Cloud adoption is skyrocketing due to the increasing demand for on-the-go and over-the-network operations. Many organizations are turning to cloud migration consulting services because of the flexibility and scalability they offer.
Cloud migration presents a set of challenges, and these challenges persist even after the migration process is complete, as many bottlenecks remain. While some can be addressed easily, others require extra effort.
Here, we bring to you five of the most common ‘post-cloud migration risks’ that need a special mention:
1) Weak Architecture and Unnecessary Computing Costs
Most companies feel the necessity to shift from data centers to a cloud environment. While some do so to overcome data center maintenance concerns, others rush to embrace the cloud as quickly as possible.
Such hurried migrations often lead to a simple ‘lift-and-shift’ approach, placing less emphasis on evaluating workload adaptability in the new cloud environment. As a result, systems that run at full capacity on specific loads in data centers may continue this behavior post-migration without optimization.
This can lead to unexpected costs, as workloads may operate more frequently than needed, similar to legacy infrastructure models. Leading cloud migration companies help address these challenges by assessing workload suitability in advance and designing scalable, cost-effective migration strategies that align with best practices for cloud-native applications.
The only solution to overloading or overconfiguration issues is to ensure the workload’s adaptability before onboarding it to the cloud.
2) Lack of Understanding of Workload Ecosystem
This is another crucial aspect that can cause additional risks after the cloud migration process. It’s essential to understand the data flow from data center systems to the new cloud environment. Gaps in the data flow can lead to unexpected disruptions and increased costs.
The key to addressing this issue lies in implementing tailored cloud migration solutions that not only move workloads efficiently but also optimize them for the new environment. These solutions help identify opportunities to adapt workloads, ensuring better performance and cost control.
A detailed assessment is necessary to determine which applications the workloads can run in and how much data can exit the cloud environment without incurring excessive charges. Effective cloud migration solutions take these variables into account and ensure a seamless and efficient transition.
3) Security and Compliance Requirements
As the studies show, most organizations have a specific onboarding process for cloud migration. This process often involves security configuration, which can sometimes be automated.
While security is the first step to check during migration, incorporating security audits and maintenance into the regular change management process is equally crucial. This keeps a fine balance across various cloud and on-premise environments while meeting compliance requirements.
During onboarding, ensure that every new offering is correctly tied to the change management process and aligns with the updated security and audit policies.
4) Lack of Visibility into Performance and Usage
Remember! Migrating to the cloud is a more herculean task than managing processes on the cloud. Given this factor, the teams should ensure they have uninterrupted access and perfect visibility to the cloud systems’ system utilization and performance.
Using different tools to retrieve data from the cloud migration service providers portal gives less scope for consistent collection and usage.
5) Lifecycle Management and Cost Leakage
Newly implemented systems need continuous monitoring throughout their lifecycle until they are on the full track. Teams tend to lose track of systems that are untied to any physical reminders. Cloud, because of its broader scope, often facilitates such instances of losing track of specific systems.
Moreover, IT teams often fail to set up new testing environments without decommissioning the old ones, which implies replacing the server with a service. In such a case, running unused instances naturally leads to additional burden and maintenance costs. Beyond costs, they may also pose security risks if upgrades and patches are left unattended.
Case Study Highlight: Post-Migration Cloud Support and Automation for a Finance & Insurance Company
While cloud migration delivers scalability and flexibility, long-term success depends on how well post-migration risks are managed, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance and insurance. A prominent finance and insurance company partnered with Veritis to strengthen post-migration cloud operations through infrastructure automation and ongoing cloud support.
Challenge:
Post-migration, the client encountered significant challenges related to system performance, environment consistency, and compliance. These issues, stemming from the lack of a comprehensive post-migration strategy, resulted in inefficiencies in infrastructure management, posing risks to both business continuity and regulatory compliance.
Veritis’ Solution:
Veritis responded to the client’s challenges with a comprehensive post-migration support framework. This framework focused on infrastructure automation and cloud environment stabilization, encompassing the establishment of automated deployment pipelines, optimization of cloud resource utilization, and the implementation of monitoring mechanisms to ensure system reliability and alignment with compliance requirements.
Impact:
- Enhanced Operational Stability: Automated processes minimized manual errors and improved environment consistency.
- Compliance and Control: Configurations and monitoring were designed to align with finance-industry compliance standards.
- Ongoing Support: Continuous optimization of cloud infrastructure to adapt to changing business needs.
- Risk Mitigation: Addressed post-migration risks by improving visibility, security posture, and system performance.
This engagement highlights the importance of proactive post-migration planning and support. By fully realizing the value of cloud adoption and minimizing operational and regulatory risks, the client was well-equipped to address the challenges of the cloud era.
Explore the full case study: Infrastructure Automation & Cloud Support for Finance and Insurance Company.
In Conclusion
Considering these risks, the enterprise cloud migration process is deemed successful only after meeting the pre- and post-migration requirements. Doing so not only ensures success but also ensures cost savings and streamlined processes! Are you looking for cloud migration services and solutions in the US?
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