Once you have made the decision to choose Microsoft’s Azure platform as the host for your business’s databases you will want to follow a series of protocols that are designed to ensure a smooth transition. As part of that decision-making process, you may well have searched for managed IT solutions Brisbane, for instance, to get professional guidance on how best to organize your databases and systems. Having discovered that migrating to Azure could help reduce costs and ongoing overheads, where are some of the steps you should be following.
Check compatibility
First of all, it is essential that you carry out checks to ensure that your current database is going to be compatible with Azure. Some of the things that you need to check to include verifying that certain features that are present in your current database setup are available with Azure. You will find that some features such as trace flags, or linked servers, will not be available on the cloud. A good tactic would be to check for compatibility issues by using the Data Migration Assistant provided by Microsoft.
Make sure you choose the correct service model for your needs
It is important to remember that there are different Azure service models and you will need to review these to see which one is the best fit for your organization. Get help with the selection process if you are not sure which one to choose.
The right service tier
The next part of the process involves choosing the right Azure service tier. It is essential that you make the correct selection as your choice will have an impact on costs and services. If you choose a level that is too high it will not be cost-effective and could actually cause reduced functionality issues. Microsoft has thought about this issue and offers help with the migration process by letting you use its Azure SQL Database DTU Calculator, which is an advisory tool well worth using.
What is your required disaster recovery level?
Another important step involves choosing the right level of disaster recovery protection. As you would expect, this decision could be critical. To arrive at the correct level you will need to review your recovery point objectives and recovery time requirements. Once you are comfortable with a figure for these objectives you can establish the correct level of disaster recovery that meets these targets.
What is your migration strategy?
Last but not least, it is very important that you work on creating a workable migration strategy before going ahead with your migration to Azure. You will need to have a clear outline of key elements of your strategy. These include which migration tools to use and what your online and offline strategy is in relation to downtime when the move actually goes ahead. If you follow these relevant steps once you have made the decision to migrate to Azure, it should ensure that the process goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible. With something as important as this to your organization you do not want to leave anything to chance.
About the author
Joseph Fanchon is a senior web developer who has helped develop numerous apps and websites. He enjoys cycling, hiking, and football when he’s not in front of a screen.
