Migrating legacy applications to the cloud is vital in helping your business stay up to date. It would ensure that you can modernize your business with advanced tech without losing your legacy data. However, there is a complete process that you need to follow.
In this article, we’ll give you an idea about what cloud legacy system migration is all about. Not only that, but we’ll also give you an idea regarding why you should migrate legacy applications to the cloud using OpenLegacy. Let’s get right into it!
What is Cloud Migration All About?
Cloud migration refers to the process of moving all the digital assets that the organization has on its applications or servers onto the cloud.
In other words, we can also say that the digital assets have been transferred or migrated from one cloud server to another. There are a wide range of digital assets that a particular business might have, such as:
- Services
- IT systems
- Databases
- Applications
- Other digital resources
Cloud migration is all about moving from the solutions (either hardware or software) to the cloud. This is because they are no longer providing the same results as they should. Many businesses consider it a vital practice to ensure that their operations are in alignment with modern practices
Why Do Companies Prefer to Migrate Legacy Systems?
There are a wide range of reasons why companies would prefer to migrate their legacy system. Here are some of the benefits that companies can enjoy by shifting their legacy systems to the cloud.
- The performance would be better since it would give agility and flexibility for your business activities while eliminating bottlenecks
- The legacy systems and data don’t become inaccessible and/or obsolete with the technological advancements
- The integration with the newer parts of the tech stack also makes it a preferable choice
- Organization can have the most advanced and updated security features that allow them to comply with regulations and saves them from any potential data breaches
- It would save the time and money lost in getting the legacy system repaired if it breaks down or loses functionality.
- Businesses won’t have to allocate additional resources that legacy systems that haven’t been migrated require
All these benefits are quite compelling for businesses to move their legacy systems to the cloud. They can leverage these things to get a competitive edge over other players in the market. But even though businesses might be getting these benefits, some might be reluctant to migrate legacy applications to the cloud.
This is because the process might be an uphill climb. As a result, it acts as a hurdle for company managers and executives to get around and migrate to the cloud. Nevertheless, there are still various companies that are figuring out ways to easily migrate to the platform.
Step-by-Step Process for Effective Cloud Application Migration
An important thing to note is that the cloud application program isn’t just carried out through a couple of clicks. It requires you to go through a process that can help you ensure the migration is smooth and seamless. So, here is a step-by-step process to help you start the applications from legacy to cloud.
Step 1- Conduct a SWOT Analysis
Before going through the hectic process of migrating your legacy applications, you need to know whether or not it is worth it. After all, you just don’t want to spend all your resources only to find out that there is no gain for it. That is where the SWOT analysis comes into play.
It will help you uncover all the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities to migrate to the cloud. You can learn about the costs, training, and other important factors to consider when conducting the SWOT analysis. Above all, it would help you find all the potential loopholes in the initial stage.
Step 2 – Assess Your IT Environment
The next thing that you need to do is assess your current IT environment. You can use different tools that can help you get a better idea about the following things:
- Resilience needs
- Performance metrics
- Network architecture
- Infrastructure
- Capacity
- Availability
It is highly important that you reevaluate the environment as the project advances. You would specifically have to do this if there is a new software that requires integration with a legacy application.
Step 3 – Decide Which Strategy Would Be Best For You
Your business would have to consider different things before choosing the strategy. For instance, you would have to check the operation nature, resources in hand, and final objectives. There are seven ways that you can choose from to migrate the legacy system:
- Extend: Maintain the current legacy system while expanding its capabilities through cloud-native APIs.
- Rearchitect: Transition to novel application architecture.
- Rebuild: Commence development anew, starting from the ground up.
- Refactor: Enhance the efficiency of the legacy system through improvements without a full reconstruction.
- Rehost: Commonly referred to as ‘lift and shift,’ this entails migrating your legacy system to a new operational environment.
- Replace: Eliminate the outdated system and introduce a fresh solution.
- Replatform: Transfer the existing legacy application to a modern platform.
Your business goals would help you determine which option would be suitable for you. For instance, your focus can be on getting the cloud up and running quickly. Or you might have a greater emphasis on providing more stability. Either way, you need to discuss with your team to decide which strategy would be suitable for your business.
Step 4 – Test the Migration First
Initiating a test or pilot migration before embarking on the actual process is a prudent approach. This permits you to evaluate the migration within a secure simulated setting that mirrors the genuine conditions of the forthcoming migration.
Though conducting a pilot migration demands an investment of time, it represents your primary expenditure at this juncture. It establishes a secure and low-risk arena for users to assess applications under circumstances akin to a live environment.
As a result, it can address any intricacies or glitches. Given that time constraints are absent, this investment is meritorious. This way, it can help with the identification and resolution of issues prior to the live migration.
Step 5 – Go for the Migration of Your Legacy Application
After having formulated a strategy and validated your methodologies, the time has come to initiate the migration of your legacy application. The conventional path would require going through multiple phases that could span over several years.
This would involve migrating components, verifying their functionality, training teams on the novel cloud solution, and eventually retiring the original setup. However, OpenLegacy advocates for a slightly divergent (more agile) approach.
Through a continuous progression, users retain access to the legacy system, now augmented by the novel functionalities facilitated by integrations. This facilitates smooth transitioning between the two states and empowers you to implement changes in the background.
Final Words
Moving your legacy data and application to the cloud can help you reap a wide range of benefits. Nevertheless, you need to have a reliable partner by your side who can assist you in your efforts. Therefore, you can get in touch with our experts and we would be more than happy to assist you.
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