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Moving to the Cloud? What You Should Know.
As more and more businesses embrace Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscriptions for their business applications and adopt other cloud technologies, you may be wondering what it takes to fully move to the cloud. We will talk about some of the steps and considerations necessary in taking the plunge into the cloud.
Oftentimes, the thought about moving fully to the cloud begins when your current on-premise server is coming up for warranty renewal or when it’s getting close to needing a hardware refresh. The costs associated with replacing your servers with new hardware and software can be quite high with large capital expenditures. For many, the idea of "getting out of the server business" is a very attractive one. Given today's technology options it is possible that many businesses could forego an on-premise server in favor of a virtual one. The decision to move to the cloud can also be attractive from the finance side as businesses can reallocate the costs of managing IT and the associated infrastructure from a CapEx model to an OpEx model.
There are a number of considerations that need to be reviewed before making the decision to move to the cloud. For example, some businesses may have a physical dependency for certain operations which could make moving to the cloud difficult or impractical. In some cases, a hybrid of cloud and local data systems might be the best of both worlds. We will assume you’ve already addressed those hurdles and are ready to move to the next phase.
It is finally time to capitalize on the public cloud’s value that includes less hardware expenses, 99.99% uptimes, ease of scalability, security and an improved IT disaster recovery strategy. It is important to note that migrating entirely to the cloud is more complex than an on-premise server migration and multiple factors must be planned for and budgeted. To ensure a successful cloud migration, it is best to begin both your project planning and migration process one year in advance of your projected go-live date. Ideally, a Cloud-Readiness Assessment has been performed which would help to identify areas which are ready for the cloud and areas which need preparation.
Steps that should be taken to go serverless:
Step #1 – Make Internet Modifications (if necessary)
With all applications and services being hosted in the cloud, your dependency of your internet connectivity may be much higher than before. For this reason, you may want to subscribe to more than one Internet Service Provider (ISP) to gain added redundancy and accessibility. Additionally, your office may require more upload/download bandwidth to accommodate the additional traffic going to and from your applications in the cloud. In the cloud, your office’s ability to operate will rely entirely on its ability to access the internet and the internet cannot be a single point of failure.
Step #2 – Choose Public Cloud Provider
Some popular providers among small and medium businesses are Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Both providers invoice their clients on a monthly basis based on the amount of server resources consumed. The differentiators between these two providers are minimal and it is best to choose a trusted IT consultant first who can help you choose the technology which meets your businesses needs and the one with which they feel most comfortable working.
Step #3 – Decide What To Do With Email/File Shares
One of the biggest benefits to moving your data to the cloud is the accessibility and collaboration your company achieves by embracing files being stored and shared in the cloud. By leveraging a cloud platform like Microsoft Office 365, data can be accessed and shared more easily and securely, increasing productivity without the hindrance of dealing with staff having to connect to a VPN. Choosing where your data is stored is the 3rd recommended planning step in effectively adopting the cloud.
Step #4 – Provision Cloud Servers
If you decided to provide access to files using a traditional file server, see the section below called "File Server in the Cloud".
We will assume that you have decided to embrace either Microsoft Office 365 or Google G-Suite for your file storage
and sharing. Congratulations on embracing the cloud! Choosing this path could mean that the remaining infrastructure you need to fully operate in the cloud may be less than those who choose to provide file access through a traditional file server. At this point, we now need to determine what else your organization needs beyond email and file access. You likely have a variety of applications. This would be a great time to check and see if the application vendors you utilize offer any Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscriptions, whereby the application is accessible in the cloud through a web browser or similar. If not, then you may need to provision an application server in the cloud. In addition, you will want to review authentication requirements for your applications. If the software is dependent on Microsoft Active Directory, you may need to provision a Domain Controller in the cloud to provide that level of integration. However, more support continues to be developed for Azure AD which is a cloud-level of Active Directory, whereby it is provided as a service and not as a server. There are some enhancements as well as some limitations in its current form so further considerations may be needed.
File Server in the Cloud:
If you decided to provision a file server in the cloud, there are some other considerations that need to be reviewed in order to provide the best experience for your users. If your staff will be accessing the file server through a VPN tunnel, load times for accessing the files, making changes and saving the files can be quite slow. Increased bandwidth may be needed to combat this obstacle which may increase cost. Generally, it would be best that the file server exists in the same location as the users. In an all-remote work environment, there is no central place for a server to be stored. In cases like these, many choose to embrace virtual desktops in the cloud or other cloud "workspaces" for which both Microsoft Azure and AWS offer subscriptions. In this way, the virtual desktops are in the same location as your cloud provisioned file server thereby providing quicker access to the files and a better experience for your users.
Step #5 – Establish End-User Network Connectivity
Arguably, this step could come before step #4. However, the bottom line is you need to decide on where your applications and data will reside. Once that is determined, you then need to assess how your users will connect and interact with the data and systems. If you embraced a platform like Office 365, your requirements for connectivity are lessened as access can be provided from just about anywhere and internet performance is generally not as high. However, if you decided your files and applications cannot be accessed through a SaaS offering and you’ve elected to provision the necessary servers in the cloud, then you may have higher dependency on the internet connection(s) from wherever your users are connecting.
Questions You May Need To Answer Are:
- How are your users going to connect to the cloud? Over the internet or via a VPN?
- Are you going to set up a terminal server and have them remote into a virtual desktop?
- How will they access the systems and data?
Step #6 – Maintaining the Cloud
"I’m in the cloud now. All my problems go away, right?"
No. It’s great that you’ve fully migrated to the cloud but just because your systems and data are running in the cloud doesn’t mean you're free from having to maintain the cloud. First and foremost, your data is your problem. Just because it’s in the cloud, doesn’t mean you don’t need to back it up and protect it. The truth is, the cloud providers are NOT doing this for you. Therefore, if you lose your data to any number of different possibilities, it’s on you. There are many different cloud-to-cloud backup solutions available, each with their own set of pros and cons.
It is important to understand that migrating to the public cloud isn’t a "set-it-and-forget-it" solution. You will still need to maintain and protect your systems which are running in the cloud. Essentially, what you’ve gained is transitioning from CapEx to OpEx and increasing accessibility of your systems and data. But you still need to maintain it.
By following the above steps, you will be better poised for success to fully move to the cloud.
For assistance with completing a Cloud Readiness Assessment, or for help in moving fully or partial to the cloud Contact Us
written by:
Brendan Kelly
Brendan Kelly is a Business Alliance Manager focused on building partnerships with technology companies that can help The Walker Group’s clients increase efficiencies, reduce operating expenses and mitigate IT security risks. Prior to assuming the Business Alliance Manager role at Walker, Brendan spent 10+ years in new business sales and account management roles while working for both software and service providers.
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