July 04th, 2024 | Credo Systemz | Career Insights

Introduction

In this cloud computing era, migrating applications to the cloud is a crucial step for businesses. This process modernizes the IT infrastructure, improves scalability, and reduces costs. Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a wide range of services and tools to facilitate this transition. However, the migration process requires careful planning and execution. This article explores the various AWS migration strategies to move your applications to the cloud effectively.

AWS Migration

AWS migration is the process of transferring the applications, data, and workloads from on-premises or other cloud environments to AWS. This process can deliver numerous benefits, like:

• Enhanced performance
• Faster deployment
• Increased productivity
• Improved security
• Operational efficiency

AWS provides a robust infrastructure and a comprehensive suite of services designed to support different migration scenarios.

The Six Rs of Migration

AWS identifies six common strategies, known as the “Six Rs,” for migrating applications to the cloud:

• Rehosting
• Replatforming
• Repurchasing
• Refactoring / Re-architecting
• Retire
• Retain

Rehosting (“Lift and Shift”)

Rehosting is the process of moving applications to AWS without making significant changes. This strategy is quick and reduces the on-premises infrastructure costs. It is suitable for organizations looking to move applications quickly to the cloud. Rehosting is suitable for legacy applications.

Replatforming (“Lift, Tinker, and Shift”)

Without changing the core architecture of the applications, the replatforming approach involves the process of cloud optimization. It includes moving to managed services that optimize for cost and performance. This approach is suitable for applications that require minor cloud optimization to improve performance.

Repurchasing (“Drop and Shop”)

Repurchasing strategy replaces the current application with a cloud-native alternative. It means moving to a different product – a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution. When an existing application is outdated, and a modern, off-the-shelf solution can meet the business requirements.

Refactoring/Re-architecting

Refactoring approach involves re-imagining how the application is architected and developed using cloud-native features. This step includes a complete overhaul of the application’s architecture to fully leverage AWS services. It is applicable to applications that need

• To scale efficiently
• Require rapid feature updates
• Improve performance and agility significantly

Retire

This strategy involves identifying and decommissioning applications that are no longer useful or are redundant. It helps in reducing the overall cost and complexity of the IT portfolio.

Retain

Retaining involves keeping some applications in their existing environment. It is done if the applications are tightly coupled or have specific regulatory requirements, or not ready to migrate, or it’s not cost-effective to move them.

Key Considerations for AWS Migration

1. The important considerations to be made for AWS migration are:

The primary step involved in AWS migration is assessment and planning. Conduct a thorough assessment of the current applications, their dependencies, and performance requirements.

The next concern is the cost associated with running the applications on AWS compared to the current infrastructure. It is necessary to ensure that the migration strategy complies with industry regulations and security standards.

2. After completing the assessment, choose the Right AWS Services.

• Based on the application’s compute requirements, decide between EC2, Lambda, Container services like ECS and EKS
• Evaluate storage options such as S3, EBS, and Glacier depending on the data storage and retrieval needs.
• Opt for managed database services like RDS, DynamoDB, or Aurora for database management.

3. The following step is to initiate the Migration process using migration tools and services.

• Use AWS Migration Hub to track the progress of migration across AWS and partner solutions.
• AWS Database Migration Service helps in migrating databases to AWS quickly and securely.
• AWS Server Migration Service facilitates the migration of on-premises servers to AWS.

4. Conduct thorough testing to ensure applications function correctly post-migration. This includes

• Performance testing
• Load testing
• Security testing

Continuously monitor and optimize the applications to leverage the scalability and cost-efficiency of AWS. Use AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Trusted Advisor for insights

5. Equip the team with the necessary skills and knowledge to manage and operate the new cloud environment.

Implement a structured approach to transition the organization to new cloud-based processes and systems.

Conclusion

To wrap up, migrating to AWS requires a well-thought-out strategy to maximize benefits. By understanding the Six Rs of migration, assessing the current IT landscape, choosing the appropriate AWS services, and utilizing AWS migration tools leads to a successful migration. As every organization is migrating to the AWS cloud, gaining AWS skills is essential to staying competitive in the job market. Credo Systemz is the best AWS Training institute in Chennai. Learn the industrial skills of AWS using our AWS courses in Chennai.