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Cloud Migration Strategies: AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure  

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Cloud Migration Strategies

What is Cloud Migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving your data, apps, and other assets related to business from your organization’s on-premises infrastructure to a cloud-based digital environment. There are many advantages to this transition or migration, which include lowered expenses, improved scalability, and better security.

There are several steps involved in the migration strategy, and commonly the main stages are :

  • Evaluating your current infrastructure
  • Planning the migration process
  • Selecting the most suitable cloud migration service provider
  • Carrying out the migration

For seamless migration of data and applications, the most preferred tools are AWS Migration Hub, Azure Migrate, and Google’s Migrate for Compute Engine. Since Azure, AWS, and Google are also the top 3 cloud solutions providers and by far the biggest names in the cloud services market, it is no surprise that the related migration tools of these platforms provide complete and the most in-depth solutions to facilitate a smooth migration process. 

7 Cloud Migration Strategies :

Cloud migration strategies are methods used to transition an organization’s digital assets, services, databases, IT resources, and applications to the cloud. Here are seven common cloud migration strategies, often referred to as the “7 R’s of cloud migration”:

  1. Rehosting (Lift-and-Shift):
    • This strategy involves moving applications from the current environment to the cloud with minimal or no changes. It’s akin to “lifting” an application from the existing environment and “shifting” it to the cloud. This is often the quickest and least disruptive method, suitable for organizations looking to move quickly to the cloud.
    • Pros: Speed of migration, minimal changes required.
    • Cons: May not fully leverage cloud-native benefits such as scalability and cost optimization.
  1. Replatforming (Lift-Tinker-and-Shift):
    • Replatforming involves making a few cloud optimizations to achieve tangible benefits without changing the core architecture of applications. This could include switching to managed databases or other cloud services.
    • Pros: Improved performance and scalability, more efficient use of cloud services.
    • Cons: Requires some modifications and testing.
  1. Repurchasing (Drop-and-Shop):
    • This strategy involves moving to a different product, typically a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform, which means abandoning the existing application in favor of a new one that meets the needs.
    • Pros: Access to cutting-edge cloud-native features, reduced management overhead.
    • Cons: Potential for significant changes in workflows and processes, possible data migration challenges.
  1. Refactoring (Re-architecting):
    • Refactoring involves reimagining how the application is architected and developed, typically using cloud-native features and services. This can mean breaking down monolithic applications into microservices or adopting serverless architectures.
    • Pros: Full utilization of cloud capabilities, improved agility, and scalability.
    • Cons: High cost and complexity, longer migration timeline.
  1. Retiring:
    • This strategy involves identifying and turning off applications that are no longer needed. This often comes as a result of a thorough assessment of the IT portfolio.
    • Pros: Reduced costs and complexity, focus on core applications.
    • Cons: Requires careful analysis to ensure no critical systems are decommissioned.
  1. Retaining (Revisit):
    • Some applications may need to be retained in their current environment (on-premises) for various reasons, such as latency requirements, regulatory compliance, or the need for a gradual migration.
    • Pros: Avoids disruption of critical applications, maintains compliance and performance.
    • Cons: Misses out on cloud benefits, ongoing maintenance of on-premises infrastructure.
  1. Relocating:
    • Relocating is moving an entire application from on-premises data centers to the cloud, typically using containers or virtual machines. This strategy is somewhat of a middle ground between rehosting and replatforming.
    • Pros: Utilizes cloud infrastructure without extensive changes, potentially easier than refactoring.
    • Cons: May require adjustments for optimal cloud performance.

What’s the Difference Between AWS vs. Azure vs. Google Cloud?

AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are the three leading cloud service providers, each offering a range of services and features. Here’s a detailed comparison of these platforms:

1. Market Share and Popularity:

  • AWS: The first major cloud service provider, AWS holds the largest market share. It is known for its extensive service offerings and maturity in the market​
  • Azure: Microsoft’s Azure is the second-largest provider and is popular among enterprises, especially those already using Microsoft products​
  • Google Cloud: GCP is the third-largest provider, gaining traction with its strengths in data analytics, machine learning, and container orchestration​

2. Service Offerings:

  • AWS:
    • Compute: EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) offers a wide variety of instance types.
    • Storage: S3 (Simple Storage Service) for scalable object storage.
    • Database: Offers RDS (Relational Database Service) and DynamoDB (NoSQL).
    • AI/ML: Amazon Sage Maker, a comprehensive machine learning service.
    • Unique Services: AWS Lambda (server less computing), extensive IoT services​ (Oracle)​.
  • Azure:
    • Compute: Virtual Machines with a wide array of configurations.
    • Storage: Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data.
    • Database: Azure SQL Database and Cosmos DB for global distribution.
    • AI/ML: Azure Machine Learning for building and deploying models.
    • Integration: Strong integration with Microsoft services (e.g., Office 365, Active Directory)​
  • Google Cloud:
    • Compute: Google Compute Engine for VM instances.
    • Storage: Google Cloud Storage for various storage needs.
    • Database: Cloud SQL (managed SQL databases) and Bigtable (NoSQL).
    • AI/ML: Tensor Flow, AutoML, and AI Hub for advanced AI capabilities.
    • Unique Services: BigQuery for data warehousing, Kubernetes Engine for container management​

3. Pricing Models:

  • AWS: Pay-as-you-go pricing, offers Reserved Instances for long-term commitments, and Savings Plans for compute usage.
  • Azure: Also has a pay-as-you-go model, Reserved VM Instances, and offers hybrid benefits for enterprises using on-premises Microsoft software.
  • Google Cloud: Competitive pricing with sustained use discounts, committed use contracts, and innovative billing models like per-second billing for some services​ .

