On-Premises to AWS Migration: Best Practices to Save on Costs

There’s a reason more and more businesses are migrating from on-premises infrastructure to AWS. A recent study found that organizations can achieve up to 66% infrastructure cost savings by moving to the AWS cloud (Enterprise Strategy Group).

That said –the migration process can get tricky. To avoid unexpected expenses and headaches, you need a game plan. 

Luckily, at StratusGrid, we’re dedicated to helping organizations migrate successfully and save on costs. Here’s everything you need to know. 

5 Common Challenges in On-Prem to AWS Migrations

If you’ve convinced your organization to migrate from on-prem servers to AWS, the last thing that you want is for the transition to blow up in your face. These are the most common issues we see in companies that don’t work with an experienced cloud migration partner.

1. An Inability to Accurately Forecast Costs

Moving to AWS usually saves money in the long run, but the initial investment can be high. Even worse? The costs of migration can be hard to predict without expertise. When you’re forecasting your on-premises to AWS migration budget, be sure to account for the following: 

• Decommissioning old infrastructure 
• Buying new AWS migration tools
• Allocating human resources to transfer data. 

If you’re managing a migration of this size for the first time, it’s very easy to miss costs. An premier AWS partner who has overseen them before can help you more accurately forecast costs – and even identify hidden saving opportunities.

2. Experiencing Downtime and Service Disruptions

Migrating to AWS can lead to downtime and service interruptions, especially if compatibility issues or data loss occur. These interruptions can disrupt your daily operations, causing lost productivity and impacting your bottom line.

Even brief periods of downtime can have significant financial impacts and harm customer relationships. Just look at what happened during the CrowdStrike outage!

That’s why careful planning and expert guidance are so important—they help minimize these risks and ensure your migration stays on track.

3. Missing Key Data Security and Compliance Issues

Security and compliance are the top concerns for organizations moving to the cloud. Moving data to AWS means sharing responsibility with a third party, which changes how your data is controlled and managed. AWS provides best practices to manage your data security to help companies manage this issue.

You need to consider regulations like GDPR or HIPAA if you store personal or sensitive data. Think about how the migration might impact your compliance with these regulations.

If security and compliance aren't managed properly, you could face penalties, lose money, or harm your reputation.

4. Lack of Cloud Computing Skills And Expertise

An on-prem to AWS cloud migration requires specific cloud skills that many organizations might not have in-house. Without these skills, mistakes, delays and higher costs can quickly become an issue.

Transitioning to new technology can be stressful for businesses and their employees. Adapting to these changes might cause more mistakes and lower productivity until everyone adjusts.

Training your team or getting expert guidance from a premier-tier AWS partner like StratusGrid can help you avoid unnecessary delays and expenses.

5. Compatibility Issues with Legacy Applications

Legacy systems often bring up compatibility issues during migration. Many older applications weren’t built for the cloud, making it tough to move them without changes. 

Sometimes, the application’s entire architecture might need an overhaul to work well in the cloud. This type of project could mean rewriting parts of the app, adjusting dependencies, or even replacing certain components altogether.

Reconfiguring or modernizing these apps can be expensive and time-consuming – especially if your developer team is already strapped. It usually requires specialized skills and thoughtful planning to get them cloud-ready.

An AWS partner can ensure that your legacy software works smoothly in the cloud.

5 Best Practices for Migrating From On-Premises to AWS

At StratusGrid, we use AWS map’s proven Assess, Mobilize, Migrate, and Modernize approach to ensure a successful and cost-effective migration. 

• Assess:  Evaluate your current infrastructure to identify gaps and set priorities. This phase helps you plan your migration with clear objectives and a detailed scope.
• Mobilize: Prepare your organization by addressing identified gaps and ensuring your team, tools, and processes are ready for the move
  
• Migrate & Modernize: Execute the migration and modernize applications as needed to fully benefit from cloud capabilities. This phase brings your objectives to life, optimizing performance, cost, and security.

The AWS framework is a great place to start, and also keep in mind these five best practices:

1. Understand Your Current State

Start with a thorough readiness assessment of your existing infrastructure. It needs to cover the following:

• Inventory: Catalog all applications, workloads, and resources.
• Data Mapping: Understand dependencies and relationships between data sets.
• Classification: Prioritize which data needs to move and its impact on stakeholders like finance, legal, and IT.

Consider the current state of each stakeholder group— IT, finance, legal, and others—and how migrating to the cloud might affect them. Planning for these impacts early helps minimize disruptions across your organization. 

This stage is also the ideal time to identify your strengths and weaknesses in cloud readiness. Take the Cloud Maturity Test to quickly assess whether you have the necessary resources and skills in-house to support the migration.

2. Clearly Define Your Objectives

Before starting your migration, it's important to clearly define  what you aim to achieve. For example, your migration could be motivated by…

• Improving scalability
• Reducing migration costs, 
• Increasing security
• Or all of the above!

Understanding your priorities helps you set the right strategy, scope and timeline for the migration. It also allows you to identify potential challenges early and plan for them. 

3. Develop a Robust Migration Strategy

Poor planning causes many migrations to fail, so having a strong strategy is essential for success. Take these steps to develop a robust migration strategy:

• Define the Scope, Strategy, and Timeline: Determine which applications and data will migrate and how it will impact your systems.
• Choose the Migration Path: Consult the 6 R’s—Rehost, Replatform, Re-architect, Repurchase, Retain, and Retire. Each approach varies in complexity and benefits, so pick what fits your timeline, budget, and goals.
• Cleanse and De-Duplicate Your Data: Ensuring high-quality data avoids complications. Establish data governance to maintain integrity and comply with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.
• Establish Cloud Governance: Define roles, responsibilities, and access controls. This framework ensures security and compliance, reducing risks during the migration.
• Create Backups and a Disaster Recovery Plan: These precautions protect against data loss and help manage unexpected issues during migration.
  

4. Work With Experienced AWS Partners

Working with experienced AWS migrations partners can save you time, money, and potential headaches. 

Choose partners who bring not only technical expertise but also a strong project management framework. This helps avoid common migration pitfalls and keeps your project on track.

Training your team early on is another key aspect. A well-prepared staff can make the migration smoother and ensure long-term success.

Our team at StratusGrid has over 10 years of experience in AWS cloud migrations. We've successfully helped numerous organizations seamlessly transition to the cloud. We're your trusted AWS premier partner for a smooth migration journey.

5. Plan For The Future

Migration is not a one-time event. After migrating to AWS, regular monitoring and optimization are essential to achieving cost savings. Many teams mistakenly treat cloud migration as a final step, when in reality, the process is ongoing.

Develop a monitoring strategy that ensures long-term optimization, cost control and modernization. 

StratusGrid: Leading the Way in On-Prem to AWS Migrations

Migrating from on-premises to AWS offers significant benefits, but costs can rise quickly if you do it alone. Book a call to see how StratusGrid can help you migrate to the cloud as quickly and painlessly as possible. 

At StratusGrid, we guide businesses through every phase of on-premises to AWS migrations. From the initial assessment to final optimization, we provide comprehensive support to reduce downtime, control costs, and improve security. 

Book a consultation today to begin your migration journey with confidence.