Cloud migration and exit strategy

Such an approach can work without problems in normal operation. However, unexpected events such as an outage, cyber-attack or force majeure (see last year’s floods) can seriously threaten business continuity. You may have heard these anecdotes too: the cleaner watered the flowers and threw water on the server, or the cable broke. However, these things are real. Let’s take an interesting example from practice. 

The situation before the crisis

IT infrastructure of the company Alcom Alval s. Technology , which is one of the local leaders in the production of aluminium semi-finished products, had a single IT administrator in charge. All access data, passwords and configurations were known only to him. The lack of shared knowledge, documentation and formal backups posed a potential risk to the operation of the company. 

Alcom Alval’s management had previously considered moving to the cloud, but the final impetus was a sudden crisis situation – the administrator passed away unexpectedly. Critical information needed to operate and restore systems was at risk of being lost. 

This event exposed vulnerabilities in the existing on-premises setup. The company faced the risk of losing access to critical systems and interrupting production. 

Access recovery and migration to the cloud

My colleagues from Geetoo have been called on a rescue mission. Their first step was to map the entire IT infrastructure in detail. This was followed by restoring access. But there was no central documentation or password manager. 

Thanks to the technical creativity and the help of a co-worker of the deceased administrator, it was possible to derive some passwords (based on his specific way of creating them). We gradually gained access to network elements, servers and end stations, which allowed us to start the recovery process. 

The cloud migration plan included:

• Creation of a new virtual environment: based on modern technologies with support for current OS versions and databases
• Application and service partitioning: for higher availability and data security
• Active Directory implementation: for centralized access management
• Ensuring backups and business continuity: regular offsite backups to prevent a similar situation from happening again

Thanks to quick intervention, the company managed to restore operations and stabilize the system.

Best practices in migration

How to make the transition to the cloud successfully and without complications? A successful migration requires a well-thought-out plan. Key points include: 

• Analysis of existing infrastructure: audit of IT environment, identification of critical systems and dependencies
• Documentation and knowledge sharing: avoid dependence on individuals
• Backup strategy: ideally using the cloud
• Transition testing: migration simulation ensures readiness
• Choice of cloud model: IaaS, PaaS or SaaS according to needs
• Collaboration with experts: for smooth running even in crisis situations

The importance of exit strategy

Migration to the cloud, while bringing many benefits, should not be seen as a final and irreversible decision. An exit strategy, i.e. a pre-defined plan to leave the current cloud environment or move to another provider, is a key element of the overall IT strategy. Reasons for developing an exit strategy may include: 

• Changing business requirements: sometimes a company’s business model evolves so that the existing cloud solution is no longer optimal.
• Dissatisfaction with the provider: If the cloud partner does not meet expectations in terms of availability, support or security, you need to have an alternative ready.
• Legal and regulatory requirements: new regulations or changes in legislation may require data or services to be moved to a different environment.

Key elements of an exit strategy include data portability, system competency and documentation, regular testing of transition processes, and a clearly defined schedule and budget. Such a plan will enable the organisation to respond quickly to any changes or crisis situations and ensure business continuity without unnecessary disruption. 

Summary and recommendations

Based on the above example, it is clear that even a seemingly stable on-premises infrastructure can be completely inadequate in times of crisis. The key is: 

• Have a cloud migration strategy in place: Planning backups and testing transition scenarios is not a luxury, but a necessity.
• Document all relevant processes and approaches: sharing knowledge among multiple team members can save the entire company.
• Define an exit strategy: Always think about the future and prepare a plan to exit/​change your current cloud environment without losing data and with minimal cost.

Migrating to the cloud is not just a technological step, but a strategic investment in security and business continuity. Partnering with trusted experts can be the deciding factor when the worst happens, and an exit strategy ensures that a business is never left without an alternative solution.