In today’s fast-evolving technological landscape, cloud migration is no longer a luxury - it’s a strategic necessity. But as many UK-based businesses and organisations know, migrating to the cloud isn't just about moving data from one location to another; it's a highly nuanced process that requires meticulous planning, execution, collaboration, and expertise.
This article distils insights shared by experienced IT professionals in a recent cloud migration masterclass, providing businesses with a step-by-step understanding of how to plan, execute, and optimise cloud migrations. Whether you're a CTO, IT manager, or investor involved in the technology function, this guide offers practical advice to mitigate risks, reduce costs, and ensure scalability during the migration process.
Why Cloud Migration Is a Strategic Imperative
Cloud migration offers a dynamic opportunity for businesses to modernise their IT infrastructure, adapt to increasing market demands, and establish a competitive edge. But with great potential comes complexity.
Key challenges businesses face during migration include:
- Rising operational costs of outdated infrastructure
- Ensuring minimal disruption during system cutovers
- Maintaining security and compliance in a new environment
- Managing legacy systems and fragile applications
- Balancing cost control with scalability and innovation
The good news is, with proper planning and the right execution strategy, organisations can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and efficiency.
The Cloud Migration Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Identify Workloads and Assess Eligibility
The first step in any migration process is taking stock of your existing infrastructure. This cleaning out the garage
phase ensures only relevant workloads are migrated, avoiding unnecessary costs and effort.
- Review your inventory: Catalogue all applications, servers, and network dependencies.
- Determine if a workload needs to migrate: Does it align with your business goals? Is it worth modernising or replacing?
- Categorise workloads: Some systems, like domain controllers or legacy database servers, require special handling. For instance, domain controllers should be rebuilt, not copied, while archived data can be offloaded to cost-effective storage solutions like object storage.
- Address fragile systems: Identify outdated servers (e.g., those running Windows Server 2003) that are overdue for upgrades. Migration is also an opportunity to modernise operating systems or refresh database software.
Pro tip: Involve relevant stakeholders early, including technical experts familiar with specific systems, to avoid surprises down the line.
2. Plan Network Connectivity and Design
Connectivity is the backbone of any cloud migration. A smooth migration depends on well-thought-out network design that ensures seamless communication between remote users, applications, and cloud infrastructure.
Key considerations:
- Latency-sensitive applications: Identify applications that may not perform well over a wide-area network (WAN). For instance, legacy client-server apps may need to be replaced with more modern, cloud-friendly solutions.
- Evaluate current and future network performance: Test connections between users and the cloud to ensure bandwidth and latency are sufficient, especially for remote or hybrid workforces.
- Security upgrades: Assess whether the migration offers an opportunity to bolster security, such as integrating managed detection and response (MDR) services or upgrading firewalls.
- On-premises dependencies: Consider whether systems like DNS or DHCP will remain on-site or need equivalent cloud-based solutions.
Tip for success: Leverage private connectivity options (e.g., MPLS or SD-WAN) for improved reliability and security over public internet connections.
3. Decide on IP Addressing Strategy
The topic of internal IP addressing often sparks debate. Should you re-IP systems during migration or maintain existing addresses? The answer depends on your organisation’s unique situation.
Pros of re-IPing:
- Simplifies phased migrations, enabling workloads to move in smaller groups.
- Reduces downtime risks by isolating potential problems during validation testing.
Pros of retaining current IPs:
- Avoids disruption to applications hardcoded to specific addresses.
- Keeps existing dependencies intact, reducing the need for reconfiguration.
Recommendation: Begin with a comprehensive review of your current IP structure. If your environment lacks segmentation, you may need to re-IP certain workloads for better long-term scalability and performance.
4. Implement a Robust Data Protection Plan
Data protection is foundational to any migration. Whether you're lifting and shifting workloads or adopting entirely new platforms, the migration process introduces vulnerabilities that require careful mitigation.
Best practices for data protection:
- Leverage provider-based backup solutions: Many hosting providers offer built-in backup services tailored to their platforms, such as Commvault or Acronis. These solutions often offload the burden of data protection from your internal team.
- Retain long-term archives: Maintain access to essential historical data housed on legacy systems, ensuring compliance with retention policies.
- Plan for disaster recovery: Incorporate disaster recovery protocols into your new cloud environment to safeguard against unexpected disruptions.
5. Migrate with the Right Tools and Processes
The tools you choose to facilitate migration will depend on your destination platform and existing IT environment. Common tools include:
- Acronis: Suitable for open cloud platforms, offering seamless agent-based migrations.
- Zerto: Ideal for VMware migrations, ensuring near-zero downtime.
- Azure Migrate: A native solution for businesses transitioning to Azure.
Pro tip: Work with a cloud migration partner that offers project management support, technical expertise, and a proven methodology to ensure a smooth transition.
6. Execute the Cutover Event
The migration cutover is the culmination of months of preparation. Whether you opt for a phased approach or a big bang
cutover, meticulous planning and coordination are essential.
Phased migration:
- Benefits: Minimises risk by migrating workloads incrementally.
- Challenges: May require additional DNS updates and downtime for individual systems.
Big bang migration:
- Benefits: Ideal for small environments where downtime can be controlled.
- Challenges: Requires flawless execution to avoid prolonged outages.
Key steps for success:
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities for all team members.
- Validate applications post-migration using predefined checklists.
- Create robust failback procedures to revert to the original environment if issues arise.
Key Takeaways
- Early planning is essential: Begin by identifying workloads, assessing dependencies, and addressing potential risks.
- Focus on network readiness: Test connectivity to ensure cloud-hosted applications will perform well for both local and remote users.
- Choose the right migration strategy: Decide whether re-IPing, phased moves, or a single cutover best suits your organisation's needs.
- Leverage provider tools: Use migration and backup solutions aligned with your destination platform for better efficiency and security.
- Prioritise communication: Regular, open communication between internal teams and external providers ensures smooth project execution.
- Plan for validation and testing: Allocate time to thoroughly test systems post-migration, ensuring business continuity.
Conclusion
Cloud migration is a transformative process that, when managed strategically, can unlock significant cost savings, scalability, and innovation opportunities for UK businesses. The key to success lies in thorough preparation, collaborative planning, and leveraging the expertise of experienced partners.
By following the guidance in this article, decision-makers can navigate the complexities of migration with confidence, ensuring that their organisation is well-positioned to thrive in the cloud.
Source: Cloud Migration Masterclass – How to Plan, Execute and Optimize - Cloud Advantage Virtual Summit
- US Signal, YouTube, Aug 27, 2025 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDbo1poVKpY
Use: Embedded for reference. Brief quotes used for commentary/review.