Cloud Migration Planning Lessons and Strategies

This whitepaper discusses the complexities and challenges associated with cloud migration, emphasizing the importance of a well-defined business objective over a purely technological approach. It outlines common pitfalls that lead to unsuccessful migrations, such as incomplete discovery and inadequate management of organizational change. The document stresses the necessity of understanding the business drivers behind migration decisions, encouraging organizations to articulate their objectives clearly. It also highlights the significance of thorough discovery processes, combining automated and human efforts to uncover hidden dependencies and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the paper presents the '6 Rs' of migration strategy, detailing when each strategy is appropriate and the potential risks of misapplication. The financial implications of cloud migration are addressed, cautioning against the assumption that cloud solutions will always be cheaper. The paper concludes with recommendations for executing migrations in waves, ensuring rigorous testing, and preparing for organizational changes that accompany technological shifts.