PiSencePiSence
Cloud, Data & Modernisation

Cloud Migration from On-Premise

Move on-premise servers, databases and applications to the cloud with a rollback plan for every step and no unplanned downtime.

Plan My Migration

Overview

Most on-premise estates cannot be moved in a single cutover — they carry undocumented dependencies, ageing hardware and applications nobody wants to touch. We start with discovery and dependency mapping, group workloads into migration waves, and decide per workload whether a lift-and-shift, a re-platform or a full re-architecture gives the best return. Every wave gets a rehearsed cutover and a rollback strategy before a single production system moves.

Key benefits

Zero-downtime cutover

Rehearsed migration waves with a tested rollback path for every critical step.

Right-sized from day one

Workloads sized against real utilisation data instead of legacy hardware specs.

No data loss

Row counts, checksums and reconciliation reports validate integrity before cutover is signed off.

Repeatable infrastructure

The target environment is delivered as Terraform, not as hand-clicked console changes.

Predictable run cost

A modelled cost baseline plus tagging and budget alerts so cloud spend stays visible.

Exit from ageing hardware

Retire end-of-life servers and data centre contracts on a planned schedule.

Scope — what we cover

Application and server inventory, dependency mapping, migration-wave planning, the 6R disposition per workload (rehost, re-platform, re-architect, repurchase, retire, retain), database migration, network and identity landing zone design, infrastructure-as-code for the target environment, cutover rehearsal and execution, and post-migration performance tuning. Hybrid and multi-cloud target architectures are supported where a full exit is not practical.

Methodology

  1. Discovery — inventory applications, servers, databases and integrations, and capture real utilisation data
  2. Dependency mapping and migration-wave grouping, with a 6R disposition agreed per workload
  3. Landing zone design — accounts, networking, identity, guardrails and cost controls as infrastructure-as-code
  4. Pilot migration of a low-risk wave to validate the pattern, tooling and runbook end to end
  5. Rehearsed cutover per wave with data reconciliation and a documented rollback trigger
  6. Post-migration validation, performance tuning and cost optimisation against the pre-migration baseline
  7. Handover — runbooks, documentation and 30-day hypercare support

Deliverables

A detailed migration plan with a risk register, a rollback strategy for every critical step, a zero-downtime cutover playbook, pre- and post-migration performance benchmarks, a data integrity validation report, infrastructure-as-code for the new environment, full documentation and runbooks, and 30 days of post-migration hypercare support.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions we hear before starting a migration or architecture engagement — click a question to reveal a short, clear answer.

A single contained application is typically 4–6 weeks including discovery. A full estate is planned in waves and usually runs 3–9 months depending on how many workloads and dependencies are in scope.

For most workloads, no. We use replication and rehearsed cutovers so the switchover is measured in minutes. Where a workload genuinely cannot be migrated live, we agree a maintenance window well in advance.

It depends on the workload. Lift-and-shift is fastest and lowest risk for stable applications; re-architecting pays off where you need elasticity or want to retire licensing. We recommend a disposition per workload rather than one blanket approach.

We are vendor-neutral. The choice usually comes down to your existing licensing, your team’s skills and the managed services you need. We model the options and give you a costed recommendation.

Every wave has a documented rollback trigger and a tested rollback path. If the acceptance criteria are not met inside the window, we roll back and reschedule rather than push forward.

We reconcile row counts, checksums and business-level totals between source and target, and produce a data integrity validation report that has to be signed off before the old system is decommissioned.

Yes — Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and common NoSQL stores, including heterogeneous migrations where the engine changes as part of the move.

Not if the workloads are sized properly. We model the run cost during discovery, right-size against real utilisation, and set up tagging and budget alerts so spend stays visible after go-live.

No. Waves are the default. Many clients run hybrid for a period, and some workloads are deliberately retained on-premise for latency or regulatory reasons.

30 days of hypercare is included — performance tuning, issue triage and handover sessions — with optional ongoing support afterwards.