Does your IT server closet look like a rat’s nest? Do you have a bunch of hardware equipment that are well past their usable life (or worse you don’t even know how old they are)? Are you still running servers on Windows Server 2003 that are no longer supported by Microsoft or soon will be (in the case of Server 2008)?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the questions above, it may be time to have a conversation with your IT Director about “the cloud” and how a cloud migration strategy can help your business.
First, what is the cloud? Cloud computing involves virtual resources (infrastructure, services, etc) managed by someone else (cloud provider) that are delivered via the Internet. Clouds are typically deployed in one of 3 ways (public, private, or hybrid) and delivered via one of 3 service models (IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS) i.e. infrastructure, platform, or software as a service. Amazon Web services (AWS) is one of the most popular IaaS public clouds.
Why is a cloud migration strategy a smart move for a small to medium business?
- Addresses both short and long term infrastructure needs
- Avoids significant investment in infrastructure that will keep you tied to the on premise model for years to come
- Provides scalability and resiliency that was previously only available to deep-pocketed large firms
But, what are some of the downsides to cloud migration?
- Shifts technology spend from periodic capital expense to a recurring operating expense.
- Cloud consumption is a pay as you go subscription model that if not managed properly can become prohibitively expensive.
- Not every service or system is suited for the cloud and there is work involved in executing a successful migration.
So I’m sold, how do I make the leap to the cloud?
There are a few high level criteria for evaluating what systems/services are best suited for cloud adoption/migration. But here are some practical tips for moving to cloud:
- Email/IM on premises – Migrate to Office 365 (Exchange/Skype/Teams) or Google G Suite and gain access to additional capabilities (e.g. SharePoint Online).
- Active Directory – Consider moving to Azure AD Premium and relegating your local Active Directory server to a backup.
- Server and desktop backups – Utilize software that support cloud repositories or direct to cloud backup solutions.
- Endpoint protection tools – antivirus, endpoint detection and response (EDR).
- IT service management (ITSM) system – Replace your legacy on premise system with a SaaS platform.
- Business systems (e.g. financial, people/HR systems) – Migrate to one of the many SaaS platforms available.
One last piece of advice. Do not:
- Migrate to the cloud without a plan or strategy.
- Shift your physical or virtual servers as-is to the cloud.
You will likely find limited utility/benefit to this approach and inefficient usage of the cloud architecture.
This blog post was also published on LinkedIn.
