that scan . NET and Java code for problem areas that may restrict migration to the cloud . Refactoring is a complex function and requires the team to have domain skills in cloud services as well as security and infrastructure knowledge .
• Retire -- Retiring applications appears to be straightforward , but many clients overlook a lot of the benefits . On average , 30 % of your data center applications will be retired due to replicated services within the cloud platforms . In addition , there are often applications running in the data centers that are maintained for compliance requirements only . They could be retired early in the cloud by building the system in software , testing it and then turning it off , thus using the services only when needed . This creates significant cost savings .
• Replace -- Replacing applications is more complex and very dependent on the business unit or application owners . However , the Replace Workbench is required in the event that the total data center footprint is eliminated .
• Retain -- Unless you have a zero-footprint goal , you will likely have to retain some portion of your application estate . At that time , it is really about ‘ end of life ’ scenarios and how you plan to decommission the platform . The challenge is not how to retain the applications , but how will the cloud-based applications engage with the retained applications ? Often the retained applications are centers of gravity . They are huge databases and legacy systems that have hundreds of connections to other services . If you are consolidating data centers and need to move these applications , sorting out the complex spider web of connections is the job of the Retain Workbench .
Summary
Your cloud program may be the single most important technology investment your company will make in the next decade . Getting to cloud requires much more than following a few best practices . Before starting your cloud program make sure you have assembled a team with the experience , tools and processes necessary to execute the move successfully , the first time .
68 | THE DOPPLER | SUMMER 2016