Top cloud migration challenges and how to overcome them
Facing common cloud migration challenges is virtually inevitable for businesses moving data to the cloud. However, by implementing a sound cloud migration strategy, working with experienced cloud service providers, and facilitating necessary training for in-house teams, organizations can ensure a smooth cloud transition and continuous operational efficiency of their cloud platforms.
In this article, I will outline the most common obstacles you can encounter during the migration process, such as data safety concerns, compatibility issues, and issues with cost and performance optimization. For each challenge, I will also showcase actionable strategies on navigating it to ensure a smooth and successful cloud migration.
Challenge #1: Legacy system compatibility
According to a SnapLogic survey, in 2023, upgrading legacy tech cost the average business $2.9 million. Meanwhile, migrating existing applications to cloud environments can cause compatibility challenges, especially if your apps are dependent on legacy programming languages, technologies, and hardware (such as on-premises data centers). Compatibility issues, such as mismatched software versions and reliance on unsupported features, can impede your employees’ ability to utilize the software in place efficiently and often lead to data loss or corruption.
Furthermore, legacy software frequently lacks the flexibility required for smooth cloud migration, necessitating significant reengineering efforts. Integrating legacy applications with modern cloud systems often requires extensive reconfiguration, which complicates the cloud migration.
When moving data and apps to public and private clouds, it is essential to address the complexity of compatibility issues in your strategy. Successfully overcoming these challenges and ensuring a smooth transition entails understanding the intricacies of legacy systems in place and planning accordingly. For example, mainframe-based applications from the 1980s and 1990s may require partial rewrites or optimizations to ensure compatibility with modern cloud environments.
Challenge #2: Data migration complexities
Data migration projects need a well-crafted strategy that focuses on reaching your unique business goals and defines the metrics needed for assessing the execution of each step. Various data structures and database technologies in use will necessitate a different cloud migration process. Depending on the data volume and data quality, your project might only need rehosting or replatforming, or it may necessitate more complex refactoring or rearchitecting.
Each approach offers unique benefits and challenges, and selecting the appropriate one depends on the organization’s specific goals. Regular reviews and iterations of the selected migration approach are needed, as they ensure alignment with evolving business requirements. But considering these ahead of time is crucial in any data migration process.
Moreover, migrating data to either private cloud, public cloud, or hybrid cloud environments necessitates developing a strong access management policy that will keep the data secure while not impeding your everyday operational needs.
Challenge #3: Cloud service disruption and downtime
While all public cloud providers offer a selection of tools for cloud management and optimization, utilizing them efficiently often requires specialized knowledge and experience. Working with an experienced cloud services partner will result in a well-planned data migration strategy that leverages these tools, minimizes service disruptions throughout the process of migrating to the cloud, and ensures all deadlines are met.
Efficient planning can significantly reduce downtime during transitions, and automated disaster recovery that utilizes multiple environments at once allows businesses to run old and new systems simultaneously, ensuring business continuity. Regular monitoring and testing during initial migration steps usually lead to quickly identified issues, which further minimize interruptions.
Challenge #4: Compliance and security
According to a survey by Snyk, 80% of companies have experienced at a cloud security incident in 2022. Protecting sensitive data and maintaining customer trust requires ensuring strong cybersecurity procedures throughout the migration process, including considerations for cloud security in your new cloud environments and planning secure ways of transferring your company’s data to the cloud.
Data security should always be a paramount concern when planning a cloud migration, as potential data breaches and achieving regulatory compliance represent significant risks to organizations. Compliance with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA is vital to avoid legal issues and financial losses. These and similar regulations mandate strict control when handling sensitive data, necessitating robust security measures during and after the migration process.
The reason it’s so important is that cloud migration introduces new vulnerabilities when compared with an on-premises system. Issues inherent to shared cloud resources require carefully planned data governance, strong encryption, and defined access controls. Furthermore, continuous monitoring and regular security controls audits are necessary to ensure compliance and protect against emerging security concerns.
Challenge #5: Vendor lock-in and overreliance on a single cloud service provider
According to Statista, in 2022, 47% of respondents named avoiding cloud vendor lock-in as essential. Dependence on a single cloud provider (or cloud services provider), known as vendor lock-in, makes switching from one public cloud solution to another difficult and expensive. Moreover, dependency on a single provider limits operational flexibility and leads to an increased risk of availability problems. Addressing these concerns enhances scalability and ensures more adaptable IT operations.
In 2024, critical cloud service disruptions among major providers rose by 18%, with the duration of these outages increasing by 18.7% compared to 2023, according to Parametrix. Leveraging a multi-cloud architecture allows businesses to maintain flexibility and reduce reliance on one provider. Going for solutions that are based on open-source tools and open standards might be helpful in mitigating lock-in risks.
