There are numerous benefits gained from migrating to the cloud. Flexibility, scalability, cost savings – and those points are just for starters. There’s just one problem: the migration process is not without risk.
Many organizations dive into cloud projects expecting those benefits to come immediately. What they encounter instead, however, can be delays, security gaps, and ballooning costs. To dodge such issues, it’s essential you recognize – and avoid – the following cloud migration pitfalls.
The Failure to Plan for Application Dependencies
Lifting and shifting applications when you don’t have a full understanding of their dependencies. Simply put, this is one of the biggest mistakes in cloud migration. Many legacy systems rely on hidden connections to databases and on-premise services. Ignore these relationships, and it can lead to performance issues or, worse, outright failures once in the cloud.
This is why, before migrating any workload, you should conduct a thorough dependency mapping exercise. Tools that automate application discovery can pave the way to identifying interconnections. This then means you can plan for a phased or bundled migration approach.
Underestimate Security Requirements
When moving to the cloud, some companies are naïve enough to believe security becomes the provider’s responsibility alone. That’s not the case. Yes, platforms like AWS and Google Cloud offer strong baseline protection. Nevertheless, your organization remains responsible for configuring access controls, encryption, and logging properly.
One way to strengthen your security posture post-migration is by leveraging managed detection and response services. MDR services can monitor cloud environments for threats in real time. They can also detect suspicious behavior across workloads and generally respond to incidents at a faster rate than in-house teams.
This added layer of security reduces the risks of misconfiguration, as well as unauthorized access during and after migration.
Overlooking Cost Optimization
Cloud services follow a pay-as-you-go model. While beneficial, this flexibility can backfire if not closely monitored. It’s common for organizations to experience what’s known as ‘sticker shock’ due to aspects like over-provisioned resources and idle virtual machines.
How do you avoid runaway costs? It’s wise to establish a cloud cost governance model early. This includes setting budgets and using reserved capacity where applicable, along with continuously reviewing billing reports. Tagging resources properly also assists in tracking usage by project and department.
Skip User Training and Change Management
Cloud migration isn’t simply a technical exercise. It’s a whole culture shift. Your team must understand how to operate in a cloud environment. That includes everything from how to use new tools to adapting to DevOps models.
Never neglect user training. This can result in slow adoption and increase the risk of human error. Instead, you should create a change management plan, one that includes clear communication and hands-on training.
Neglect Post-Migration Monitoring
Many companies view migration completion as the finish line. In reality, it’s only the beginning. Once your applications are in the cloud, they need to be continuously monitored for availability and security.
One recommendation is to implement performance monitoring tools to track uptime and latency. With automation doing the work in the background, you can always be in the know about your cloud-based apps.
