These 4 Types of Apps Deserve Priority in a Cloud Migration

A good guiding principle to follow when migrating applications to the cloud is to remember that apps are not made equally. Variables such as function, topology, traffic volume, process speed, and user requirements all affect the success of applications in cloud environments. Migrating without taking this into account may leave you in a worse position than you were on-premises.

Cloud environments confer enormous advantages on flexible applications that can adapt quickly or operate in ever-evolving conditions. By prioritizing applications with those capabilities, you’re easily maximizing your chances of migration success.

These are the 4 types of application that you should give priority to when planning your migration:

Applications Enhancing Enterprise Connectivity

Decentralized cloud structures require resource management platforms to organize dispersed services and asynchronous contributions. Such applications act as enterprise command hubs, organizing workloads, deadlines, and enabling collaboration between different units divided by time zones or vast distances.

Inputs from various services can be captured, processed, and redirected to where they are needed quickly. Automated application processes offshored from on-premises IT teams also cut down on maintenance costs and free up specialized labor for high-level work.

Avoid non-virtual applications supporting regional or localized operations. As their activity is self-contained, there is no need to connect them to the broader enterprise network. Doing so only wastes processing and storage resources, incurring costs with no performance benefit.

Modular Applications

Generic applications with loosely coupled, more modular structures also benefit significantly from migration. Fewer dependencies on other applications allow them to adapt faster to cloud systems, which often comprise a range of platforms, operating systems, and programming languages.

Applications that use or provide APIs and regulate interactions via endpoints (e.g. dedicated Service Oriented Architecture applications) integrate especially well, as their API-based architectures are compatible with microservices-based cloud infrastructures.

Conversely, highly customized applications with narrow specializations and specific computing dependencies do not benefit from densely networked cloud environments. Typically migrated as part of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) configurations, they operate siloed from the rest of the enterprise and cannot contribute to other application processes.

Applications with Fluctuating Consumption Requirements

Easy access to on-demand storage, processing power, and specialist services makes the cloud ideal for applications with fluctuating consumption levels or uncertain operating volumes. Examples include:

Such requirements would either strain or underutilize on-premises facilities, as businesses pay for maximum energy consumption at all times. But on the cloud, capacity can be adjusted to suit consumption, preventing waste and saving on expenditures.

Applications with known consumption levels and scheduled usage should be integrated carefully – if at all. Consistent applications don’t need the cloud’s ability to adjust resources to demand. They benefit from fixed costs and can therefore be located on-premises for easy access and monitoring.

Similarly, high-latency applications that rely on on-premises databases to process transactions should stay home. Dispersed cloud networks are at far greater risk of disruption, making frequent cloud to on-premises relays both inefficient and dangerous.

Applications in Development

Applications in development have similar fluctuating requirements best met on the cloud. Besides the obvious benefits of scalable data storage and backups, third-party service providers can fill competency gaps and adjust to changing specifications as development advances. Specialized infrastructure needed for testing can be provisioned and downsized rapidly without incurring high CAPEX costs.

Cloud environments are also useful for application evaluation and updates. Even if the final product is to be deployed using on-premises infrastructure, the cloud can serve as a vital working area for development that doesn’t strain local IT resources.

Avoid migrating legacy applications that cloud providers no longer support. They have limited potential for updates and no need for development. Unless a total overhaul with a new application is required, migrating mature applications can only result in costs.

Cloud migration remains a custom process that must be calibrated precisely to application specifications and business needs. With cloud technologies advancing at an unprecedented rate, guidelines can rapidly prove obsolete. Consult a cloud expert to stay ahead of cloud trends and maximize your chances of a successful migration.

This is the second blog in our 4-part series on cloud cost optimization. Read Part 1 on guidelines for cloud-friendly application development here, and watch out for our next blog on Cloud Centers of Excellence next week.