Challenge #6: Efficient cloud cost management
Companies migrating to the cloud often encounter high upfront costs, which may not align with initial stakeholders’ expectations. Any encountered bottlenecks can further increase cloud migration costs and complicate cloud resource management. If not closely monitored, the usage of cloud resources can also lead to unexpected cloud costs.
These issues can be proactively addressed by working with experienced service providers equipped with best-in-class monitoring and assessment tools, which can significantly improve resource allocation and prevent unnecessary expenses during migration. Such cost benefits can be easily obtained by using a selection of open-source tools for improved observability and anomaly detection.
From Maxima Consulting’s experience, enterprises can waste over 30% of their cloud spending due to inadequate assessment of applications and workloads. Efficient and continuously optimized cloud resource management is also essential to prevent cost escalations in the future.
Challenge #7: Cloud transformation, change management, and skill gaps
Addressing the human aspect of migration is a common cloud migration issue that often goes overlooked. However, effective change management practices are crucial for helping staff adapt to new cloud-based systems and processes during migration. A comprehensive change management plan should include clear communication, training, and support for staff.
A well-defined communication strategy prior to migrating to the cloud will align all stakeholders and minimize misunderstandings and conflicts. Maintaining ongoing communication throughout the migration addresses employee concerns and keeps everyone informed. Designating ’cloud champions’ can promote peer support and foster a positive attitude towards transformation.
Existing skill gaps within IT teams can significantly impede the migration project and even create new operational inefficiencies. When teams lack the necessary skills to manage cloud infrastructure, it can result in increased costs and delays.
Implementing training programs for existing staff as a part of a change management initiative can help bridge these skill gaps during cloud transformations. Allocating at least 4% of the cloud budget to skills development can significantly enhance the chances of a smoother migration that achieves the project’s goals.
Furthermore, establishing clear career paths for cloud roles is essential for retaining talent and ensuring readiness for future requirements. Strategic hiring and partnerships with third-party service providers are effective ways to fill critical skill gaps in IT teams.
Challenge #8: Cloud infrastructure performance issues
Post-migration testing and validation are essential to ensure that cloud-native features function correctly, operating systems perform efficiently, and the cloud infrastructure as a whole maintains security.
Testing should encompass a variety of scenarios to address all aspects of functionality, performance, and security. Validation checks are essential for efficient data governance and should include data integrity assessments, which are crucial for confirming accurate migration and proper system operation. Evaluating user feedback after migration helps identify any issues and areas that require further optimization.
Migration tip #1: Optimize your cloud operations with a long-term strategy alignment
Aligning your cloud strategy with a long-term business plan maximizes organizational benefits and mitigates many relevant risks. Integrating cloud technologies into the strategic IT framework enhances business performance. A well-defined strategy should include measurable objectives and success criteria aligned with business outcomes.
Misalignment between migration and business strategy leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities. Alignment helps organizations achieve digital transformation goals and maintain a competitive edge.
Migration tip #2: Leverage best-in-class cloud migration tools with our expert cloud solutions
While migrating from on-premises data centers to various cloud environments, companies must proactively tackle security threats, legacy system modernization, and potential service disruptions to achieve cost savings and meet their business objectives. Careful planning, continuous monitoring, and effective change management are vital for a smooth transition, allowing organizations to benefit from enhanced scalability and modernized operations.
Now that you understand key challenges in cloud migration and know practical solutions for successful cloud transition, you can align your cloud strategy with your business goals and maximize cloud cost efficiency. Remember that during any cloud migration initiative, creating a detailed migration plan, ensuring data security, optimizing cost management, and addressing compatibility issues are key challenges to navigate. Working with experienced service providers enhances your chances of concluding your cloud migration journey within the deadline and with minimal disruptions.
Schedule a meeting with our cloud advisor today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main challenges when migrating data to a cloud architecture?
The main challenges in cloud migration are developing a robust strategy, managing data security risks, addressing legacy system compatibility, controlling costs, and minimizing service disruption. It’s crucial to tackle these issues proactively for a smooth transition.
How important is a cloud migration strategy?
A cloud migration strategy is essential as it ensures effective planning and aligns the migration with business objectives, ultimately minimizing downtime and streamlining processes. Prioritizing this strategy can lead to a successful transition to the cloud.
What are the common security threats in cloud migration?
Common security risks in cloud migration include potential breaches, compliance issues, data interception, and inadequate access controls. To protect your data, it’s essential to implement robust security measures and conduct regular monitoring.
How can organizations manage migration costs effectively?
Organizations should utilize assessment tools, monitor resource usage, and implement robust cloud resource management policies to manage migration costs effectively. This approach minimizes unnecessary expenses and ensures alignment with business goals.
What is vendor lock-in, and how can it be addressed?
Vendor lock-in creates a dependency on a single cloud provider (such as Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or VMware Cloud), complicating transitions to alternative options. To mitigate this, leverage open standards and portable solutions and adopt a multi-cloud strategy for enhanced flexibility.
