As federal government agencies continue modernizing their operating environments through cloud adoption, it is more than likely that each agency has a multitude of different cloud applications that are being utilized at one time. Some of these applications might be in a single data center or on an agency’s on-prem server.
To safeguard these applications and have a more efficient workspace, it is recommended by cloud experts that agencies migrate these apps to one space. This will not only make the IT environment more efficient, but it will also create a stronger security posture for agencies’ hybrid identities.
Though it may seem like a daunting task for agencies to take on, app migration provides a plethora of benefits, such as boosting productivity and saving on storage space costs. Outlined below is a four-pronged approach that illustrates how agencies can have a successful migration of their applications from one platform to another.
- Discover and scope
The first step is to discover and scope. This is where the agency is recommended to take an inventory of all their applications and the current Identity provider (IdP) for these applications. An IdP is essentially a service that stores and manages digital identities. It provides a way to manage access, add or remove privileges, and create tight security around that application.
After the IdP is located, agencies should scope out every application that is ready to be migrated and figure out all the information that can be collected about them to help catalog the IdPs and figure out what provisions they may need before migrating.
In this step, it is also best to figure out which applications are not needed anymore and delete them if they are of no more use to the agency.
- Classify and plan
Second, agencies should classify their applications by criticality, usage, and expected lifespan. Microsoft has created a three-axis approach to help determine how to classify these applications for the most successful outcome.
If agencies have an application that is mission critical, and the usage is high, that application will be classified as high priority. An application that is considered low in mission criticality, but still has a high lifespan expectancy, should be classified as a second-priority application.
The lowest-priority apps will be the ones that have the lowest usage. These applications may also be ready to be retired. For any applications that fall in between these categories, it is recommended for agencies to discuss and decide where they think these applications should be placed within these categories and classify them accordingly.
- App migration and testing
Next, agencies should start by migrating their first application. This step is the one that will take the longest, but it is the most critical step in the four-phase process.
After the first app is migrated over, agencies should look at its functionality and ensure it is running smoothly. After confirmation, agencies should migrate any of the SaaS apps they may have. Then they can migrate the rest of the mission-line applications.
- Manage and gain insight
Lastly, agencies should manage these applications and gain insight into them. Look into the end-user experience of these applications from both ends of the spectrum within the agency. It is best to also investigate the application and user behavior of these apps. Make sure these applications are running effectively and smoothly once they are migrated.
