you need to pay for less or more storage. For example, your business could have recently acquired another company and you need to incorporate their data into your system. With cloud computing, you can pay for more space. Many of the cloud providers like Microsoft One Cloud, which offers tough security measures to keep your applications and programs secure. Cloud computing ensures that your data is protected with the latest and advanced security measures. The providers ensure automatic security updates to keep your data safe from the latest security threats.
- Saves on costs – Migrating to the cloud is an effective way of managing costs. For instance, Google cloud allows clients to auto-scale depending on their needs. You can request more services when the need arises and turn them off when they are not required. Such a responsive technique is critical because it saves on costs. You will only pay for the additional systems you need. For more information about Google Cloud services, you can check the Google cloud blog.
- Automatic backup and logging of key metrics – Whichever cloud model you chose, you need to ensure an automatic backup is in place. Remember that you are not supposed to lose any data during the migration process. With an automatic backup, you can undertake a disaster recovery to see where things went wrong. With adequate backup, you will manage to ensure that your business continues running even when an outage occurs. You also need to log in key metrics so that you have critical information to assist you to establish what caused the problem.
Steps for successful Cloud Migration
Now that you have decided to migrate to the cloud, the following are the steps you need to succeed:
- Design – Establish a solid data integration plan. You probably have existing data and you should determine how to handle it during the process and to deal with the downtime as well.
- Migrate – Extract, transform and then load the data into the cloud.
- Validate – Check to ensure that the data has moved successfully to the new platform. Test the system to ensure that it performs as expected.
Conclusion
you need to shift from the current data warehouse to cloud computing. You can run the same applications and programs on the cloud more efficiently. While it may appear expensive initially, you will save more costs in the long-term. With cloud computing, you have access to features that may not be available in your traditional data warehouses like scalability, security, and flexibility. Hence, make efforts to migrate to the cloud.
