Best Practices for Cloud Migration
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As part of the “Best Practices” series by Uplatz
Welcome to the Uplatz Best Practices series — your playbook for navigating digital transformation.
Today’s focus: Cloud Migration — the critical journey from on-premise systems to agile, scalable cloud infrastructure.
🧱 What is Cloud Migration?
Cloud Migration is the process of moving digital assets — including applications, data, workloads, and IT processes — from on-premises infrastructure or legacy systems to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, GCP, or hybrid/multi-cloud environments.
It enables:
- On-demand scalability
- Reduced hardware/maintenance costs
- Faster innovation and deployment
- Access to modern cloud-native services
✅ Best Practices for Cloud Migration
Cloud migration is strategic, complex, and impactful — doing it right means more than just “lifting and shifting.”
1. Define a Clear Migration Strategy
🧭 Choose the Right Approach: Rehost, Refactor, Rearchitect, Rebuild, or Replace
📊 Prioritize Applications Based on Business Impact and Complexity
🔍 Use a Phased or Wave-Based Migration Plan – Don’t move everything at once
2. Perform a Full Assessment of Current Infrastructure
📋 Inventory All Applications, Dependencies, and Workloads
📉 Analyze Utilization Patterns to Right-Size in Cloud
🧩 Identify Technical Debt and Legacy Constraints
3. Establish Governance and Compliance Early
🔐 Map Regulatory Requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, etc.)
🧾 Define Access Controls, Audit Policies, and Tagging Standards
📜 Document Roles, Responsibilities, and Change Control Policies
4. Build a Landing Zone First
🏗 Create Secure, Scalable, Well-Architected Environments
📦 Set Up Baseline Networking, Identity, Monitoring, and Billing Structures
🧱 Automate with IaC Tools Like Terraform or Bicep
5. Migrate Data Thoughtfully
📤 Use Parallel Sync, Cutover Windows, or Hybrid Access Methods
📊 Preserve Data Integrity and Lineage During Migration
🔄 Plan for Downtime or Dual-Writes Where Necessary
6. Refactor for Cloud-Native When Feasible
☁️ Use Managed Services (e.g., RDS, S3, Azure Functions)
🧱 Break Monoliths into Modular Services Where Possible
💸 Avoid Overprovisioning — Use Auto-Scaling and Serverless Where Fit
7. Ensure Security at Every Layer
🔒 Encrypt Data at Rest and In Transit
🔐 Use IAM Roles and Fine-Grained Access Policies
🧰 Integrate with Existing SIEM and Security Workflows
8. Enable Observability and Monitoring from Day One
📈 Deploy Cloud-Native Monitoring Tools (e.g., CloudWatch, Azure Monitor)
📋 Set Up Dashboards for Performance, Errors, and Costs
🔔 Define Alerts for SLAs, Failures, and Security Incidents
9. Train Teams and Align Culture
👨💻 Upskill Staff on Cloud Tools, Architectures, and Services
🤝 Foster DevOps and Cloud-Native Culture
📚 Build Knowledge Sharing Through Wikis, Demos, and Internal Meetups
10. Optimize Continuously Post-Migration
💰 Use Cost Explorer/Analyzer to Track and Reduce Spend
🧪 Revisit Architecture with Well-Architected Reviews
🔁 Refactor or Decommission Redundant Resources
💡 Bonus Tip by Uplatz
Don’t migrate for the sake of it.
Cloud migration should create new capabilities, not just replicate old problems on new infrastructure.
🔁 Follow Uplatz to get more best practices in upcoming posts:
- Multi-Cloud Strategy
- Cost Optimization in the Cloud
- Cloud-Native Refactoring
- Cloud Landing Zone Templates
- DevSecOps for Cloud Workloads
…and 50+ more in cloud, AI, DevOps, and software architecture.