In this day and age, it’s no longer good enough just to stash your company’s data in any old place – we live in an era of data center transformation, and IT leaders today demand storage technologies that are reliable, affordable and scalable to meet their ever-changing needs. More often than not, this means they’re moving to the cloud. After all, there’s no other place you can store your data that will offer you the same kind of flexibility and cost savings that cloud storage does. If you’re not already investing in cloud technology, you’d best start soon.
But here’s the tricky part – if you’ve already got your data housed in a legacy storage system, it can be difficult to transition your existing files from their current home to a new cloud platform. What’s your strategy?
If you’re lucky, you can just perform a simple “lift and shift” – simply pick up your files, move them and plop them down in a new home. This is the quickest and easiest way to make the move, and it almost always results in cost savings because you’re no longer spending money on pricy data center technologies. But sadly, the simple way isn’t always feasible. According to FedTech Magazine, you may find that some of the applications you use to access and modify your cloud data need to be reconfigured for the cloud transition to work.
“Agencies need to tailor their approach depending on the scope of their project,” hybrid cloud architect Evan Doty explained. “Some application portfolios sprawl to the point where doing a full inventory before starting work can delay a project immeasurably. Identify the 10 applications that must be migrated or upgraded first, and you’ll have a manageable starting point.”
Sometimes, making the cloud transition requires reexamining the apps you use. Other times, you’ve got to undertake even more drastic steps – what if your entire infrastructure is built on outdated hardware that you’ve got to upgrade?
Before you make any big decisions, there’s a lot you need to figure out about your IT. Fortunately, at Zones, we can help. For starters, we can guide you through one of our Cloud Assessments, which are designed to help you understand the steps you should take to make the cloud work for you. You don’t have to go it alone when you make the transition – you can leverage us as a partner who will help you optimize workloads, minimize costs, and keep your data secure.
Business success is all about change management – a company that evolves, survives. With us on your side, you can change for the better, moving into the cloud with ease and embracing a brighter future.
When you team up with Zones, you can explore a world of Data Center Transformation options. Read all about them here.