Strategies For Smooth Cloud Migration

**My AWS Cloud Migration Project 🚀☁️ Simple & Secure Hybrid Design!** Ever wondered how to move a company from its own computers to the cloud safely and smoothly? 🤔 I'm sharing the plan I made for moving a dating app ("Lovely") to AWS, connecting it with their existing setup! It was my final project for the AWS Cloud Architect course at School of Hi-Tech and Cyber Security Bar-Ilan University. Here’s a peek at the main ideas: ✅ **Easy & Secure Logins:** Made it simple for users to log in safely using their existing work accounts (Azure AD) with extra security checks (MFA). Set up separate AWS areas for different teams like R&D, IT, and DevOps. ✅ **Watching the Money:** Kept track of spending with automatic alerts (AWS Budgets & CloudWatch) to avoid surprises. Managed all billing from one central spot (AWS Organizations & Control Tower). ✅ **Connecting Old & New:** Safely linked the company's offices to AWS using a secure connection (Site-to-Site VPN). Made sure some computers could reach the internet without being directly exposed (NAT gateways). ✅ **Keeping the App Running Smoothly:** Moved their WordPress website to flexible AWS computers (EC2), databases (RDS), and storage (EFS). Ensured the site stays up even if parts fail (Multi-AZ, Auto Scaling, ALB) and kept user data safe (HTTPS, KMS). ✅ **Smart & Safe Storage:** Used AWS S3 like digital filing cabinets, giving each team their own secure folder. Protected all files with secret codes (KMS) and set rules to save money and make backup copies elsewhere automatically. ✅ **Top-Notch Security:** Limited access to only approved locations (IP restrictions), used unique keys for computers (EC2 Key Pairs), and stored passwords securely (Secrets Manager). Ensured all data was scrambled (encrypted) when stored or sent. ✅ **Automation Power:** Created little helpers (Lambda & EventBridge) to automatically turn off unused computers, saving money. Kept a close eye on everything with monitoring tools (CloudWatch). ✅ **Ready for Anything:** Prepared a backup website in a different location just in case (Disaster Recovery). Automatically copied important data to another region (S3 Replication) for extra safety. **Tools / Tech Used** 💻🛠️ ☁️ AWS: EC2, RDS, EFS, S3, KMS, IAM, Organizations, Control Tower, Budgets, CloudWatch, Lambda, EventBridge, VPC, VPN, NAT Gateway, ALB, Route 53, Secrets Manager 🔑 Identity: Azure AD, SAML, MFA 🔒 Security: Fortinet 💻 Other: VMware, WordPress What do you think of this setup? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 👇 Follow me for more cloud project insights! #AWS #CloudArchitecture #HybridCloud #SolutionArchitect #CloudSecurity #CloudMigration #DevOps #CyberSecurity #Project #Learning ---

We mapped 30 SAP systems for migration. Only 12 could run in parallel. The rest? Tightly coupled jobs, shared DBs, legacy constraints. Here’s how we mapped the migration like a train schedule — and avoided disaster. Colgate-Palmolive asked us to modernize a massive SAP landscape. The kind where every product SKU - toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss - ran through SAP. 30 systems in scope. Each one with its own quirks, dependencies, and business impact. From the outside, they looked independent. But once we started digging, we realized: Only 12 could be migrated in parallel. Why? - Legacy shared databases - Hard-coded dependencies - Long-running jobs no one had touched in 8 years Here’s how we made sure the migration didn’t break the business: 1. Inventory by behavior, not just system names We scanned usage patterns, job schedules, and data dependencies — not just what was installed. 2. Prioritize critical path systems What needs to go first? What’s holding everything else back? We didn’t let size dictate priority — function did. 3. Flag parallel blockers early If two systems share a DB or a background process, they don’t run in parallel — they collide. 4. Build the migration map like a rail schedule Every move had a window. Every dependency was a stoplight. And every go-live had a contingency. 5. Run dry simulations until we broke something Because you don’t want surprises at 2am on cutover night. That assessment saved the migration. More importantly, it protected the business. Because in SAP, missing a single system dependency isn’t a small mistake - it’s the kind of failure that stops trucks and breaks SLAs. If you’re planning a cloud migration and relying on basic discovery tools, ask yourself: Have you mapped the rail system, or just the station names? DM me if you want to see what a real orchestration map looks like.

