Cloud Migration Benefits for Online Businesses
Tags: cloud, migration, devops, data
Published: 2021-04-16 18:32:08

In traditional web hosting, your website is hosted on a single server at only one data center. Depending on the website size and traffic it gets, you can choose to host your website on shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting.
 
While shared hosting uses the resources of a single server, VPS hosting is split into self-contained virtual servers. On the other hand, dedicated hosting is costly for small and medium-size websites.
 
Compared to these traditional hosting, cloud hosting has the edge over all of them because of its reliability, scalability, and flexibility. Cloud hosting hosts your website on multiple servers spread across different locations but connected virtually through the internet.
 
##What is cloud migration?##
 
The process of shifting data, server, and application to a cloud-based hosting is known as cloud migration. [Cloud migration](https://www.cloudflare.com/en-in/learning/cloud/what-is-cloud-migration) comes in handy when companies want to expand their resources without dependency on their on-premise infrastructure. Cloud migration also means moving data from a traditional server to a cloud-based server without any data loss.
 
##What are the types of cloud migration?##
 
Migrating the application and servers can cause troubles for the first-timers due to the availability of different types of cloud migration. To avoid confusion for the first-timers, we have listed down the types of cloud migration here:
 
**IaaS Cloud Migration:** In this type of cloud migration, the application is moved from the local server to the cloud server. After migrating the application and data, it is expected to work correctly on the IaaS Cloud server. The developers carry out the migration process, and the time taken to migrate depends on the complexity of the data being transferred.

Examples of IaaS cloud services are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine (GCE), etc.
 
**SaaS Cloud Migration:** This type of cloud migration takes time as the data transfer happens in a phased manner. The initial stage of the process consists of setting up basic architecture. Once the developers make sure the basic structure is working fine, they move add-ons and other data to the cloud server.

Examples of SaaS cloud services are Shopify, BigCommerce, Mailchimp, Dropbox, ZenDesk, HubSpot, Slack, etc.
 
**PaaS Cloud Migration:** In this type of cloud migration, the data is transferred to cloud servers through browser-based UI portals. However, users will not have any issues migrating to the cloud, unlike Saas cloud migration.

Examples of PaaS cloud services are Heroku, OpenShift, Apache, Magento Commerce Cloud, etc. 
 
##Top benefits of migrating your resources to the cloud##

Now that you are aware of different types of cloud migration, we have listed some of the top benefits of migrating your data to the cloud.
 
###Faster deployments###
 
Migrating data to the cloud takes relatively less time and effort compared to manual setup. Many services offer faster migration and configuration on the cloud, which helps you operate more quickly. 

This process is way better than setting up physical servers and maintaining a data center of your own as it consumes more resources and capital.
 
After migration, all future [deployments can be automatic](https://dev.to/geshan/the-best-automated-deployment-tool-is-the-one-that-fits-your-needs-3o8) using various deployment applications like bitbucket and octopus. It also makes the deployment process much faster and smoother.
 
###Reduction of cost###
 
To remain profitable in business, one must focus on cost reduction as well. Also, with increasing competition in every field, it is essential to make intelligent moves. 

Cloud migration reduces operational and infrastructure costs because of its pay-as-you-go model. It means that businesses need to pay only for the resources they use, with no additional charges added in the billing.
 
For example, if you have a website with less size and traffic volume, you can choose to go with the basic plans of cloud hosting. Whereas, if the traffic for your website or application is very high, you must opt for the premium cloud plans without any need to change the servers.
 
###Resources are scalable###
 
If you have a physical server setup, scaling your resources can be challenging if the data size or traffic increases. On the other hand, scaling your data on the cloud is very easy because of its flexible server resources. 

Businesses need not invest in additional hardware and software to scale their data. It is apt for companies with applications requiring various levels of server resources.
 
###Backup and logging automation###
 
Businesses require continuous monitoring of their data to manage disaster recovery. If the company's latest data is not backed up, it will lead to a considerable loss. 

It is essential to migrate your data to the cloud to get your business up and running again, as it [performs continuous monitoring](https://devops.com/continuous-monitoring-role-devops-and-apm/), backup, and logging. Logging helps in identifying the critical issues that cause the data crash.
 
###Flexible operations###
 
Without worrying about compatibility issues, development teams can deploy the applications in a cloud environment and test them with ease. Manually testing the applications on physical servers consumes a lot of time and effort.
 
###Business continuity###
 
As mentioned earlier, businesses get robust security and frequent backups which helps them cope with disaster recovery. In the physical server setup, disaster recovery is prolonged, and sometimes it is hard to retrieve data. 

Moreover, it consumes a lot of capital to set up advanced features over a physical server compared to a cloud environment. So to ensure continuity in business, cloud migration helps a lot. Cloud servers ensure the business applications are up and running all the time.

###Enhanced security###
 
Companies from different sectors upload their customer and critical business data on the cloud. Only authorized people can access the data over the cloud from anywhere. 

Also, cloud service providers update their servers from time to time to improve the security of your business's data. In short, data over the [cloud is more secure](https://blogs.oracle.com/cloudsecurity/7-reasons-why-the-cloud-is-more-secure) than data stored over the physical servers.
 
In case of any security breach, the authorized person can access the data from anywhere and fix it with ease. Hence, one can be assured that their critical business information is highly secured.
 
##Conclusion##
 
On a final note, businesses need to migrate their data onto cloud servers to reap the benefits of accessibility, security, cost, and scalability. Though migrating data to the cloud initially might be challenging, it is easy to manage and operate your data once done with the setup. You can either hire a dedicated cloud manager to secure your critical business information or outsource it to a trusted cloud service provider.

**Bio:** Ranjit is a web developer and blogger at [AppsTale](https://appstale.com) who loves to write about WordPress tips, guides and marketing strategies.