July 27, 2024

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TL;DR: We’re bringing collectively a number of Google Cloud migration packages underneath the revamped Speedy Migration Program, or RaMP. Underneath the management of our new VP of Migrations Stephen Orban, RaMP is designed to present prospects and companions all the pieces they should consider and execute large-scale migrations to Google Cloud, together with the right way to assess individuals, course of, and expertise readiness. Learn on for extra from Stephen about what he’s discovered about cloud migrations over 10 years each as each a CIO and serving to hundreds of enterprises transfer at a number of cloud suppliers.


I participated in my first full knowledge heart migration to the cloud 10 years in the past whereas I used to be the CIO of Dow Jones. We migrated a couple of hundred servers (amongst different issues) in 6 weeks. It was the primary of practically 50 knowledge facilities Dow Jones migrated to the cloud, and the primary of hundreds of migrations I’ve participated in since (extra particulars on this and plenty of different migrations will be present in my guide, Forward within the Cloud). On the time, there have been only a few consultants certified to make cloud enterprise instances, no 6Rs, no such factor as a touchdown zone, no cloud migration tooling, frameworks, or packages, and only some different enterprise prospects to be taught from (we talked to most of them). 

Regardless of the shortage of finest practices to attract from, it labored out properly for us. Our cloud invoice was roughly 30% lower than it price us to run that knowledge heart. And, this was one in all many strikes we made to rework the position IT performed to ship enterprise worth quicker (we went from a couple of software program releases a 12 months to tons of per week). 

Trying again, there have been two main elements to our success. First, our knowledge heart lease was expiring in 6 weeks, which gave us a “compelling occasion” to maneuver quick. Second, we had already discovered loads from constructing new functions on the cloud for the 12 months main as much as it.

In different phrases, we had focus and expertise. A transparent, immovable deadline that pressured us to rally the best individuals and groups throughout our groups to get it executed. Shortly.

In the present day, cloud migration finest practices are significantly better understood. Hundreds of enterprises have migrated tons of to hundreds of functions, regulated enterprises are constructing refined touchdown zones to deal with a plethora of management aims, there are well-known methods and blueprints for migrating particular workloads, most massive IT consultancies have sturdy cloud migration practices, and the general IT inhabitants is changing into extra skilled with the cloud. 

Regardless of this momentum, I nonetheless discuss to prospects who aren’t migrating as quick as they’d like. The sample in these conversations is one thing like: “We’d wish to be 75-100% within the cloud within the subsequent Three-5 years, however we’re nonetheless solely 5-10% of the way in which there. Please be extra prescriptive by telling us what you’ve discovered from prospects which can be additional alongside.” And whereas there are fewer of them, I nonetheless discuss to prospects who’re not sure if they need to transfer in any respect. 

The numbers inform the identical story. Trillions of dollars are spent on IT globally annually, but a mere few hundred billion has moved to the cloud (10% at finest). 

So what’s taking so lengthy? Why are so many enterprises migrating slower than they deliberate?

I imagine it comes down to vary administration. Giant-scale cloud migrations require the individuals, course of, and expertise inside a big group to evolve in unison. Many shoppers lean into this and examine their migration as a chance to evolve their tradition quite than simply enterprise one other IT challenge. They’re trying to change their working mannequin such that they’ll constantly innovate as a substitute of constantly falling behind (bear in mind Blockbuster?). And migrations require persistence, which will be troublesome, particularly with quickly altering macroeconomic pressures. Even probably the most properly run large-scale cloud migrations take months (if not years). 

In all of the large-scale cloud migrations I’ve participated in over the past decade, I’ve discovered the next 5 finest practices assist handle the change, hold focus/affected person, and migrate efficiently:

  1. A enterprise case articulating the “why” that executives throughout enterprise, IT, finance, safety, and operations are aligned on; 

  2. A studying plan tailor-made to every position so people can get hold of new expertise and neutralize the FUD accompanying modifications to how they work;

  3. A “Cloud Heart of Excellence” (CCoE) workforce that harvests finest practices, units up and maintains the touchdown zone, and units “rules” and blueprints for a way groups will scale utilization/migration. The CCoE then drives the fourth and fifth finest practices;

  4. A well-defined OKR (Goal and Key Outcomes, or a set of objectives) that’s broadly communicated and measured, inspected, and often reported on;

  5. Robust program governance with often scheduled opinions (ideally weekly) of progress towards OKRs, triaging dangers/points/challenges, and the harvesting of newly discovered finest practices.

Within the ~7 months I’ve been at Google Cloud, I’ve discovered dozens of merchandise, packages, and engagement fashions to assist prospects via a large-scale migration and implement a few of these finest practices. We’ve StratoZone to find and assess workloads emigrate, a Migrate to Digital Machine service to lift-and-shift servers, a Database Migration Service, a Storage Switch Service, a Migrate to Containers service, CAMP helps prospects modernize workloads, a Google Cloud Migration Specialization system integrator companions earn to reveal their migration competence, and plenty of, many extra. 

Whereas many shoppers are utilizing every of those capabilities and instituting a few of these finest practices, some have requested us to carry all of it collectively inside a unified, holistic strategy, and wish assist with:

  • Constructing a enterprise case and driving stakeholder alignment

  • Assessing and shutting gaps on individuals, course of, and expertise readiness

  • Creating “migration waves” the place workloads are prioritized (often simple to laborious) and segmented by migration technique (the 6Rs)

  • Making a touchdown zone with satisfactory monetary, safety, and compliance controls

  • Deciding what instruments to make use of

  • Defining and executing a coaching and enablement plan (what roles want to vary and the way)

  • Establishing a Cloud Heart of Excellence (CCoE)

  • Setting OKRs 

  • Selecting the correct companion(s)

  • Relentlessly managing the migration

And that’s simply to call a couple of! So, over the previous couple of months, we’ve assembled a workforce of Googlers throughout each space of Google Cloud to do exactly this. Collectively, this group has *centuries* of cloud migration expertise, and is working towards unifying our present merchandise, packages, and engagement fashions into one world-class Speedy Migration Program, or RaMP. We’re touchdown RaMP with our first set of shoppers this 12 months to land a contemporary cloud working mannequin and migration finest practices supported by companions akin to Accenture, Deloitte, Onixnet, SADA, Slalom, 66 Levels, Wipro, TCS, HCL, and extra. 

As one instance, we developed a “RaMP Deck” Google Sheet to make use of as a “single-source-of-truth” between our prospects, companions, and account groups to make sure we’re using the best finest practices, monitoring progress towards OKRs we’ve set collectively, and triaging dangers, points, and challenges as they happen. 

I’ll be following this put up up with extra posts outlining finest practices (those talked about above and extra), buyer and companion success tales, new instruments, templates, and approaches we’re making obtainable. If there’s anything you’d like us to cowl drop me a line to stephenorban@google.com with concepts. And, final however not least, in the event you’re able to discover your migration, you may discuss to your Google Cloud account consultant, go to our RaMP web site, and/or join a free pre-migration IT discovery and evaluation at this time.

Hold constructing!

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