4. Global Reach:

  • AWS: The most extensive global network with the highest number of data centers and availability zones spread across numerous regions worldwide​
  • Azure: Strong global presence with data centers in more regions than AWS, making it highly attractive for multinational corporations​
  • Google Cloud: Rapidly expanding global infrastructure, though with fewer regions compared to AWS and Azure​

5. User Experience and Support:

  • AWS: Comprehensive documentation and a vast community. Offers various support plans, from basic to enterprise.
  • Azure: Seamless integration with other Microsoft products, extensive enterprise support, and a robust documentation system.
  • Google Cloud: Known for its user-friendly interface and developer-friendly tools. Provides extensive support and documentation, focusing on open-source technologies​

6. Key Strengths and Weaknesses:

  • AWS:
    • Strengths: Market leader, broadest range of services, extensive partner network.
    • Weaknesses: Can be complex to navigate due to the vast number of services
  • Azure:
    • Strengths: Excellent integration with Microsoft ecosystem, strong enterprise support, extensive hybrid cloud capabilities.
    • Weaknesses: Complex pricing structure, slightly behind AWS in some service maturity​
  • Google Cloud:
    • Strengths: Leader in data analytics and machine learning, user-friendly, strong in open-source technologies.
    • Weaknesses: Smaller market share, fewer services and global regions compared to AWS and Azure​

How to Determine the Right Cloud Platform for Your Migration ?

The most suitable cloud platform for your migration will be based on a number of factors, such as what your long-term objectives are, the present needs of your business, and the existing state of your IT infrastructure, would be among some main factors to consider. When you do a Microsoft Azure vs AWS vs Google Cloud to determine the best, there is no particular objectively right answer, rather, it is about the subjective needs of a business. AWS cloud is often chosen by organizations for its extensive service offerings and well-established ecosystem, while Azure is best for organizations that have made major investments in Microsoft technologies since Azure provides smooth integration with Microsoft’s various apps & tools and provides extensive support for hybrid environments. For data-centric apps, Google Cloud is the best option as it gives advanced analytics features and ML capabilities. Each platform has specialized capabilities, and weighing in all these aspects will help make your choice of the perfect platform for your organization easier. 

Comparing AWS and Azure services to Google Cloud

It’s crucial to take into consideration the primary offerings of AWS and Azure’s services when contrasting them with Google Cloud. To cater to diverse fields of businesses, AWS offers an extensive set of services, in the form of databases, storage options, and processing capacity. Azure is a popular option for businesses due to its strong hybrid cloud capabilities and seamless integration with various software. With its robust machine learning along with helpful data analytics tools, Google Cloud distinguishes itself from the others in the manner that it can help organizations extract meaningful insights from their collected data. The best option will rely on the particular needs of the organization and all three platforms offer something valuable

Cloud Migration Services provider – 

Synergy IT Solutions, Toronto, specializes in creating customized cloud migration strategies or plans for clients to assist their companies with seamless and efficient cloud migration. Our method involves evaluating your current IT infrastructure in-depth, choosing the ideal cloud platform for your needs accordingly, and carrying out a smooth migration process. To ensure a successful transition, we leverage specialized solutions like Google Cloud’s Migrate for Compute Engine, Azure Migrate, and AWS Migration Hub. Our cloud computing experts make sure that your cloud migration is done successfully, and effectively in line with your company’s goals. 

Migrating to Cloud to Futureproof Your Business –

To sum up, migrating to the cloud is an essential first move towards upgrading your IT infrastructure for the future and driving corporate expansion. By making a in-depth GCP vs AWS vs Azure evaluation and understanding each of them after this cloud computing provider comparison, business organizations can make well-informed decisions to choose the right platform that supports their strategic goals. Synergy-IT offers all-inclusive cloud migration services to ensure a secure and seamless transition of your IT infrastructure to the cloud and prepare you to reap the benefits that come with it, such as maximizing your ROI, preventing downtime, and achieving your business objectives with the scalability of Cloud Solutions. Our knowledgeable staff is there to assist you at every stage of the migration process, regardless of whether you chose AWS, Azure, or Google as your Cloud Platform Solution. 

FAQ :

Q1: What are the 7 migration strategies for AWS? 

  • The “7 Rs,” or the seven migration strategies of AWS are Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retire, Retain, and Relocate. These strategies help companies make their decision in choosing the most effective approach to migrate their workloads and applications to the Amazon Web Service or AWS cloud. 

Q2: What is the difference between relocate and rehost? 

  • Rehosting is the process of migrating applications to the cloud with little to no changes. On the other hand, “relocation” usually involves the transfer of entire data centers or large-scale apps to the cloud while maintaining some on-premises components. 

Q3: What is Azure Lift and Shift? 

  • “Azure Lift and Shift” is a migration strategy in which an application may be moved to the Azure cloud with little to no changes to the current architecture. With this strategy, organizations may profit from cloud computing much quicker and can avoid the need to do a lot of reconfiguration. 

Q4: What are the 4 R’s of cloud migration? 

  • The 4 Rs of Cloud Migration are Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, and Rebuild. These strategies help businesses decide what would be the best method based on their requirements, to shift their workloads and applications to the cloud. 

 

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