Technology December 3, 2025 2 min read
Cloud Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide
Moving your infrastructure to the cloud can seem daunting. This comprehensive guide walks you through the planning, execution, and optimization phases of cloud migration.
Cloud migration represents one of the most significant technological shifts a business can undertake. When done right, it delivers scalability, cost savings, and innovation opportunities. This guide walks you through the essential steps.
Phase 1: Assessment & Planning
Before moving anything to the cloud, conduct a thorough assessment of your current infrastructure. Document all applications, dependencies, and data flows. Identify which workloads are cloud-ready and which might need modification.
Phase 2: Choose Your Cloud Strategy
Not all migrations are the same. Consider these approaches:
- Lift and Shift: Move applications as-is to the cloud
- Re-platform: Make minor optimizations during migration
- Re-architect: Redesign applications to be cloud-native
- Retire: Decommission obsolete systems
Phase 3: Security & Compliance
Security should be embedded in every step of your migration. Implement identity and access management, encryption, and monitoring from day one. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations like GDPR or local data protection laws.
Phase 4: Migration Execution
Start with less critical workloads to build expertise and confidence. Use automated migration tools where possible, and always have rollback plans. Monitor performance closely during and after migration.
Phase 5: Optimization
Migration isn't the end—it's the beginning. Continuously monitor costs, performance, and security. Take advantage of cloud-native services to optimize workloads and reduce expenses over time.