It’s time for business owners to get planning. Support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is ending on January 14, 2020, so companies need to be putting plans in place now to partner with a top managed IT service provider who can ensure that their server infrastructure and applications remain protected and running optimally, without any downtime. A well thought-through, carefully executed transition to an updated server will ensure that the business benefits from increased security, enhanced performance, and greater innovation.
For businesses that don’t have the expertise to manage the migration in-house, the best option is to work with an affordable managed IT service provider such as in Wake Forest, NC that can look at the current set up and suggest an alternative as well as a migration process that will ensure the continued functioning and uptime of the business.
Migration is a core component of any up-to-date datacenter, and upgrading to a newer version makes business sense as, more and more, cloud computing becomes a way of life for businesses. Companies wanting to benefit from new features and functionality need to take this step anyway, so January’s deadline shouldn’t be an issue for companies that are wanting to stay current with the latest technology.
It is possible to make the process more manageable and a positive outcome more likely by partnering with an outsourced managed IT company that will break down the process into four key steps: assess, migrate, optimize, secure and manage. By taking this pragmatic approach, it is possible to successfully address the most important migration challenges first, then deliver the reliability, performance, and security that is expected of a business’s server.
Managed IT Solution | Step 1: Assess the Environment
In the assessment phase, the responsible parties will look at the company’s environment and requirements. Here it is important to look at what there is, where it is, how it works and whether those tasks and processes would be best facilitated as cloud-based applications, or if the upgrade should happen on-premises.
On completion of the ‘Assess Phase’, there should be a list of the items that have been discovered, with a ranking assigned according to each item’s business impact and value. There should also be a recommended plan for migration, and a timeframe assigned to each item.
Managed IT Solution | Step 2: Migrate the Data
This can be divided into cloud migration and on-premises migration. For cloud migration, there are a number of tools that can be used to seamlessly rehost machines virtually. Depending on the business, apps may need to be refactored or rebuilt. The migration of data is more straightforward, and there are tools for database migration available.
For upgrades that are done on-premises, the latest Windows Server version will help get all apps and data ready for cloud migration in the future.
Managed IT Solution | Step 3: Optimize the Process
After the migration of all apps and data has been completed, there needs to be a smooth transition of tasks into this new way of operating. Mobile Computer Services in Wake Forest, NC specializes in optimizing software-based work processes for both single and multi-location companies.
Managed IT Solution | Step 4: Manage the New Environment
In the management phase, it is important to ensure that the new operating environment meets all security and governance requirements. At this stage, it is important to track the health and performance of cloud-based apps as well as infrastructure and data. In this phase, one should ensure that the new environment meets security and governance requirements.
Mobile Computer Services in Wake Forest, NC, specializes in helping businesses migrate to new server systems. With experience in both on-premises and cloud-based server management, they will be able to advise and assist with the successful transition to new server software. In addition, they also offer IT consulting, business continuity planning, network services, and security, on-demand services and much more to keep the businesses in Wake Forest online and running optimally.