App migrating is the movement of applications from an in-house server to a public cloud server. Organizations that might have or are currently experiencing data loss or high maintenance costs for their servers tend to go for public cloud servers. Some of the other reasons that might convince an organization to opt for app migrating include and are not limited to:
- Data recovery – after disasters companies using cloud storage can access the backup solutions offered by the cloud server.
- Scalability- Public cloud servers give an ability to scale up or downwards the storage space according to the organization’s needs.
- Minimized cost– Once a firm starts using the services of a public cloud server, it can cut out some costs it was incurring for having an in-house server. For example, salaries for several employees to maintain the system and the recurrent server maintenance and support cost.
Now that an organization is intending to migrate, the next logical step is to come up with a stepwise migration strategy. Below is a guide that a firm can use for their app migration to the cloud;
1. Carry out an app migration assessment
At this stage, a firm is to assess whether the app meets the cloud’s performance requirements set, legal requirements, and security configurations. After that, the apps are ranked according to their significance. If an app is labeled as less significant then it’s given priority when migrating and vice versa. The firm will also evaluate the migration methods at this stage.
2. Development of an app migration plan
The method of migration determines the amount of time it takes when migrating apps. Some methods require rewriting of an application’s codes while others just involve copying and pasting an application and reinstalling it on the cloud. There is no assurance that the migration process will be smooth therefore a firm should prepare for costly processes, downtimes, and the risk of security issues occurring. In addition to that come up with KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that can be used to measure the viability of the app
3. Assess the design of applications being migrated
If an app has a complex IT architecture, then it is expected that its migration process will be delayed. On the other hand, if an app’s architecture is monolithic it is advised to use the containers method of migration.
4. Determine the app’s profitability
To determine the viability of the app, the firm should evaluate its profitability level by calculating its return on investments (ROI). It should be noted that you will need to get the long-term and short-term profitability levels.
5. Selection of method to be used in app migrating
The following are the app migration methods from which a firm can select an appropriate one:
Refactoring – This method involves the whole recoding of an application so that it can be compatible with the cloud. The upside of this method is that the app will have access to all benefits of the cloud but it takes a long time to migrate the app.
Rehosting – It involves copy and pasting an application then reinstalling it in the cloud. Its upside is it’s the easiest and fastest method.
Modernization in containers – It requires less coding compared to refactoring. However, with this method, you do not access the whole environment of the cloud.
Drop& shop – This involves ditching a non-profitable application and purchasing already developed apps.
Re-platforming – Almost similar to re-hosting only difference is that it requires a few adjustments to the app.
6. Provide security for the apps
Ensure that security was implemented from the very first stage. You should follow up with your engineers and ensure that they have made some configurations that will result in long-term security for the apps in the cloud.
7. Upload application and monitor results.
Complete the app migrating process then start monitoring the performance results of the applications. The Key Performance Indicators to be applied are the ones mentioned in the planning stage. Check its costs, number of downtimes, and rate of error notifications to measure its viability.
