Migrating to the cloud offers businesses numerous benefits, including higher scalability and more cost-efficient operations. But this process comes with a unique set of challenges that can lead to negative consequences if left unchecked. Understanding these challenges, and addressing them correctly, can help ensure a smooth cloud migration strategy and maximize the advantages you receive.
Challenge 1: Data Security and Compliance
A constant challenge of involving any third party in your business is the concerns it raises around security and compliance. It can be difficult to ensure that these elements are properly taken care of, particularly during migration when your company data is undergoing upheaval. During this time, it is more important than ever to ensure that your security adheres to industry regulations and best practices.
Solutions:
- Implement strong encryption protocols.
- Vet out your chosen cloud service provider (CSP) to ensure that they are compliant with regulations.
- Use identity and access management (IAM) to control who can access your data.
- Conduct regular compliance audits to meet industry standards like GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2.
Challenge 2: Cost Management
Introducing any new service into your organization costs money – and this can be of high concern for those with fewer resources (such as smaller businesses or nonprofits). CSPs often operate on a pay-as-you-go model, which can lead to unexpected expenses if not monitored. For this reason, you should carefully track your spending to ensure it is not getting out of hand.
Solutions:
- Utilize native cloud cost management tools like AWS Cost Explorer or Azure Cost Management.
- Set a clear budget and stick to it.
- Regularly review and optimize resource usage.
- Implement policies for resource allocation and deallocation, to avoid paying for idle resources.
Challenge 3: Technical Expertise
If you are migrating to the cloud for the first time, your staff may not yet have the technical expertise to work with the new systems that will be introduced. Regular staff may not know how to use new applications or software, and IT staff may not be easily able to solve issues that come up as a result of the recently introduced infrastructure.
Solutions:
- Provide ongoing training and certification opportunities for your team.
- Hire experienced cloud architects and engineers.
- Consider using a CSP who will fully manage your cloud for you – or hire a managed service provider (MSP) for temporary or long-term support.
Challenge 4: Data Migration and Integrity
Any cloud migration strategy should include a plan for how data will be transferred safely and quickly. This is critical, as any issue in this process can cause unexpected downtime or even a potential security threat. It is also important to have a way to verify the integrity of data, before and after it has been moved.
Solutions:
- Choose migration tools that support your specific requirements (e.g., AWS Data Migration Service, Azure Migrate).
- Test the migration process in a controlled environment before full-scale implementation.
- Validate data integrity at each step of the migration.
Challenge 5: Downtime and Disruption
Any of the above challenges, as well as many other factors, can quickly result in downtime. This is the disaster scenario, as downtime will impact operations and continue to incur higher costs the longer that systems are offline. It is essential to do everything in your power to avoid it, and have a plan to minimize any that does occur.
Solutions:
- Develop a detailed migration timeline, considering peak business hours.
- Use a hybrid approach to migrate workloads gradually.
- Keep stakeholders informed about the migration process and expected impacts.
- Have a plan for how you will get back online quickly, if downtime does occur.
Challenge 6: Vendor Lock-In
When signing up with a cloud service, it is natural to worry that you could find yourself locked in with one specific vendor – either because of contracts, or because you set up your infrastructure to rely on one provider rather than being compatible with several. This can undermine much of the flexibility and scalability of the cloud, making it as much of a hindrance as it is a useful tool.
Solutions:
- Consider a multi-cloud strategy that spreads services across multiple providers.
- Design your cloud architecture to be provider-agnostic.
- Use open standards and APIs for better interoperability.
- Regularly review vendor agreements and explore alternatives.
Avoid Common Migration Issues with Expert Assistance
There are many possible cloud migration challenges and issues, but they are not impossible to avoid. A proper cloud migration strategy, designed to prepare for these problems in advance, can help you protect your IT infrastructure, your operations, and your data.
ION247’s dedicated team of cloud experts specialize in guiding businesses through the process of migration, helping them achieve a streamlined and secure transition that leaves them ready to move forwards – not trying to solve a host of IT problems. Learn more about our cloud migration services today.
