How to migrate on-premises applications to AWS
Migrating on-premises applications to Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a transformative step that can enhance scalability, reduce costs, and improve the operational efficiency of your business. But, it’s not as simple as flicking a switch: successful migration requires careful planning and execution to ensure a smooth transition.
This article will guide you through the essential steps of migrating your on-premises applications to AWS, and show you some tips, tools and best practices to help you achieve a successful migration.
Step 1: Assess and plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Start your migration process by thoroughly assessing your current on-prem environment to understand application dependencies, network requirements, and data governance needs.
From here, you can develop a detailed migration plan that includes:
- Choosing the right migration strategy (6 R’s: Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retain, and Retire)
- Setting clear goals and KPIs
- Identifying skills gaps and training needs for your team
Extra tip: Tools like AWS Migration Hub provide a central location to track the progress of migrations across multiple AWS and partner solutions
Step 2: Design the cloud environment
The next step is to design a cloud architecture that aligns with your business needs and compliance requirements. Use AWS services such as Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for isolated network space, and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for secure access control. Consider multi-region deployment for higher availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
Step 3: Migrate your data
Data migration is a critical component that requires a solid strategy in order to reduce downtime, and avoid and data loss:
- Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate databases with minimal downtime
- Employ AWS DataSync for moving large volumes of data over the internet
- Ensure data integrity and security during the transfer process
Step 4: Move Applications
Depending on how your applications are set up, you will need to choose the appropriate migration method for each one. You could be looking at:
- Rehosting (Lift-and-shift): Quickly move applications to AWS without changes
- Replatforming: Make minimal changes to optimize applications for the cloud
- Refactoring: Completely redesign applications to be cloud-native.
Extra tip: Look into AWS tools like AWS Application Migration Service for seamless application transfers.
Step 5: Optimise
Once your applications are running on AWS, optimise their performance and cost by using AWS Cost Management tools to monitor and control spending.
Using the right tools, you can implement auto scaling to dynamically adjust resources based on demand, or use serverless options like AWS Lambda to reduce operational overhead.
Step 6: Validate and Go Live
Thoroughly test the migrated applications to ensure they perform as you expect them to, in the AWS environment. Validate security, performance, and compliance against your initial objectives. After you’ve successfully validated your new environment, plan a go-live date.
Ensure that you have rollback plans in case of unexpected issues. Then, you can gradually ramp up traffic to the new system as per your pre-planned strategy.
Bespoke is here to help you lean in to cloud
Successfully migrating to AWS not only involves using the right tools but also ensuring your team is well-prepared to handle the new environment.
Bespoke Training offers tailored AWS training programs delivered by certified experts to help your team master AWS technologies and best practices. From understanding the core AWS services to advanced architecture training, we ensure your migration is supported by knowledgeable and skilled professionals.
Ready to get started?
Ready to start your migration journey or need more guidance? Get in touch today to discover how our flexible courses can empower your team to deliver a smooth and effective migration to AWS.
