Laying the Groundwork: Why Successful Cloud Migrations Depend on Strategic Preparation
Once you’ve evaluated your organization’s IT environment in the initial AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) assessment phase, it’s time to mobilize. This second step provides a structured approach to gauge readiness and prepare for the actual migration. If we think of cloud migration as a journey, this is where we chart the course.
Many customers focus almost entirely on the physical migration of servers to the cloud, shortchanging the time spent on migration preparation. It is not uncommon for customers to seek guidance once they realize that they didn’t spend adequate time planning the AWS environment and operational processes. The pivotal mobilize stage is all about gearing up for success: rallying resources, defining resilience and security requirements, and assembling a talented team to make the transition smooth and secure. During the mobilize phase, you will assess your organization’s readiness, address any skill gaps, and put in place robust processes to create a solid foundation that minimizes future setbacks and ensures you get the best return on your investment.
What’s in a Blueprint?
The mobilize phase focuses on building a blueprint: your secret weapon for a successful cloud deployment. Your blueprint will involve setting up a secure “landing zone” on AWS, developing migration plans, and establishing the necessary tools and governance frameworks for a smooth transition.
To stay on track, AWS suggests organizing the mobilize phase into several workstreams:
- Detailed Business Case
- Detailed Portfolio Discovery
- Application Migration
- Migration Governance
- Landing Zone
- Security, Risk, and Compliance
- Operations
- People: Skills, Culture, Change, and Leadership
While breaking down the migration plan into these workstreams helps make the process manageable, we have to be honest: each is a substantial undertaking. Many of these workstreams run in parallel, adding complexity and requiring specialized expertise to stay organized. That’s why having a trusted partner like JetSweep can make all the difference. We’ll give you the support you need every step of the way.
The blueprint is not just about the tech. It’s also indispensable for team preparation and includes training in AWS best practices, identifying key roles, and assigning responsibilities. We understand that all this preparation can feel overwhelming. Rest assured, our team has done this many times before and can help you tackle any issues or skills gaps we come across to make sure everyone feels prepared and confident for the move.
Key Considerations for Proactive Security, Operations, and Governance
During the mobilize phase, numerous considerations regarding accountability come into play, including:
Security Posture
How should your organization define security ownership to ensure a proactive stance against evolving threats? How will you continually assess and monitor your security posture?
Security is paramount when your company is on the cloud, requiring round-the-clock dedication. JetSweep can help you establish clear ownership of security monitoring, ensuring responsibilities are well-defined and effectively managed. Every team member will know the important part they play in safeguarding your organization’s cloud environment.
Operations
Who is accountable for monitoring and maintaining the health of your cloud environment around the clock?
We can assist you with setting up clear roles and responsibilities to keep your cloud services running smoothly and reliably. Our team will work alongside you to define who’s in charge of monitoring system health and managing any incidents that might arise, making sure your organization is always ready for anything.
Disaster Recovery
Is your disaster recovery and resilience strategy robust enough to maintain business continuity in the face of unexpected events?
Disaster recovery in the cloud is shifting from an afterthought to a crucial part of planning. Rather than scrambling to react after an incident, companies are building resilience in their cloud environments from the start. We’ve built a strong partnership with the AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) team and honed our Disaster Recovery Cloud Services to help cut through the chaos when the unexpected happens. With our support, you can count on fast, reliable recovery of applications and databases with minimal data loss and downtime.
Governance
Does your organization have the right governance tools to enforce policies, implement cost optimization strategies, and maintain control as your business scales?
Governance is critical to maintaining control in cloud environments. We’ll help you simplify the implementation of robust security and governance processes and automatically enforce compliance with company standards as new resources are provisioned.
Let JetSweep Chart Your Course to the Cloud
Transitioning to AWS can seem like a complex journey fraught with risk, but you don’t have to go it alone. We understand the nuances between on-prem and cloud infrastructures and are here to guide you through the entire process. As your partner, we’ll work with you to create a personalized approach that makes your transition to the cloud faster and smoother, setting up your organization for long-term success.
The final blog post in our AWS MAP series will cover the third (and last) phase: migrate and modernize. Meanwhile, if you’re ready to mobilize, reach out.