Seven step model of migration into the cloud
- 2. The Seven-Step Model of Migration into the Cloud is an effort in understanding and leveraging the cloud computing service offerings in the enterprise context. The model is as follows: ◦ 1. Conduct Cloud Migration Assessments ◦ 2. Isolate the Dependencies ◦ 3. Map the Messaging & Environment ◦ 4. Re-architect & Implement the lost Functionalities ◦ 5. Leverage Cloud Functionalities & Features ◦ 6. Test the Migration ◦ 7. Iterate and Optimize
- 3. Cloud migration assessments comprise assessments to understand the issues involved in the specific case of migration at the application level or the code, the design, the architecture, or usage levels. In addition, migration assessments are done for the tools being used, the test cases as well as configurations, functionalities, and NFRs of the enterprise application. Proof of concepts or prototypes for various approaches to the migration along with the leveraging of pricing parameters enables one to make appropriate assessments. These assessments are about the cost of migration as well as about the ROI that can be achieved in the case of production version
- 5. The next process step is in isolating all systemic and environmental dependencies of the enterprise application components within the captive data center. This, in turn, yields a picture of the level of complexity of the migration. After isolation is complete, one then goes about generating the mapping constructs between what shall possibly remain in the local captive data center and what goes onto the cloud. Perhaps a substantial part of the enterprise application needs to be rearchitected, redesigned, and reimplemented on the cloud. This gets in just about the functionality of the original enterprise application. Due to this migration, it is possible perhaps that some functionality is lost.
- 6. The next process step leverages the intrinsic features of the cloud computing service to augment enterprise application in its own small ways. Having done the augmentation, validation and test of the new form of the enterprise application is done with an extensive test suite that comprises testing the components of the enterprise application on the cloud as well. These test results could be positive or mixed. After several such optimizing iterations, the migration is deemed successful. Best practices indicate that it is best to iterate through this Seven-Step Model process for optimizing and ensuring that the migration into the cloud is both robust and comprehensive. Though not comprehensive in enumeration, it is representative
- 7. The biggest challenge to any cloud migration project is how effectively the migration risks are identified and mitigated. In the Seven-Step Model of Migration into the Cloud, the process step of testing and validating includes efforts to identify the key migration risks. In the optimization step, we address various approaches to mitigate the identified migration risks.