7 Cloud Migration Strategies Every Cloud Engineer Should Know (with scenario questions for interviews) Cloud migration can originate from on-premises infrastructure or from another cloud provider. And it goes beyond just moving data. It's about strategically deciding the best approach for each application and workload. The goal is to optimize performance, cost, and long-term viability in the cloud. Here’s a simple breakdown of the key strategies you should focus on: 1/ Retain (Revisit later) ↳ Keep workloads on-prem if they aren’t cloud-ready or are still needed locally. Scenario : You have a critical legacy application with custom hardware dependencies. How would you initially approach its cloud migration? 2/ Retire (Decommission) ↳ Eliminate outdated or unused parts to reduce cost and simplify the system. Scenario : During an assessment, you identify an old reporting tool used by only a few employees once a month. What's your recommendation? 3/ Repurchase (Drop & Shop) ↳ Replace legacy apps with SaaS alternatives, a fast and cost-effective solution. Scenario : Your company's on-premise CRM system (example) is outdated and costly to maintain. What quick cloud solution might you consider? 4/ Rehost (Lift & Shift) ↳ Move your application to the cloud as-is, with no code changes needed. Scenario : A non-critical internal application needs to move to the cloud quickly with minimal disruption. What strategy would you prioritize? 5/ Replatform (Lift, Tinker & Shift) ↳ Make light optimizations before migration, for better performance with minimal effort. Scenario : You're migrating a web application, and a small change to its database will significantly improve cloud performance. What strategy does this align with? 6/ Relocate (Many Providers) ↳ Change the hosting provider without modifying the app, a quick and simple approach. Scenario : Your current cloud provider is increasing prices significantly for a specific set of VMs. How might you address this without rewriting applications? 7/ Refactor (Re-architect) ↳ Redesign your application for cloud-native capabilities, making it scalable and future-ready. Scenario : A monolithic, highly scalable customer-facing application is experiencing performance bottlenecks on-prem. What long-term cloud strategy would you propose?. Beyond these strategies themselves, successful cloud migration also focuses on: - thorough assessment, - understanding dependencies, - meticulous planning, - and continuous optimization Just remember: successful migration isn't just about the tools, but the approach. Very important to understands the "why" behind each strategy — not just the "how." Dropping a newsletter this Thursday with detailed scenario based questions (and example answers) for each of these patterns — subscribe now to get it -> https://lnkd.in/dBNJPv9U • • • If you found this useful.. 🔔 Follow me (Vishakha) for more Cloud & DevOps insights ♻️ Share so others can learn as well

I've ensured 100+ AWS migration projects succeed. Found key reasons why migrations could fail. (This is how we solved it, and you can too) 1. Ever-changing migration plans Constantly changing your migration plan, like 'Lift and Shift', 'Re-platforming', 'Re-hosting' etc., is a red flag. This inconsistency can lead to unforeseen dependencies and legacy system issues. To mitigate this, conduct thorough application dependency mapping and discovery before planning migration phases. 2. Inconsistent migration methods In a multi-tier web application migration project, using different methods like 'Re-hosting', 'Re-platforming', and 'Refactoring' for different applications will prove inefficient. It can lead you to integration issues and performance bottlenecks. Avoid it by proper standardization, defining clear target architectures, and grouping similar applications together. 3. Ineffective escalation process In a large data warehouse migration project, you can face issues with data consistency and integrity. These technical issues need to be promptly escalated to the right team for quick resolution. As a solution, establish a strict governance structure and communication plan to ensure blockers reach the right teams promptly. 4. Late emerging migration issues While doing CRM system migration, unforeseen data migration complexities can surface late, causing delays and significant rework. To address this, implement mechanisms like early design processes, tools, and escalation paths to identify issues sooner and maintain project momentum. 5. Lack of stakeholder alignment This can usually be faced while undergoing an ERP system migration. Stakeholder buy-in can prove to be critical. Without alignment, miscommunication between the migration team and business stakeholders can lead to roadblocks. Ensure alignment early by highlighting how AWS benefits specific objectives, fostering strong support throughout the migration process. Just remember that the future is unpredictable. But if planned well, then things are manageable! In the same way, Murat Yanar, Director at Amazon Web Services (AWS), once said, “You may not be able to predict the future needs of your business precisely. But the AWS cloud provides services to meet these ever-changing demands and help you innovate flexibly and securely.” Curious to know: What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to AWS migration? #aws #database #scalability #softwareengineering #simform

🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝟰𝟬+ 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (And why planning for failure saved the entire project.) Have you ever led a project where a single outage could bring everything to a halt? Where shipping, invoicing, and customer portals were all riding on fragile legacy systems? This edition of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗠 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 breaks down how we migrated core systems to the cloud without causing chaos. With 600 employees and a live production environment, we didn’t have the luxury of “figuring it out later.” 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁: ➝ A 90-day timeline with zero margin for error ➝ Legacy systems with undocumented dependencies ➝ Vendors, data risks, and real-time operations under pressure 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸: ✅ Created a living risk register with 40+ tracked scenarios ✅ Simulated outages with a Red Team before go-live ✅ Designed rollback paths for every migration step 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻: → How to make risk planning the core of your migration strategy → Why real-time simulations beat assumptions every time → How to coordinate vendors around failure planning → How to deliver under pressure without losing control 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 🧠 The risk categories you need to track during cloud migrations 📊 How we resolved live issues in under 2 hours 🚀 Lessons you can apply to any system transition under pressure If you’ve ever lost sleep over infrastructure risks, this one’s for you. 👉 READ THE FULL ARTICLE NOW and drop a comment: What’s the smartest move you’ve made to manage infrastructure risk? 2 Disgruntled PMs Podcast