A successful cloud migration is a sequence of small, tested steps. Use this checklist to plan assessment, migration, security and cost control.
Step 1: Assess your current environment
List every application, database, dependency and integration. Record performance, security posture, owners and business criticality. This inventory decides what moves first and what should be retired.
Step 2: Choose a migration strategy
Common approaches are rehost (lift and shift), replatform (small optimisations), refactor (redesign for cloud) and retire. Older systems may need modernisation first—see modernize or rebuild legacy software.
Step 3: Select the platform and landing zone
Pick AWS, Azure or both based on skills, compliance and services. Set up accounts, networking, identity and access, and logging before moving workloads. Our cloud solutions team delivers on both platforms.
Step 4: Plan security and compliance
- Least-privilege access and multi-factor authentication
- Encryption in transit and at rest
- Backups and disaster-recovery testing
- Audit logging and monitoring
Step 5: Migrate in phases
Start with a low-risk application, validate, then proceed. Migrate data in stages and run old and new environments in parallel until results match.
Step 6: Test and cut over
Test performance, integrations and failure scenarios. Rehearse cutover, agree a rollback plan and communicate the window to users.
Step 7: Optimise cost and operations
Set budgets and alerts, right-size resources, use reserved capacity where steady and review monthly. Then keep systems healthy with application maintenance and support.
Planning your budget
Migration effort depends on application count and complexity; see the general principles in custom software development cost. Cloud also enables new capabilities such as AI integration.
Cost control from the first day
Tag resources by project and owner, set budget alerts and review spending weekly in the first months. Right-size servers after observing real usage and shut down non-production environments outside working hours. Without these habits, cloud bills often exceed on-premises costs.
Disaster recovery and backups
Define how much data you can afford to lose and how long you can be offline, then design backups and failover to meet those targets. Test restores regularly; a backup that has never been restored is only a hope.
Skills and operations after migration
Cloud changes operations. Decide who monitors systems, applies updates and responds to incidents. Many companies choose a managed support partner to cover these tasks while internal teams focus on product work.
Get a migration assessment
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Key takeaways
Frequently asked questions
How long does a cloud migration take?+
Simple applications can move in weeks; complex estates take several months. Phased migration reduces risk.
Should I choose AWS or Azure?+
Choose based on your existing tools, team skills, compliance needs and the services you require. Microsoft-centred organisations often favour Azure; AWS has the broadest service range.
How do I avoid downtime during migration?+
Rehearse the cutover, migrate data in stages, keep a rollback plan and switch traffic gradually.
Turn the next decision into forward progress.
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