This article describes Amazon’s core migration framework—basic migration steps that apply to any AWS migration project, and methodologies for moving each of your apps to AWS, ranging from lift-and-shift to refactor/re-architect.
Let’s discuss the five major processes below to simplify the AWS migration process.
Table of contents:
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What is Cloud Migration?
Cloud migration is the process of migrating all or part of an on-premise IT infrastructure to the cloud. This could involve enterprise apps, data, procedures, and more, with the aim of lowering costs and allowing for faster scaling.
Any gear or software you run in a physical building, mainly where your employees work, is considered on-premises. When you migrate to the cloud, you are transitioning from an on-premises platform to a cloud-based platform.
Benefits of AWS Migration
There are numerous reasons to migrate your IT infrastructure to the AWS cloud. AWS offers a variety of computing resources to handle your IT-related operations, enabling your employees, time, and money for tasks that directly contribute to the bottom line.
By migrating to cloud infrastructure, you reduce the restrictions placed by physical data centers and get access to data from anywhere and at any time. Among the top AWS customers are Netflix, Facebook, and BBC.
Let’s take a closer look at how cloud-centric Amazon Web Services can help you keep your IT operations and expenditures lean and efficient.
- Low Cost: The AWS cloud platform enables you to run enterprise apps and systems at no upfront investment. The only cost incurred is when cloud computing resources are utilized.
Scaling up and down to meet current demands is also much easier with cloud assets, which can be deployed on demand, and cloud cost management tools allow you to keep your cloud spending under control.
- Flexibility: It should come as no surprise if your present operating system and database are already AWS-compatible. AWS solutions are compatible with nearly all computer frameworks and coding languages. As a result, your developers’ time and resources are saved.
Whether you’re migrating to the cloud, switching to a new cloud platform, or preparing for DevOps, AWS’s elastic architecture lets you swiftly supply as many resources as you need.
- Security: With more data breaches occurring throughout the world, the cost and need for cybersecurity is greater than ever. AWS prioritizes data security with a shared responsibility approach. AWS offers you a worldwide secure infrastructure while also maintaining legal compliance.
Customers. On the other hand, bear the duty for integrity, confidentiality, and availability. AWS allows you to secure your data and govern your content in accordance with best security practices and requirements.
- Disaster Recovery: By using cloud-based disaster recovery techniques, you can eliminate the danger of power outages, software failures, data corruption, and human error. These approaches are simple to implement because most procedures can be automated, saving you time and money.
Phases of AWS Migration
Data migration appears to be a simple operation because it simply refers to shifting data from one area to another. However, it is more complicated because the process is divided into phases. Let us now discuss the different stages of migration:
Phase 1: Discovery
There are occasions when you do not need to shift your entire business to the cloud. This is when segregation comes into play. You must determine which apps can and cannot be migrated.
Phase 2: Assessment
AWS provides several options to migrate your application depending on the data, such as AWS Snowball, AWS Snowmobile, AWS Direct Connect, and so on. Once you’ve decided on an appropriate method for moving your data, check for the resources you’ll require.
Phase 3: Proof of Concept (POC)
Once you’ve determined how and what you’re migrating, you must determine how and where you’ll keep it. The whole point of migrating to AWS is to cut costs. During this phase, you will test your workload and learn about AWS Storage Service, its benefits and limitations, as well as the necessary security controls.
Phase 4: Application Migration to AWS
Now that you have all of the prerequisites in places, such as the blueprint, migration tools, assignment list, backups, and synchronization with your on-premises data repositories. You can finally move your project to AWS Cloud. When you migrate your project to the cloud, you gain stability and durability.
Phase 5: Enterprise Cloud Operations
You’ve already migrated to AWS at this stage, and AWS will deliver updates that you’ll need to fit into your existing architecture. As a result, you must ensure that you have a 24-hour support team monitoring system maintenance and upgrades following the migration.
AWS Migration Strategies
Because the complexity of moving existing applications varies based on the architecture, Amazon developed various solutions known as the 6 R’s. Let’s take a closer look at each of them:
- Rehost: Once your application is complete and operational, you can easily Rehost it on AWS. Also known as “Lift and Shift.” You export your services and apps from your hosting environment to the cloud via a third party.
- Replatform: Because your application is running an outdated version on your hosting environment, you must alter it and then rehost it. Replatform is a variation on “Lift and Shift.” It comprises optimizing the cloud architecture to reap the benefits without changing the basic design of the application.
- Repurchase: Certain applications would be incompatible with the new architecture. In that situation, you’ll have to buy a new application to accommodate the new architecture. AWS Marketplace offers a wide selection of services, all with a “Pay as you Use” approach. Repurchase is also known as “drop and shop” since it allows you to upgrade, simplify implementation, accept new architecture, and make modifications to the present model.
- Refactor: You want to add new features, expand the limits of the present business model, and achieve performance that is challenging in the current context. You reassess your requirements, despite the fact that the answer is rather costly. Moving your organization to a service-oriented architecture (SOA) will help it in the long run.
- Retire: After AWS Migration, you will be able to distinguish between useful and worthless resources. As a result, you cut off any resources that are no longer helpful to the business and construct a strategy around the new resources. This will reduce the additional cost. With fewer concerns, you can now concentrate on sustaining the resources required by the new company model.
- Retain: As you are aware, the components of your project require migration. You can simply employ any of the tactics listed above. Create a strategy to keep those apps that, according to your business model, are not yet ready to be transferred to the cloud or that have recently been improved.
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CloudEndure
AWS CloudEndure is a well-known AWS migration solution that builds a business continuity software system for disaster recovery, continuous backup, and live migration. It enables enterprises to quickly and easily transition from their present data centers or cloud centers to AWS. It aims to optimize, accelerate, and automate the entire migration process by rehosting multiple machines with smooth compatibility management.
AWS Migration Hub
AWS Migration Hub serves as a one-stop shop for cloud migration. It accelerates and streamlines the entire AWS process. It functions similarly to an application in the AWS Management Console in that it monitors other tools and tracks the overall infrastructure status of servers, databases, and so on. AWS Discovery tools, AWS migration programs, and AWS Migration tools are among the tools included.
AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)
AWS MAP is a training approach developed by AWS to aid in the process of successfully implementing their cloud strategy & migration program with appropriate assistance and best business efficiency. It provides a readiness assessment, an AWS migration plan, extensive training, and ongoing support. Large business units with demanding large-scale migration needs are the target of this contemporary strategy.
AWS Marketplace
AWS Marketplace functions more like a digital library and online software store, allowing customers to search for, purchase, and deploy third-party data, software, and services for AWS solution execution and business execution. Among the numerous possibilities available through various software providers after a curation method, there is software for each phase of the full migration procedure.
Turbonomic
Turbonomics is an outstanding analytics solution that will assist you in maintaining proper resource allocation, scaling your resources, and avoiding large expenditures. The platform provides excellent capabilities for assessing and optimizing your resource consumption, adhering to rules (if applicable), and automating alignment and integration of all of your AWS services. While there are several Turbonomic equivalents, they do not compare in terms of simplicity of use and features.
Conclusion
Amazon Web Services provides cloud computing resources for managing IT infrastructure, allowing businesses to concentrate on core activities and increase their bottom line. The advantages of having a cutting-edge and low-cost cloud infrastructure for your business cannot be overstated.
The AWS cloud’s versatility not only allows you to access your data remotely at any time, but it also allows you to quickly scale your cloud resources up and down to match your changing business demands.