How to manage an AWS migration
Many businesses are moving their data and applications to cloud services like AWS instead of having their own physical servers. That’s because, for most companies, cloud servers are more scalable, secure and cheaper. If you’re not sure how to manage an AWS migration, let us guide you through the process, either with our AWS consultancy services, or with the tips below:
Define your strategy
The very first step is deciding how you want to move your stuff to AWS. There are a few main ways to do this. The first is lift and shift. Here, you move things ‘as is’ to AWS with little or no changes. The second is re-platforming. With this method, you make some changes, like switching the database type, but keep most of your setup the same. The last way is re-architecting, where you completely rebuild your application to take full advantage of the cloud features offered by AWS. To decide which is the best approach, you need to know what you’re moving and why. Write down the estimated costs, and think about bringing in an agency like ours if speed is required to help you reduce downtime. Lastly, get all the right people in the room from tech, finance, operations, etc, to scope your migration and throw up any potential roadblocks early.
Do an assessment
In this step, you want to understand what you currently have. First, make a list of all your business applications, servers, databases and critical files. Create a map of how they connect. We call these dependencies. You could try using AWS’s free tool called Application Discovery Service to scan your system to see what’s running. It will “conduct inventory discovery to help accelerate migration by gathering server and database configuration information, operating system version history and key resource allocation details.” Lastly, you’ll want to benchmark your performance now so you’ll be able to refer to it later.
Create a plan
Never move everything all at once. Instead, create a step-by-step plan that includes a timeline of when you will move each part. Beside it, create a budget of how much it might cost. And then start with a pilot migration of one non-critical app, like an intranet or internal communication tool. Then, create batches of apps for migration if your test goes well. Identify any risks like downtime or data loss and how you’ll handle them if something goes wrong.
Choose the right AWS services
AWS is a big ecosystem, so it can be daunting to know what you need. Do you need virtual machines, file storage, managed databases, a NoSQL database or a virtual network? The easiest way to know what you need is to start with the migration hub and then match each service to what you already use.
AWS structure setup
Begin with your account. You can have one or multiple AWS accounts depending on the size of your business. Next, set up the IAM or Identity and Access Management controls and your VPC or Virtual Private Cloud that will be your private network in AWS. You’ll also want to look at monitoring tools like CloudWatch, for performance and error logs and CloudTrail, for tracking who is changing things in your AWS. Lastly, enable standard security measures to protect your setup.
Roll-out the migration
Now it’s time to move things. First, start with the test app you picked. Move it and then test everything… Is it working? Is it fast? Are users happy? To make it easier, you can use automated migration tools and infrastructure as code tools like CloudFormation or Terraform to make it go smoother.
Post-migration tweaks
After moving to AWS, you may want to get an AWS health check done to make sure everything is optimised and cost-effective. We’ll help you monitor for problems like unexpected downtime, big volumes and slow apps. You’ll also have the chance to right-size your resources according to your actual usage. Lastly, you’ll get support to make backups and plan for emergencies.
If you’d like to talk about your pending AWS migration, get in touch today. As helpful as the tips above are, you don’t have to go it alone.
