Cloud Migration: What to Consider Before You Move
The first question to answer is whether cloud is actually the right choice for each workload. Not everything benefits from being in the cloud. Workloads with predictable, consistent resource requirements are sometimes cheaper to run on dedicated infrastructure. A workload assessment — looking at performance requirements, data sensitivity, compliance obligations and cost — should precede any migration decision.
Migration strategy matters as much as migration destination. The "lift and shift" approach — moving virtual machines directly to the cloud with minimal changes — is the quickest but often delivers the least benefit. Refactoring applications to take advantage of cloud-native services (managed databases, serverless compute, auto-scaling) takes longer but typically delivers better performance and lower ongoing cost.
Security configuration is where many cloud migrations go wrong. Cloud platforms provide extensive security controls, but none of them are enabled by default in the most restrictive setting. Storage buckets, API endpoints, database access and network policies all require deliberate configuration. A misconfigured cloud environment is not more secure than your on-premise setup — it can be significantly less so.
Cost management deserves attention before go-live, not after the first bill arrives. Cloud costs can grow quickly if resources are not right-sized and unused resources are not decommissioned. Building cost monitoring and alerting into the architecture from the start prevents unwelcome surprises.
Key Takeaways
- Assess each workload individually before migrating
- Choose a migration strategy that suits the workload
- Configure security controls explicitly — nothing is secure by default
- Build cost monitoring in from the start
Related Service
Learn about our Cloud Solutions service