Must-Have Cloud Migration Skills for an Effective Cloud Transition

Cloud migration skills are a must-have for companies across industries. According to a new TierPoint-conducted survey, IT leaders have included cloud migration as one of their top IT modernization priorities this year, with 44% looking to migrate to cloud-based services and 33% planning to migrate to hybrid cloud computing. Further, more than 87% of respondents indicated that skill shortages will have a moderate to severe impact on the business.

To ensure a smooth and successful transition to the cloud, organizations need to secure a specific set of skills between internal and external resources.

Key Cloud Migration Skills for IT Leaders

The types of cloud migration strategies typically involve a set of approaches collectively referred to as the “7 R’s of cloud migration:”

• Rehost (Lift-and-Shift): Moving applications and workloads to the cloud with minimal changes, essentially replicating the on-premises setup in a cloud environment. This is often the fastest and simplest approach but may not fully leverage cloud-native benefits.
• Relocate: Specific to VMware environments, this involves moving workloads to a VMware cloud platform hosted on AWS or another provider, enabling organizations to retain familiar tools and processes while benefiting from cloud scalability.
• Refactor (Re-architect): Modifying parts of an application to make it more efficient, scalable, or cost-effective in the cloud. This often includes adopting microservices or serverless architectures to better utilize cloud-native capabilities.
• Replatform: Adjusting or slightly modifying applications to take advantage of cloud infrastructure without significant changes to the core architecture or code. This is suitable for applications that require only minor optimizations to operate effectively in the cloud.
• Rebuild: Developing applications or workloads from scratch using cloud-native technologies. This approach allows full utilization of cloud innovation but requires significant time and resources.
• Repurchase: Replacing on-premises applications with cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) alternatives. For example, transitioning from an in-house CRM to a SaaS platform like Salesforce.

Businesses may also choose to retain their applications or workloads in their current environment—or retire them altogether. Making these choices is hard to do without leaders who are well-versed in the following cloud migration skills.

Technical Skills

• Understanding Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud): Skilled IT leaders and cloud migration experts should deeply understand cloud platforms, particularly the ones that will be used in your environment. This includes knowing details about core services, architecture best practices, and pricing models to design efficient, cost-effective migration strategies and manage cloud operations post-migration.
• Application and Data Migration Techniques: Key cloud migration skills include having a proficiency in migrating applications and data to the cloud. Strategies for data migration can include those listed above, such as lift-and-shift, rehosting, refactoring, and replatforming. Mastery of these techniques ensures that migrations align with both business goals and technical requirements.
• Network Configuration and Management: Organizations need to work with people who have expertise in managing and configuring networks in the cloud. This can include virtual private networks (e.g., AWS VPC, Azure Virtual Network), smaller divisions of IP networks (subnets), and implementing network security measures such as security groups to regulate network traffic and ensure security.
• Security and Compliance Standards in the Cloud: IT leaders must possess comprehensive knowledge of cloud security practices and architect cloud environments to meet stringent security and compliance requirements. They should also understand regulations around data protection and compliance frameworks, such as GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA.

Project Management Skills

Without sufficient project management skills, cloud migrations will not take place as planned. IT leaders should possess the following skills:

• Planning and Execution of Cloud Migration Projects: Leaders should be able to create detailed cloud migration plans, including creating timelines, setting budgets, and assessing risk, working alongside cloud migration experts.
• Risk Management and Mitigation Strategies: After risks are identified, IT leaders can develop mitigation strategies and figure out contingency plans to lessen the impact of any risky variables.
• Stakeholder Communication and Change Management: Throughout the migration project, IT leaders must be able to effectively communicate with stakeholders, addressing concerns and managing expectations as the project takes shape and potentially encounters roadblocks.

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills

• Identifying Migration Challenges and Solutions: IT leaders serve as lighthouses for the rest of the organization, identifying potential challenges before they become a problem to improve the rollout of cloud migration.
• Performance Optimization and Cost Management: Finally, leaders can monitor performance in the cloud, identifying opportunities for optimization and implementing cost-saving measures where needed.

Developing Cloud Migration Skills

Businesses that are looking to develop in-house cloud migration skills can rely on training and certification programs, as well as practical, hands-on experience, to build up their internal team expertise.

Training and Certification Programs

• Vendor-Specific Certifications
  • AWS Certifications: AWS offers four levels of certifications to build cloud expertise. They begin at the foundational level with AI and cloud practitioner, build to the professional level with DevOps engineers and solutions architects, and expand to associate and specialty levels for team members looking to get trained as solutions architects, data engineers, and advanced networking specialists, among other roles.
  • Azure Certifications: Azure has a variety of certifications at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. These include training for administrators, solutions architects, security engineers, and network engineers.
  • Google Cloud Certifications: IT team members employing Google Cloud can get certified at foundational, associate, and professional levels. Certifications are fit for internal roles such as cloud engineers, cloud architects, cloud developers, data engineers, machine learning engineers, and cloud digital leaders.

Practical, Hands-On Experience

Of course, nothing beats hands-on experience. This is the best approach to truly master cloud migration skills. Present opportunities for team members to participate in the following:

• Engaging in Real-World Migration Projects: This could look like assisting with cloud migration initiatives within the organization or seeking out freelance and consulting opportunities related to cloud migration externally.
• Utilizing Cloud Sandbox Environments: Cloud sandbox environments, including AWS Free Tier, Azure Free Account, and Google Cloud Free Tier, allow IT teams to experiment with services without incurring significant costs. Employees can test and hone their skills in a low-risk environment.

The Role of Cloud Migration Specialists

Even with upskilling, businesses may require cloud services from migration specialists to ensure a project is successful from start to finish. These experts possess a unique blend of technical expertise and project management skills.

Responsibilities and Tasks

Cloud migration specialists are responsible for:

• Assessing and analyzing existing IT infrastructure: These experts start by identifying the applications, data, and infrastructure components that need to be migrated. After conducting a cloud readiness assessment, they can evaluate how suitable cloud environments are for the applications being migrated. They can also address potential risks and challenges associated with cloud migration before committing to the move.
• Designing cloud migration strategies: Cloud migration specialists can develop a comprehensive plan for migration, including timelines, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies. Building on the previous assessment, specialists can choose the migration technique that will be most appropriate, such as lift-and-shift, rehosting, replatforming, or refactoring. When designing the target cloud architecture, migration specialists can consider factors such as scalability, performance, and security. Adhering to a cloud adoption framework is a valuable tool for following best practices when it comes to overall strategy.
• Keeping updated with rapid technological changes: A solid cloud migration specialist stays informed about the latest cloud technologies, trends, and best practices to ensure the smoothest and most effective migration possible. Experts also frequently evaluate new tools and technologies to optimize cloud migration processes.
• Balancing technical and management skills: Technical skills aren’t the only thing cloud migration specialists should be focused on. They also need to collaborate well with cross-functional teams. This can include developers, security experts, network engineers, and people in other leadership roles. For the migration to be successful, specialists need to manage project timelines, resources, and budgets effectively, all while communicating with stakeholders that may or may not have a technical background.

How to Get Started with Your Cloud Migration Journey

Making the journey to the cloud is easier when you have a partner at your side. From lift-and-shifts to full transformations, TierPoint can help you at any stage of the cloud adoption process, supporting IT leaders or assisting with every side of the migration. Reach out to our team of experts today to find the solution and level of support that suits your business goals