Microsoft Azure is a SaaS cloud platform that offers users cloud services such as data storage, analytics and cloud computing. Modernization has made it a necessity for companies to require cloud services. So, whether it is a public cloud or a private cloud, every business needs to incorporate cloud services into its workflow. As a result, IaaS cloud providers such as Google Cloud, Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft Azure have become key players in cloud adoption and building cloud infrastructure.
This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide to seamless Azure cloud migration for private equity-owned organizations. It will simplify the key steps involved in planning and executing a successful Azure cloud migration, including assessing infrastructure readiness, choosing the right migration strategy for your migration journey and ensuring data security. The post will also highlight the benefits of Azure for scalability and cost optimization.
Understanding the Benefits of Azure for Private Equity-Owned Organizations
Azure is an excellent service that can help your organization succeed. Benefits of using Azure include:
Azure Is Easy to Set Up
One of Microsoft Azure's amazing qualities is that it is easy to set up. As we all know, data migration can be quite complicated to achieve. However, Microsoft Azure has features that are easy to use and understand. This causes you to experience little or no difficulty when setting it up.
Azure Is Scalable
The scalability of Azure makes it highly beneficial for private equity-owned organizations in the development of microservices. This feature of pricing allows companies to select the Azure services that they need and pay for only those services. This helps in cost management and improves cost savings.
Azure Is Perfect for Hybrid Environments
As a PaaS, Microsoft Azure does not require any hardware to function. This makes it perfect for any office environment that your company desires. So whether it is on-premises, remote or a combination of both, you can be sure that your business will thrive in its real-time usage of Microsoft Azure.
Azure Has Advanced IT Compliance and Cybersecurity
Microsoft Azure is securely fitted with the latest and most advanced IT compliance protocols for critical industries such as healthcare, finance, education, governance, security and many more. It also has state-of-the-art security tools such as two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption, biometric scanners, card readers and many more. These ensure the privacy and security of your company's data.
Assessing Infrastructure Readiness for Azure Migration
As impressive as Microsoft Azure is, it is not enough to guarantee a smooth data migration or digital transformation for your company. Other factors can affect the success of your Microsoft Azure cloud migration. One such factor is your company's infrastructure. The condition and qualities of your digital assets determine how well they will work with Microsoft Azure and aid your company's growth.
Things to consider when assessing your infrastructure include the quality of your internet connection service provider and the strength of your bandwidth. This ensures that the migration and eventual usage of the Azure services go smoothly. It is also important to take note of the health of the computer systems on which you will be operating Microsoft Azure. You have to ensure that their operating systems and other integral software are fully functional and that even the hardware is in perfect condition. This includes the Linux, Windows, and SQL servers. You also need to inspect the functionality of your VMware workstations. Your VMware workstations are vital because they support the operations of your virtual machines and Kubernetes clusters. Your VMs have to be of the highest version to achieve compatibility. You must also take note of your data centers and cloud-based apps and their compatibility with your migration service and database migration tools. All these ensure a seamless Microsoft Azure cloud migration and effective utilization of its services.
Now, infrastructural assessment can be confusing and overwhelming. Assigning this task to highly trained personnel who can diligently manage this project step-by-step is best. You can also outsource the job to Microsoft Azure co-managed services with the aim of Microsoft Azure optimization. These teams simplify the cloud migration process and are experts at providing cloud solutions and disaster recovery.
Choosing the Right Azure Migration Strategy
There are several ways to go about your Microsoft Azure migration program. However, the four most popular Azure cloud migration strategies include:
- Rehost (lift and shift)
- Refactor
- Rearchitect
- Rebuild
These migration plans are useful in varying circumstances. For you to make the best decision for your workload, there are some things you must consider. These include:
Cost
The amount that your company has budgeted to process the data migration to Microsoft Azure should guide the strategy you pick. As a good manager, you must ensure that the migration strategy you pick can be implemented within the confines of your budget.
Purpose
The company's plan can determine the right Azure migration strategy. Why is your company performing a Microsoft Azure migration at this time? What do you intend to use the service for when you achieve a successful digital transformation? Quality answers to these questions can guide you in choosing the right strategy to adopt.
Sophistication
Due to modernization, the utilization of cloud environments has become more complicated. As a result, another important factor to consider when choosing your data migration strategy is the complexity of the way you plan to use Microsoft Azure after a successful migration. So, you must clearly understand what you want to do and how complicated it is. An example of this is the automation of processes. Taking note of this can help you pick the right strategy and achieve a smooth Microsoft Azure migration.
Ensuring Data Security During Azure Migration
The safety of its data is something that every company is vigilant about at all times. Since data can easily be lost or compromised during your database migration, great care must be taken to ensure data security during such periods. The steps that can be taken include:
Assessment of Data
This refers to the analysis and categorization of the company's data. It includes knowing how large the data is, what type of data it is, and how it is currently stored. Knowledge of all these can help you effectively plan the data migration and prevent data loss.
Limitation of Access
During the Microsoft Azure migration period, you must limit the number of people who have access to the company's data. This should be done even if it means a temporary slowdown of operations or downtime. This will help prevent data breaches, tampering, and duplication during migration.
Ensuring IT Compliance
You must know the IT compliance requirements and regulatory protocols for your company's data and its database migration. When you have such knowledge, you must ensure that your process meets all such requirements. Only then can you be assured of a smooth and secure Microsoft Azure migration.
Optimizing Scalability and Cost with Azure
As a competent manager, you need to be able to take advantage of the opportunities to minimize costs and maximize profits through Azure operations. These opportunities are best accessed through Microsoft Azure optimization. You can get this done by:
Scaling to Size
This process involves taking note of the aspects of Microsoft Azure that will ensure effective performance and productivity and making payments for only those aspects. This ensures the efficient utilization of resources and limits unnecessary spending.
Routine Clean-Ups
This involves periodic system checks to discover unused, underutilized or abandoned resources or projects. When these are discovered, they are then cleared out. Trimming your workload is useful for saving costs and improving the operational capacity of your Microsoft Azure system.
Reservation Plans
When you have scaled your Microsoft Azure working system to the right size and cultivated a routine clean-up culture, you can start committing to Microsoft Azure reservation plans. These reservation plans give you access to the Microsoft Azure services you chose for 1-3 years. These plans are very effective in improving the total cost of ownership (TCO) and managing workload while maintaining a high productivity standard.
Contact ne Digital For a Successful Migration to Microsoft Azure Migration for ERP
You need the confidence of knowing that your migration will be secure and successful -- so you can focus on other necessary integration points. When you work with the ne Digital team, you gain access to decades of experience with Microsoft Azure managed services and systems integrations. Contact us today to get started.
ne Digital is an IT consulting organization that designs and operates for private equity asset value creation. We run Managed Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365, and Azure Infrastructure for mission-critical workloads.
We are expert architects and certified engineers as Microsoft Solutions Designation Partners for Microsoft 365 Modern Work and Azure Infrastructure.
