Critical Steps to Take Prior to Cloud Implementation

Best practices are emerging for how companies should transition their IT systems into the cloud. Some of the key steps that companies should take are:

•       Analysis of the current information structure. Take an inventory of your infrastructure including servers, storage devices, networks, and operating systems. Review which applications the company is currently using—both their own and through other vendors. Understand the dependencies among devices and among software applications. Review how the current data is kept and stored. By understanding your current operations, you can then determine why a cloud arrangement might be better and what applications should be kept in-house versus which ones should be on the cloud. You can also plan for growth of the business, address deficiencies in the current set-up, and avoid any redundancies.

•       Review of the cloud options. There are private clouds, public clouds, and hybrid clouds. Multi-cloud environments are fast becoming a norm. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type of cloud. When dealing with public clouds, make sure to understand the Service Level Agreements, and where and how your information is being stored.

•       A value and cost assessment. A cost comparison should be done comparing the cost of migrating to the cloud versus keeping services in-house. This cost review includes more than just the cost of the hardware and software. It includes the cost for physical space, utilities, disaster recovery, security, technical support, technical expertise, the cost to grow, the ability to integrate hardware and software, and other factors.

•   Use of analytics to help in the decision-making process. Most companies have multiple applications and thousands or hundreds of the thousands of records. Doing the analysis of cloud migration needs and benefits is too hard to do by hand. The business and IT departments should use the latest analytics software to analyze who is using the applications, how often they’re used, and what is being done with the data. It’s also wise to ask the cloud service provider what analytic tools and databases they have that are available to help review all the data that is stored.

•   Preparation of deployment strategy plans. Documents should detail which steps have priority and in what order each action is to be taken. Security and compliance concerns should be addressed.

•   Test the cloud. Companies should review with the provider how any testing can be done to see if cloud services are worthwhile before committing to an expensive migration. If testing is possible, the business and IT team should prepare test plans to validate whether a cloud transition is worthwhile.

Companies also need to review who is going to manage the cloud, how that management will take place, and who will have access to the cloud.

Speak with an experienced cloud management consultant today

As with most technology issues, asking the right questions, conducting due diligence, preparing thoroughly, and getting feedback from essential personnel are the keys to successful changes to any IT system. At Vault Networks, our technology consultants are ready to help business with the essential aspects of considering a cloud migration.