An Introduction to AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)

AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)

June 14th 2024

The AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) is a comprehensive and proven cloud migration program designed to help businesses accelerate their cloud adoption journey. AWS MAP provides a structured approach to migrating applications to the AWS Cloud, including methodologies, tools, best practices, and financial incentives.

Key Benefits of AWS MAP:

• Reduced Migration Risk: Proven methodologies and best practices reduce the risk of migration.
• Financial Incentives: AWS offers funding assistance to help offset migration costs.
• Expert Support: Cloud Scale are certified partners to ensure a smooth transition.
• Accelerated Time-to-Value: Faster migration process enables quicker realization of cloud benefits.

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The Three Phases of AWS MAP

AWS MAP is divided into three phases:

• Assess Phase
• Mobilize Phase
• Migrate and Modernize Phase

Each phase has distinct goals, deliverables, and activities designed to facilitate a smooth and efficient migration to AWS.

AWS MAP Assess Phase

Objectives:

The Assess Phase aims to create a business case for cloud migration and develop a high-level migration plan.

Key Activities:

• Discovery and Analysis: Collect data on existing workloads and assess their readiness for migration.
• TCO Analysis: Conduct a Total Cost of Ownership analysis to understand potential cost savings.
• Migration Readiness Assessment (MRA): Evaluate the organization's readiness across six perspectives: business, people, process, platform, operations, and security.

Deliverables:

• Business Case: A comprehensive business case outlining the benefits of migration.
• Migration Plan: A high-level migration plan with timelines and resource requirements.

AWS MAP Mobilize Phase

Objectives:

The Mobilize Phase focuses on detailed planning, building foundational capabilities, and addressing gaps identified during the Assess Phase.

Key Activities:

• Pilot Migration: Perform a pilot migration to validate the plan and address any challenges.
• Detailed Planning: Develop detailed migration plans, including resource allocation, timelines, and risk management.
• Foundation Building: Establish a migration-ready foundation with appropriate security, governance, and operational models.

Deliverables:

• Migration Runbook: A detailed runbook outlining the step-by-step migration process.
• Operational Baseline: Established operational procedures and tools for cloud operations.
• Training and Enablement: Training programs for teams to ensure they are equipped to manage the cloud environment.

AWS MAP Migrate and Modernize Phase

Objectives:

The Migrate and Modernize Phase involves executing the migration plan, moving workloads to AWS, and optimizing them for performance and cost.

Key Activities:

• Workload Migration: Execute the migration of workloads as per the detailed plan.
• Modernization: Optimize and modernize applications to leverage AWS services and features.
• Post-Migration Support: Provide support and guidance to ensure smooth operation in the AWS environment.

Deliverables:

• Migrated Workloads: Successfully migrated workloads to AWS.
• Optimized Applications: Modernized applications optimized for cloud performance and cost.
• Operational Excellence: Established best practices for cloud operations and continuous improvement.

Tools and Services for AWS MAP

• AWS Migration Hub

AWS Migration Hub provides a single location to track the progress of application migrations across multiple AWS and partner solutions.

• AWS Application Discovery Service

AWS Application Discovery Service helps enterprise customers plan migration projects by gathering information about their on-premises data centers.

• AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)

AWS SMS is an agentless service that makes it easier and faster to migrate thousands of on-premises workloads to AWS.

• AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

AWS DMS helps you migrate databases to AWS quickly and securely. The source database remains fully operational during the migration, minimizing downtime.

Best Practices and Tips

• Conduct Thorough Assessments

Ensure comprehensive discovery and analysis during the Assess Phase to identify potential challenges early.

• Prioritize Security

Incorporate security best practices from the start, including identity and access management, encryption, and compliance.

• Plan for Change Management

Prepare your team for the migration through training and enablement programs to ensure a smooth transition.

• Leverage AWS Expertise

Utilize AWS and Cloud Scale expertise to guide your migration journey and troubleshoot any issues.

• Monitor and Optimize Continuously

Use AWS tools to continuously monitor and optimize your cloud environment for performance, cost, and security.

Conclusion

The AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) provides a structured and comprehensive approach to cloud migration, helping organizations achieve their cloud adoption goals efficiently and effectively. By following the three-phase approach—Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate and Modernize—businesses can reduce risks, accelerate their migration journey, and realize the full benefits of the AWS Cloud.