Organizations are migrating applications and infrastructure to the cloud with ever-growing speed. Research predicts that 83% of workloads of companies will be in the cloud by 2020. However, migration can be challenging. In this article, we will discuss the five top challenges companies face when managing a cloud database and how to solve them.
There are two main approaches organizations use to move their databases to the cloud. The rehosting approach, or “lift-and-shift”, involves transferring the current database to the cloud without further customization. The refactoring approach, on the other hand, involves rebuilding the database for the new cloud environment.
Rehosting is easier and faster to implement, but the existing database architecture must be compatible with the cloud infrastructure in order to be effective. Furthermore, database administrators need to monitor the application’s performance to see if the migration process has impacted the operations of the organization.
Refactoring allows you to take full advantage of the cloud service, and it offers more control and flexibility. However, customizing a database from scratch is costly, resource-demanding, and takes more time to implement.
Another option for companies who don’t wish to build new database infrastructure when migrating data to the cloud is Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS). DBaaS is a cloud service that manages the infrastructure and resources required by cloud databases. There are mature cloud database solutions for Postgres, for MySQL, and most other popular databases.
Whether you upload your database or build it from scratch, there are challenges that will come up during the migration process. Let’s talk about the challenges and how to best manage them.
After a company has successfully migrated to the cloud they still need to manage operations. Database administrators have the daily task of database optimization. One of their concerns is the lack of local access, as the database servers are now managed by the cloud provider. However, it is the database administrator's responsibility to keep contact with the cloud service providers and to manage the daily operations of the database.
Before building your cloud database management strategy, there are a few things to consider:
1. Scalability limitations
Does your data workload frequently fluctuate? What would happen if you need to scale over your allowed capacity? Most providers such as AWS and Azure don’t offer unlimited storage. Ensure you have space to grow. A hybrid cloud with cloud-bursting capacity can be a solution for scalability.
2. Cloud performance
If using a DBaaS, most of the infrastructure is run by the cloud provider. You need to be clear about what level of performance you expect from your database once it is on the cloud. Growing storage requirements mean that database administrators need to find and allocate new storage quickly to maintain performance. You can buy more storage to manage sudden extra storage needs.
Database administrators should monitor the workload so they can adjust the storage requirements of the database. Cloud costs are tied to usage. Organizations can thus manage performance spikes, which in turn helps prevent surprise charges.
3. Hybrid and multi-cloud compatibility
The adoption of hybrid clouds, while useful, often present compatibility challenges between the on-premise and the cloud infrastructure. This requires setting up adjustments so you can easily move your data from on-premise to cloud and vice-versa. Solutions should include features such as data synchronization.
4. Lift-and-shift
While this is the most used database migration strategy, lift-and-shift raises the issue of compatibility between your database and the cloud service provider architecture. Often this means you need to rearchitect your application to move in the cloud. This can increase the costs of migrating. Cloud service providers such as Azure have solutions that adapt the application to run in the cloud, making the transition easier.
5. Cloud security
When migrating to the cloud, organizations must consider the security of their database. Especially when dealing with sensitive data, companies are wary to move it to a public cloud, out of concern about data leaks. The increase in advanced persistent threats, particularly data breaches, is a cause for concern for organizations moving to the cloud.
Security best practices include protecting the data by encrypting it at rest or in transit. Access control can help you prioritize access to data, detect insider and incoming threats and stop malware or viruses. Finally, a good disaster backup and recovery strategy can help you recover data lost during the migration process.
While cloud service vendors provide proprietary security solutions, installing a cloud security solution can add an extra layer of security to the database. Cloud security tools often include protection against unauthorized access and advanced and insider threats through a set of policies, procedures, and technologies.
Migrating your database to the cloud is not an easy feat. It requires a well-thought-out strategy, good relations with the cloud services provider, and flexibility so you can make changes to the application.
This process can present operating risks such as sudden storage needs, which can escalate your operating costs. Other issues like compatibility with your cloud service providers need to be addressed at the beginning with a detailed plan. Following the tips we discussed, you have the tools to win migrating your database to the cloud.
