In the digital age, cloud migration has become a pivotal consideration for federal agencies. The transition to the cloud, however, is not a straightforward process and requires meticulous planning and assessment.
Key Considerations Before Migration:
Before embarking on the cloud migration journey, agencies should introspect on several critical questions:
Funding: Is the available funding dedicated to a singular project, or is there a vision to support future cloud-based initiatives? Establishing a repeatable funding mechanism can prevent the redundancy of repeating the same steps for different projects.
IT Structure: A fragmented IT structure, with separate groups for servers, networking, storage, and other components, can be a roadblock. A unified approach is essential for smooth migration.
Infrastructure Compatibility: Not all on-premise infrastructure services might be cloud-compatible. It’s crucial to ascertain if services like identity management and firewalls can seamlessly transition to the cloud.
Developer-User Communication: The cloud offers agility. Developers can swiftly make changes to applications. However, this agility is futile if there’s a communication gap between developers and end-users.
Application Latency: Understanding the latency requirements of applications is vital. It helps in evaluating their technical suitability with the cloud.
Refactoring vs. Lift-and-Shift:
Migration strategies often boil down to two primary approaches:
Refactoring: This involves a thorough overhaul of an application without changing its core functionality. The benefits are manifold: a modernized architecture, significant time and cost savings, bolstered security, and enhanced agility. For instance, the Department of Health and Human Services adopts a case-by-case strategy, identifying applications that might benefit from refactoring.
Lift-and-Shift: Sometimes, especially for less complex applications, it’s more pragmatic to directly move on-premise applications to the cloud without major changes. David Pipes from Affigent suggests that agencies should be well-versed with cloud licensing policies, be prepared for the rapid pace of cloud operations, and conduct a rigorous review of system architectures before opting for this approach.
Growing Trust in Cloud Solutions:
The federal sector’s trust in cloud solutions has seen a remarkable surge. A testament to this growing confidence is that 79% of federal IT managers in 2016 were comfortable with cloud providers, up from 44% in 2014.
Real-world Applications:
Real-world examples, like the one from the Department of Veterans Affairs, underscore the importance of a structured approach. Their strategy emphasizes analyzing current systems, deconstructing IT systems, and then methodically migrating data and applications to the cloud.
