When considering a move to the cloud, understanding your data is essential. Cloud migration offers many advantages—scalability, cost savings, and improved collaboration—but can also pose challenges if not approached thoughtfully. Before migrating, it’s crucial to evaluate your current data landscape and plan for a seamless transition. Here are key questions to ask to ensure your data strategy aligns with your cloud goals.

1. What Data Do You Have, and Where Is It?

The first step in any cloud migration is to take stock of your data. Identify what types of data you hold—whether it’s structured or unstructured, sensitive or non-sensitive—and map out its current location. Is your data scattered across multiple on-premises systems, or is it already partially in the cloud? This assessment helps you understand the scope of your migration and any potential challenges, such as data silos or integration needs.

2. How Will You Handle Data Governance and Compliance?

Data governance and compliance are critical when moving to the cloud. Consider regulations like GDPR, CCPA, or industry-specific standards that dictate how your data must be stored and managed. Cloud providers often offer compliance certifications, but it’s your responsibility to ensure that your data governance policies align with these regulations. Develop a plan for data classification, access control, and audit logging to maintain compliance.

3. What Are Your Security Requirements?

Migrating to the cloud can expose your data to new security threats. Evaluate your current security posture and determine what needs to be done to protect your data in the cloud. Consider encryption, identity and access management (IAM), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and intrusion detection systems. Partnering with a cloud provider that offers robust security features is essential, but maintaining your own security protocols is equally important.

4. How Will You Ensure Data Quality?

Data quality can make or break your cloud migration. Before moving your data, address any inconsistencies, duplicates, or errors. Establish data quality metrics and cleansing processes to ensure that your data remains accurate and reliable post-migration. Implementing regular data validation checks and audits can help maintain data integrity over time.

5. What Is Your Data Migration Strategy?

Developing a well-thought-out data migration strategy is critical for a smooth transition to the cloud. Decide whether you will use a phased approach or migrate everything at once. Determine which data needs to be migrated first based on its importance to your business operations. Evaluate the tools and services that your cloud provider offers to help automate and streamline the migration process.

6. What Are Your Data Storage and Archiving Needs?

Understanding your data storage and archiving requirements is crucial for optimizing cloud costs. Analyze the volume and type of data you have to determine the most cost-effective storage options. Some data may need to be readily accessible, while other data can be archived. Leverage cloud storage tiers to manage costs effectively without sacrificing performance.

7. How Will You Optimize Data for Cloud Performance?

Not all data is cloud-ready. Analyze how your data will interact with cloud services to optimize performance. Consider data format, size, and access frequency. Using a content delivery network (CDN) for frequently accessed data or caching strategies can improve performance and reduce latency. Additionally, choose cloud regions that align with your user base to enhance data accessibility and speed.

8. What Are Your Backup and Disaster Recovery Plans?

Cloud providers offer various backup and disaster recovery options, but it’s essential to tailor these to your specific needs. Determine your Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) to establish how quickly you need to recover data in case of an incident. Regularly test your backup and recovery plans to ensure they meet your business requirements.

Conclusion

Migrating to the cloud can transform your business, but it requires careful planning and a strategic approach to data management. By addressing these critical questions, you can build a solid foundation for a successful cloud journey, ensuring that your data remains secure, compliant, and optimized for performance.

Oracle has a presentation that further discusses what happens to PeopleSoft HCM data when it is transitioned to Cloud HCM.

To connect with other Oracle users moving to Cloud, please visit our Move to Cloud group. More information on Move to Cloud is also available in the Quest Learn Library.