For a successful migration to Microsoft Azure, you must first answer a whole set of questions. You will need to ask yourself which applications are most suitable for a migration, how to best prioritise and how can I migrate without disrupting business processes. And how can I do this with as little cost as possible? Tech-Wales provides you with tips for a successful migration to Azure.
What is your preferred operating system?
If your organisation runs on Microsoft, Azure is a logical choice for several reasons. Although Microsoft’s on-premise technology is not the same as Azure’s, experience with Microsoft technology can make the migration easier. Because the terminology and the console, among other things, are the same, IT departments that are already familiar with Microsoft servers pick up on Azure more quickly.
Also Azure is well integrated with other Microsoft technologies. This will give you more support for the Microsoft SQL Server if that is your current database platform. Of course you can also integrate the technology of other suppliers with Microsoft technology, but with Azure the integration is seamless.
What other workloads can you integrate?
Another reason to choose Azure is that Microsoft offers excellent support for the technology of Oracle and Linux, for example. Microsoft has invested heavily in preventing these problems. For example, Microsoft and Oracle launched Oracle Database Service for Microsoft Azure last July. This ensures that Azure users can easily manage Oracle’s database services with fast connections and low latency.
Previously, it was often thought that Azure was only a Windows desktop platform. That is certainly not the case. Of course for Windows workloads it is a smart choice commercially, especially if you take advantage of Hybrid Use Benefit, but Azure can also be an excellent platform for Linux workloads. In fact, in practice, Linux is the most common operating system on Azure.
What are your innovation needs?
Another advantage of Azure is that you get support for the entire Development Lifecycle, especially when it comes to Azure DevOps and GitHub, which Microsoft owns. This makes it easier for developers to develop end-to-end solutions that fully integrate with CI/CD pipelines.
Depending on where your users and customers are located, location is also an important consideration. Azure offers a fast global connection, has more than 200 data centers in many different regions and has high availability. This fact can be decisive when determining which cloud provider is best for your workloads.
Cyber security is of course also an essential aspect. Microsoft invests millions in security every year and offers integrated security on Azure with tools such as Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Microsoft also makes it possible to integrate third-party monitoring tools. With these measures, they are responding to concerns about cloud security.
What about multi cloud?
Because the cloud makes it easy to turn cloud services on and off, some organisations find it valuable to bet on more than one provider.
For large organisations with complex requirements, multi-cloud can be a smart choice. But for most SME companies, a multi-cloud environment is often unnecessarily expensive and complicated. Better to focus on the cloud provider that best meets your requirements and consider it your primary platform. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t use a different platform for a specific use case, but choose one basic platform for the majority of your workloads. That is better for security, compliance and costs.
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