Best Practices for Cloud Migration

Posted on by uplatzblog

Best Practices for Cloud Migration

  • 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.