Key Cloud Migration Steps That You Need to Follow | Daystar

The steps for a cloud migration can vary depending on the cloud strategy you use, what you are migrating to the cloud, your existing cloud stack, and other factors. This process may also vary in intensity based on the amount of work you are doing in-house vs. how much you will outsource.

Missteps during the cloud migration process can also lead to major repercussions later. 66% of professionals say that security is their top cloud challenge. However, 68% of cloud security breaches are the result of misconfigurations, and most misconfigurations can be avoided by following the right cloud migration steps.

That’s why this article will explore which steps you should follow. We will showcase what affects the steps you should take, and how you can perform them.

Steps in Cloud Migration Planning

1. Assess Your Current Infrastructure

Take a full inventory of your existing systems, applications, and data. Document where workloads run today, their dependencies, and how they connect. Look for outdated systems that may not be worth moving and note compliance or performance requirements.

This assessment gives you a baseline. It shows you what is essential to migrate, what can be retired, and what needs adjustments before the move.

2. Define Your Business Goals

Decide what you want your cloud migration to achieve. Goals may include reducing costs, improving scalability, or increasing system reliability. Involve leadership and department heads to make sure the objectives align with business priorities.

Clear goals guide every decision in the planning process. Without them, you risk wasting resources or choosing the wrong cloud services.

3. Estimate Costs & Budget

6 in 10 organizations say that the cloud costs more than they expected, but you can avoid that surprise. Review pricing models for your potential cloud providers. Consider storage, compute, licensing, and support costs. Include expenses for consulting or outsourcing if your internal team cannot cover all steps. 

Budgeting at this stage helps you avoid surprise costs later. It also supports leadership buy-in since the financial impact will be clear before the migration begins.

4. Select a Cloud Strategy

Decide which type of migration strategy matches your business goals. Work with technical leaders and vendors to weigh the tradeoffs of each approach. A defined strategy keeps the migration structured. It prevents confusion later and helps you plan realistic timelines, budgets, and staffing.

5. Build a Migration Roadmap

Lay out a timeline of phases, including which workloads move first and which will follow. Assign responsibilities to staff or vendors and include checkpoints for testing and review. A roadmap gives the project structure and clarity. It also provides a way to measure progress and adjust if timelines shift.

6. Prepare a Communication Plan

Decide how you will keep stakeholders informed. Define who needs updates, how often you will provide them, and through which channels. Include both technical staff and business leaders. Communication planning avoids misunderstandings during the migration. It helps leadership stay confident in the process and gives staff clear expectations.

Cloud Migration Steps Based on Different Types of Cloud Migration

There are several different types of cloud migration strategies for you to choose from. They include the following.

• Rehosting – Move applications and data to the cloud with minimal changes, often called “lift and shift.”
• Refactoring – Modify or restructure applications to take advantage of cloud-native features.
• Replatforming – Make small optimizations, such as changing databases or operating systems, without a full rebuild.
• Repurchasing – Replace existing applications with cloud-based software, often through SaaS solutions.
• Retiring – Decommission applications or workloads that are no longer useful.
• Retaining – Keep certain applications on-premises if they are not suited for migration.

As mentioned earlier, the steps of your cloud migration will vary based on how you plan to move to the cloud. Here is a closer look at each one. We will not explore the steps of “retaining” as there are no cloud migration steps to take.

Rehosting

Refactoring

Replatforming

Repurchasing

Retiring

Steps For an Application Migration to The Cloud

Migrating applications to the cloud requires a different level of detail compared to planning infrastructure moves. Applications often have complex dependencies, licensing requirements, and user demands that must be addressed directly. 

Each step must consider not only how the application runs in the cloud, but also how it integrates with other systems and how end users will access it after migration. Here are the steps.

1. Review Application Architecture

Examine how the application is built, including databases, integrations, and custom code. Identify which parts can move as-is and which may require changes to work in the cloud. This step matters because an application that runs smoothly on-premises may face performance or compatibility issues if those design details are overlooked.

2. Map Dependencies

Identify all services, APIs, and background processes the application relies on. Document whether these dependencies will also move to the cloud or remain on-premises. Clear mapping avoids broken workflows. If a dependent service is left behind without planning, the application may fail to function properly.

3. Validate Licensing

Check the licensing agreements tied to the application and any third-party software it uses. Confirm whether licenses transfer to the cloud or if new agreements are needed. This reduces the risk of unexpected costs or compliance violations. Some licenses allow cloud use without changes, while others require specific vendor approvals.

4. Optimize For Cloud Resources

Determine if the application needs adjustments to scale effectively in the cloud. This may include changing storage types, adjusting load balancing, or setting auto-scaling policies. Optimizing in advance ensures the application performs as expected under varying workloads, rather than requiring fixes after it is live.

5. Plan Data Migration

Review the type and size of data the application uses. Choose transfer methods such as bulk uploads, replication tools, or staged transfers based on volume and sensitivity. Data migration planning is critical to maintaining accuracy. Poorly handled transfers can result in corruption, incomplete data, or performance bottlenecks.

6. Prepare a Rollback Plan

Document a fallback process in case the migration causes service interruptions. This should include steps to revert to the original environment without data loss. Having a rollback plan protects business operations. It assures that even if the migration encounters issues, continuity can be maintained.

Cloud Migration Steps For Cloud-to-Cloud Migrations

Unlike first-time migrations, you must account for differences in service offerings, pricing models, and platform-specific tools. Many workloads will need reconfiguration to match the target environment, and licensing or compliance considerations may differ. Here are the steps.

1. Compare Services 

Review the features offered by both your current provider and your new provider. Document how services like storage, networking, and managed databases differ. This comparison helps you identify which services can transfer directly and which require adjustments to avoid service gaps.

2. Map Differences

List the technical differences between the two environments, such as operating systems, virtualization layers, or container platforms. Create compatibility plans where gaps exist. Mapping these details reduces migration failures caused by assuming both providers operate in the same way.

3. Review Contractual Obligations

Check your existing provider agreements, including terms of service and early termination clauses. Review licensing with the new provider to confirm compatibility. This step prevents financial penalties or compliance issues during the transition. It also helps you align contracts with the timing of your migration.

4. Validate Application Configurations

Check application settings and dependencies against the target cloud. Adjust configurations to match resource types, storage classes, or network setups unique to the new platform. This prevents performance issues or failures that occur when applications expect configurations only supported by the old provider.

5. Plan Data Transfers

Estimate the size of the data that must move and the available bandwidth between providers. Use dedicated migration tools or direct transfer services when possible. Planning data transfers in detail avoids delays and ensures sensitive information moves securely between environments.

6. Run Parallel Testing

Run applications in both environments to test performance and connectivity. Validate data accuracy and service availability during this period. Parallel testing provides a safety net that allows you to catch and fix issues before fully decommissioning the old environment.

Get Professional Assistance With Your Cloud Migration Process

Following all of these steps can be difficult when you don’t have enough resources to manage it all. In those cases, outsourcing cloud computing professionals may be your best option.

You can find those professionals at Daystar. Our team has over 81 years of technology experience, and we can use what we’ve learned to guide your transition to the cloud (or in between clouds) with ease. 

Reach out today to find out how!