A business guide to moving legacy applications to the cloud

Evaluate your existing applications

Begin by creating a detailed inventory of your applications, including their versions, dependencies, and how they interact with other systems. Doing so helps you determine which applications are good candidates for cloud migration and which ones may require additional work before they can be moved.

Involving developers and IT specialists early on can also help reveal potential challenges. They can analyze an application's code and architecture to determine if it can run in the cloud as is or if it will need to be modified.

Select the right migration approach

Not every legacy application needs the same migration strategy. In most cases, businesses choose one of three common approaches:

• Rehosting (lift-and-shift): Migrating an application to the cloud with few or no modifications. Quickest strategy but may not fully leverage native cloud capabilities.
• Refactoring: Modifying parts of the application to better suit a cloud environment. Good for applications that will continue to be used long term.
• Rebuilding: Completely reconstructing the application using modern, cloud-native technologies. Demands more time but yields the most significant long-term advantages.

Build a migration timeline

Cloud migrations should be carefully scheduled to minimize disruptions to business operations. Factors such as application dependencies, system complexity, peak usage times, and testing requirements should all be considered.

Create a clear data migration plan

Start by identifying all data sources tied to the application and understanding how the data is stored and structured. Backups are essential before beginning any migration work.

Migrate and monitor carefully

As each component is moved, it's important to test functionality and monitor system behavior closely. Many organizations opt for a phased migration, transferring applications in stages.

Test and optimize after migration

Post-migration testing is crucial to confirm that all applications are performing as expected. It involves a comprehensive review of performance metrics, validation of data integrity, and a thorough check of security configurations.

Partnering with experts can simplify the process

Working with experienced cloud professionals can make the process more manageable. Our IT experts can help guarantee a smooth transition so your business can focus on growth instead of infrastructure challenges. Get in touch with us to get started.