Refactoring

Refactoring is a cloud migration strategy that involves moving applications to the cloud while re-architecting them to better fit the new environment. This process requires modifying an application's existing code base to take full advantage of cloud-native features, flexibility, and elasticity.

This approach is more complex than other migration methods because it involves significant code changes that must be tested carefully to prevent issues. Refactoring often means breaking down large, monolithic applications into smaller, independent components called microservices. This structure improves availability, allows for greater automation, and leads to better resource use in the cloud.

While refactoring demands a considerable investment of time and resources upfront, it is widely seen as the most future-proof migration strategy, offering the highest long-term return on investment.

Adopting a refactoring strategy provides several key benefits for applications moved to the cloud.

• Long-term cost savings: Refactoring allows you to align your application's resource needs with your cloud infrastructure. The ability to scale resources up or down as needed reduces consumption and delivers a lasting return on your refactoring efforts.
• Adaptability: Cloud-native and microservices architectures enable applications to evolve quickly. You can add new features or modify functionality using tools like serverless computing, autoscaling, and distributed load balancing to meet changing customer requirements.
• Increased resilience: By decoupling application components and integrating them with managed solutions designed for high availability, the application inherits the durability and reliability of the cloud platform.

Despite its long-term benefits, refactoring presents several challenges that organizations must consider.

• Vendor lock-in: The more an application uses a provider's cloud-native features, the more tightly coupled it becomes to that specific public cloud. This can make it difficult and costly to switch to a different provider later.
• Time commitment: Refactoring is a resource-intensive process that is far more complex than a simpler "lift-and-shift" migration. As a result, projects take much longer to deliver business value.
• Skill requirements: This strategy is not for beginners. A successful refactoring project requires a team with advanced skills in coding, automation, and DevOps practices.
• Risk of errors: Because refactoring involves changing many aspects of an application, there is a high risk of introducing errors at the code, configuration, or infrastructure level. Any mistake can lead to project delays, increased costs, and potential service outages.

Selecting the right cloud storage for each application component is essential to achieving the performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness you expect from refactoring. When evaluating storage options, consider the following factors:

• Storage type: Determine the best storage for your application's needs. Whether you need file, block, or object storage depends on your requirements for performance, capacity, or a balance of both.
• Scalability: Your storage solution must be able to scale seamlessly to accommodate data growth and traffic peaks without affecting performance.
• Data tiering: Not all data requires the same level of access. Look for storage that automatically moves frequently used data to high-performance tiers and less-used data to lower-cost tiers to optimize savings.
• Data mobility: Your data should be able to move safely and efficiently wherever it's needed. A storage solution that provides fast and secure data copying can simplify moves between clouds or from on-premises to the cloud, reducing complexity and risk.
• Data protection: Protecting your cloud data and applications starts with storage. Seek out solutions with snapshot and replication features. Incremental snapshots offer faster, more complete backups without consuming significant storage space.
• Data security: Your cloud storage should provide robust security features, including encryption for data at rest and in transit, access controls, and automatic ransomware protection. Using indelible backups and ensuring near-instant recovery capabilities helps fortify your defenses against data loss and downtime.

An effective cloud migration strategy provides a clear roadmap for a smooth transition. It helps you optimize for the operational efficiencies of cloud platforms while meeting the specific requirements of each application and dataset.

Why a Cloud Migration Strategy Is Important

Without a well-defined migration strategy, organizations face several risks:

• Higher costs: A clear strategy includes key performance indicators (KPIs) to help you track spending and savings. Without this, it’s difficult to control costs as you adopt new cloud services and application usage grows.
• Vendor lock-in: Cloud migrations are lengthy and expensive. If you begin using cloud services without a plan, you may find it difficult to switch providers if your initial choice no longer fits your needs.
• Security and compliance gaps: While cloud providers secure the infrastructure, you are responsible for securing your data and applications. Moving large volumes of data and configuring access controls across different environments can create significant security exposure.

The Seven Cloud Migration Strategies (The 7 R's)

There are seven common cloud migration strategies that provide a framework for moving applications and data to the cloud. Different applications may require different strategies.

Moving your IT infrastructure, applications, and data to the cloud typically involves five phases. Understanding these stages is critical for a successful migration.

1. Prepare: Evaluate your current IT landscape to determine the feasibility, costs, and benefits of migrating. This includes identifying risks, analyzing dependencies, and selecting a migration strategy.
2. Plan: Develop a detailed migration roadmap. Define your goals, select a cloud service provider, and identify the necessary resources and tools.
3. Migrate: Execute the transfer of your infrastructure, applications, and data to the cloud. This involves deploying cloud resources, moving data, and testing applications.
4. Operate: Manage and maintain your new cloud environment. This includes monitoring performance, updating resources, and addressing security concerns.
5. Optimize: Continuously monitor performance, fine-tune resources, and implement cost-saving measures to maximize the benefits of your cloud environment.