Pros & Cons of Migrating to the Cloud: What You Need to Know

What is cloud migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving applications and data from one location, often a company’s private, on-site (“on-premises”) servers to a public cloud provider’s server, but also between different clouds. There are 3 main types of cloud servers:

• Public: service providers own all required hardware and software systems and use them to deliver resources over the internet
• Private: used exclusively by a single organization or business by installing servers in-house. Can be implemented with the help of in-house experts or by hiring a third-party service provider to deploy their private cloud.
• Hybrid: includes both public clouds and private clouds, the workloads are managed between the two. This provides organizations with more flexibility and security.

What are on-premises servers?

On-premises servers is a private cloud service where you must set up your deployment software and infrastructure within the business’s premises.

Cloud servers vs. on-premises:

A key difference is that on-premises infrastructure allows you to store data and run services locally. In contrast cloud computing must be accessed over the internet, with your data and services saved on the service provider’s servers. Mobility and flexibility are another key difference between cloud servers and on-premises servers. Cloud servers allow you to work anywhere that has a stable and reliable connection, whereas on-premises servers often require support from a third party to access the data remotely.

Companies saw a 40% increase in efficiency after switching to a cloud service provider. 64% of companies feel cloud servers are more secure than on-premises systems. On-premises systems experience 45% more attacks than cloud servers

How does cloud migration work?

1. Adopt cloud-native backup tools and practices: Cloud vendors offer well-documented and reliable backup solutions you can use for safe and convenient backups.
2. Create a data-access policy: Majority of data losses are due to human error, set up access levels for your team to make sure the right people get the right files to work with
3. Conduct staff training: teach your staff how to work with cloud applications, should help to reduce accidental data losses.
4. Run anti-deletion campaign: Cloud providers allow you to flag specific virtual machines, volumes, and instances so that they can't be deleted unintentionally. Identify critical data, mark it for anti-deletion and back it up if someone ignores the restrictions.
5. Automate backups: most cloud providers have flexible and automated data backups.
6. Test the waters: set up a test environment to figure out how your backup plan performs in case of a disaster, do it repeatedly to adjust the backup strategy when it’s necessary.

Pros & Cons of Cloud Migration

Pros:

• Cost-saving: you do not have to invest in on-premises hardware/software, instead you pay for resources you need on a pay-as-you-go basis.
• Flexibility & scalability: you can quickly scale up or down as needed, and you only pay for the resources you use.
• Improved performance: you can take advantage of the latest tools and technologies, helping improve an application’s speed and reliability. Cloud servers can offer more storage and computing power than on-premises servers.
• Increased agility: you are able to roll out new applications and features faster and are able to quickly make changes to infrastructure without disrupting business opportunities.
• Enhanced disaster recovery: you are able to replicate data and applications across multiple geographical locations so that if a disaster were to happen in one location you are still able to operate from another.
• Improved accessibility: cloud services enable employees to access data and applications from anywhere with an internet connection.
• Streamlined maintenance: cloud service providers handle infrastructure management, software updates, and maintenance tasks, in turn reliving organizations of these responsibilities.
  

Cons:

• Security concerns: you must entrust your data and applications with a third-party provider; however most providers have robust security measures and 94% of business reported increased security after transferring data to the cloud. In addition, at least 95% of cloud security failures are the user’s fault.
• Interruptions to the business operations: there is a possibility to need to reconfigure your applications and retrain your staff leading to disruptions in business operations and productivity.
• Initial migration challenges: migrating existing applications and data to the cloud can require significant planning, architectural changes, and the possibility to reengineer the applications to fit the cloud environment.

Conclusion:

Cloud migration is a huge decision for any business. Before you make the decision, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of cloud migration. In most cases the advantages out-weigh the disadvantages however it is important to be aware of any migration project’s risks and challenges.

With tailored solutions, we can assist you in maximizing security, cost-effectiveness, and reliability while ensuring seamless migration and ongoing data protection. Get in touch with us to learn more and take the next step towards harnessing the power of cloud computing for your business.