Migrating your environment from on-premises to the cloud is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning and execution. Before diving into the migration itself, it’s essential to conduct a thorough assessment of your current environment. This assessment not only prepares you for the upcoming work but also helps set clear expectations for your clients, ensuring they understand the steps and preparations needed for a successful migration. In this blog post, we will explore the key components of this assessment process.

  • Current State with Numbers

Start by documenting your existing environment comprehensively. This includes:

  • The number of users
  • The number of projects
  • The size of your database
  • Any customizations or configurations you have in place
  • Existing integrations and dependencies

This baseline data will help you understand the scale of your migration and assist in making informed decisions throughout the process.

  • Licensing Status

Check your licensing status to ensure it aligns with your requirements for the cloud environment. Consider factors such as user limits, add-ons, and feature availability in the cloud version. You may need to adjust your licensing or usage to fit within the cloud subscription model.

  • Migration Strategy

Develop a clear migration strategy that outlines the overall approach you will take. Will it be a phased migration, or will you use a parallel approach? Consider the impact on users and project timelines when choosing your strategy.

  • What Won’t be Migrated

Identify what data and configurations will not be migrated to the cloud environment. This includes workflow properties, workflow design, project avatars, cross-project boards, and more. This will help the client understand and set the right expectations for what they will see on the cloud.

  • Preparing for the Migration

Detail the steps required to prepare for the migration, which may include:

  • Identifying and addressing plugin compatibility issues
  • Creating scripts for data transformations, if necessary
  • Resolving data inconsistencies or issues using database queries
  • Backing up critical data to ensure data integrity during migration
  • Determine if any data needs to be archived or cleaned up before migration.
  • Migration Dos and Don’ts

To ensure a seamless migration process, it’s crucial to implement a change freeze before migrating data. This involves collaborating with application administrators to establish clear guidelines on allowable changes during and after migration.

The rationale behind a change freeze is simple: making substantial alterations to the source instance during migration or testing can undermine the validation process when migrating production data. This may lead to functional gaps or, in worst cases, jeopardize the overall success of the migration.

  • Migration High-Level Overview

Provide an overview of the migration process itself. This could include steps like setting up the cloud environment, data migration, user testing, and final cutover. Highlight key milestones and expected timelines.

  • Risks

Assess potential risks associated with the migration, such as data loss, downtime, or user disruptions. Develop mitigation strategies for these risks and communicate them to your client.

  • Migration Plan

Create a detailed migration plan that outlines the sequence of tasks, responsible parties, and timelines for each step of the migration. Share this plan with your client for their awareness and approval.