Cloud migration strategies: A manager’s guide to demystify the cloud migration conundrum

Abstract

In the past few years, cloud computing has seen wider adoption and penetration into various sectors such as entertainment, education, banking, Government institutions and finance. The interest in adopting cloud-based solutions has grown rapidly and today’s IT managers are expected to be familiar with the various models and services along with their merits and demerits. They are also expected to analyse the needs of the organization and accurately identify the model to be used, negotiate the contracts with the cloud service providers and have an analytical approach towards the transition of existing systems into the cloud. The process can be a tedious and prolonged one if one does not have a structured approach with key parameters which should be kept in mind while making the transition. The study identifies the common challenges that typical IT managers face while deciding to move to a cloud-based model. It also discusses the various reasons behind the wider adoption of cloud by organizations. We then move on to discuss the common model used by cloud providers when transitioning applications and platforms into the cloud and analyse the cause and effects. Finally, a monitoring framework which every IT manager can use while overseeing the cloud transition process is discussed along with the various focus areas during the transition. The study finally ends with the emerging trends in the cloud computing segment that every IT manager should be aware of and be prepared to deal with soon.