Moving to the Cloud – How a Conversion Works with IVDesk

I thought it would be good to go over how a typical LAN/WAN Network environment moves to a Cloud Computing solution like IVDesk and how this goes smoothly.  This will help take some “fear” out of a conversion and show what we see as best practices that have been developed over the last 8 years of moving customer to the Cloud.

We start our process with a typical “Kick-off” meeting to gather details across the board.  This includes information on all applications in use, existing server hardware, Internet connections, existing network infrastructure, all vendors utilized support across the company, and existing user information.  This process helps document the current environment and provides a “Requirements” document and test plan basis for our Pilot phase.  If we know about it and run it we can test it.  Pretty straight-forward but starts to build on our process of documentation for the customer.  What’s running on what and where, who’s running it, where’s the data, databases, files and folders, and how’s it being managed today.

Our next step is an internal analytical process where we look at server applications and figure out virtualization in relation to how we want to run things.  Normally, the client isn’t involved here but our staff comes up with how each application will run, which will be on virtual servers, what will be physical servers, what will run on the desktops.  Again, pretty straight-forward but detailed.

Once the plan is complete and all the installation CDs, etc. have been gathered, we begin the process of building the environment for them.  We contact the large application vendors and review their migration documentation and strategies, talk with staff, etc., and document the process for each app.  Most of the time this is pretty straight-forward as each vendor has helped their customers move from older servers to new ones, so we’re no different.

At the same time we’re adding all the user information into AD, setting up security groups as needed, verifying email information and groups, and basically setting up the company.  This again is smooth as we’ve done it so many times.  Some applications have AD interaction so that gets setup as well. 

Next, we build the “Pilot” environment.  Setup desktop servers for users, VMs with applications, Physical servers as needed, and literally build the company’s IT infrastructure.  We take a backup copy of their local data and use it as a snapshot for the Pilot.  We verify basic application usage internally and setup the formal Pilot testing and validation, using the “Requirements” and test plan developed early on to make sure everything’s covered.  There will always be some straggling information or settings but this is handled during this Pilot phase.

Continued on next Post

Thanks
Bill Sorenson
www.IVDesk.com
612-605-5461