The 5 Most Common Google Cloud Platform Migration Challenges ... And How to Solve Them

The performance gains and efficiencies of moving to the cloud are clear. What is less clear is the best way to get there. Here are five common stumbling blocks to successful cloud migration. 

1: “I know how to do this, we don’t need a plan”

It all starts with planning. When you're talking about cloud migration projects, you need to factor in a wide variety of components from cost analysis to projected downtime to employee training—and everything in between.

Redapt recommends starting with a clear timeline. First, layout exactly what the project is going to look like. Is it a short three-month project with a few services migrated? Or a full-on twelve-month project? 

We begin the process with focusing on cost analysis as it relates to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This includes utilizing a sophisticated suite of tools to evaluate your current environment, how to optimize it, and how to right-size it, so we can understand what it all looks like in the new platform—and what your savings will be.

We also look at downtime. This means developing a plan for any downtime we’ll incur—which is usually very little in a Redapt implementation.

2: “It costs too much”

Another very common issue is the financial cost of cloud migration.

This is where Google Cloud is extremely helpful, actually offering advance funding based on what your estimated consumption will be once you migrate into Google Cloud. This funding can pay for migration, meaning no upfront migration costs. Problem solved.

3: “It’s not secure”

There’s a common misconception that the cloud isn’t really very secure. In fact, we often see that security is the number one barrier that prevents a business from adopting the cloud.

Fortunately, it’s very easy for us to demonstrate how secure the GCP is. In every implementation, we architect sophisticated security settings, with firewall rules and the least privileges. We are experts in security best practices, including the types of encryption being utilized. We certainly understand this is a concern, and we are here to assure you that there’s no reason to compromise on security, as GCP provides multiple native tools for in-depth security functionality.

4: “My guys can’t do this”

We find that many times IT employees working within datacenters don't necessarily know how to work within various cloud types. 

Training is something we’ve really focused on, as it leads directly to ongoing success. We’ve developed a series of workshops to get your employees up to speed on how to best utilize the GCP, as well as its accompanying tools.

Our workshops give an in-depth look into GCP tools and solutions so everyone can deeply understand how the technology works. This includes navigating the Google Cloud Console and other native tools to increase efficiency in your cloud solution.

5: “We don’t need any help”

The last and toughest challenge is self-inflicted: trying to do all of this on your own.

In this scenario, downtime is increased, leading to revenue loss. The multiple other projects you have going on are now shelved, also leading to revenue loss. And your employees are spending way too much time and effort trying to get servers and services migrated correctly.

This all stems from a lack of thorough knowledge around GCP. It can be a simple, efficient process, but you have to understand it at a deep level. The truth is that your current team likely just doesn’t have the knowledge—or the bandwidth!—to optimally complete a migration project.