Google Cloud, or to be more exact, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), is rapidly gaining popularity as one of the market leaders in cloud computing services, besides the popular Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
Google Cloud at the moment offers the best network throughput, nearly three times the throughputs of Azure and AWS, and many businesses all over the world are now looking to leverage this unrivaled advantage.
Thinking of migrating to the Google Cloud platform but don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll discuss the quick and effective way to migrate to Google Cloud.
Without further ado, let us start from the basics: what is Google Cloud?
What Is Google Cloud?
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is Google’s suite of public cloud computing services that facilitate businesses (or even individuals) in developing, deploying, and running cloud applications.
What actually is a cloud computing service or cloud platform?
In a nutshell, a cloud platform allows you to present your internet service as an application instead of a traditional website. By using a cloud platform like Google Cloud, you can leverage the cloud provider’s data centers that are widely spread all over the world to:
- Reach potential users worldwide
- “Borrow” the cloud platform’s AI capabilities and massive computing power
- Use the cloud vendor’s advanced analytics features
- Take advantage of the cloud vendor’s massive data storage
- Lower the upfront and maintenance costs you’d otherwise need to spend in setting up your own infrastructure
By using the service of a cloud platform like Google Cloud, you don’t need to invest in physical servers or other hardware pieces, and you’ll only need to pay for the resources the cloud vendor’s machines use, at a fraction of the price.
There are three leading choices when it comes to cloud computing platforms: Amazon Web Service (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and while at the moment, GCP is considered the “smallest” of the three, it has some unique advantages that make it more interesting for businesses, as we will discuss below.
Why Migrate to Google Cloud?
Since the partnership with a cloud platform ideally should be a long-term one, it’s important to choose the right partner according to your business’s unique needs.
With that being said, Google cloud offers some unique competitive features that could be worthy considerations for your business:
Cost-efficiency
Google Cloud offers a competitive pricing strategy, allowing you to pay only for the resources you are using. In the long run, this can translate into major cost-savings since you don’t need to spend on resources you are not using (or spend less for underused resources.)
Many Google Cloud resources tend to be more cost-effective than comparable offers by Azure or AWS, up to 50% cheaper. It’s also worth considering that many GCP services are priced by the second instead of per hour or per minute.
Google’s private network
Google Cloud leverages Google’s private fiber-optic network that is widely spread in many different countries all over the world. This is the same network that powers Google’s services like Gmail and Google Maps, so you are in for reliability and speed.
As discussed, Google’s private network offers the best throughput (how many data packets arrived successfully in a set timeframe) when compared to AWS and Azure.
Security
Google Cloud is powered by Google’s security features that are also used on services like Google Search and Gmail.
Versatility
GCP allows you to manage different cloud deployments independently, giving you more freedom in controlling your apps and deployments. Quite recently, Google also introduced Anthos, which allows you to deploy hybrid apps for even more versatility.
Key Factors in a Successful Google Cloud Migration
Are you now convinced about migrating to Google cloud but still not sure where to start?
Businesses should consider the following factors to ensure a smooth Google Cloud migration process:
- Having a comprehensive cloud migration strategy
What’s the business objective behind the migration plan? Without a clear objective, it’s virtually impossible to have a clear migration strategy. Yet, having a comprehensive cloud migration strategy is crucial in ensuring a smooth transition and avoiding unnecessary spending.
- Ensuring cloud security
Security should be a very important concern in any cloud migration process. If you are performing the cloud migration in-house, it’s important to have an in-house DevOps engineer with experience in cloud security.
Security measures should be implemented before and during the Google Cloud migration process, including but not limited to:
- Setting secure configurations in all cloud applications and instances
- Automating security processes whenever possible
- Establishing continuous monitoring systems
- Avoiding cloud sprawl
Cloud sprawl is a common issue in any cloud migration process, in which organizations cannot establish complete centralized control for all their cloud components.
It’s important to conduct a thorough IT audit before the migration to avoid cloud sprawl. An audit can help you identify all business processes that currently exist in the organization, the roles of different team members, and how they will be affected after the migration.
Make sure you’ve established full accountability within your organization and maintain transparency throughout each phase of Google Cloud migration.
- Preparing your team
If your team isn’t ready, the Google Cloud migration will literally be useless.
Make sure all the affected team members have the needed knowledge and skills not only to assist the migration process but also to operate the cloud-based infrastructure after the finished migration. Make sure that training programs and certifications are included in the migration process.
Migrating to Google Cloud with Confidence
To ensure a smooth migration process to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), you can leverage professional Google Cloud migration services by Pythian that can help you identify and build comprehensive plans to help you transform and migrate your current apps and databases to Google Cloud.
Pythian offers 24/7 ongoing operational support from its global, certified teams, so you can make sure you’ll always get help during and after the cloud migration process.
A smooth transition to Google Cloud will allow your business to maximize its ROI, and Pythian can be your Google Cloud partner in planning, executing, and managing the migration process, as well as helping you leverage your new Google Cloud solutions.
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