Database migration involves moving data from one or multiple source platforms to a different database. Organizations often create a database migration strategy that helps align the migration process with specific business needs. For example, an organization may decide to migrate its on-premises data to a cloud-based database to reduce costs. Another business may opt to migrate to a database that offers extended features more suitable to current needs.

A cloud database is a managed service accessed and built via a cloud platform. Users simply request a database instance from a cloud provider, and it is automatically deployed on cloud infrastructure. A cloud database has many functions of a traditional database, with the additional flexibility offered by cloud computing.

Here are typical features of cloud databases:

Here are the top reasons you should consider moving your on-premises database to the cloud.

Migrating your database to the cloud reduces the need for in-house IT staff and data center facilities. Cloud database migration also does not need the specialized tools and resources required to manage complex IT environments. Over time, database cloud migration results in lower capital costs and decreased HVAC and electrical operating expenditures.

The cloud computing vendor offers storage, servers, and other infrastructure in a cloud database environment. It is responsible for maintaining high availability and maintaining the infrastructure. The organization that operates and owns the database is responsible for configuring it, as well as loading, managing and protecting the data.

You can scale a database up and down more easily when you migrate to the cloud. Cloud computing also provides increased elasticity and flexibility. Cloud database migration enables dynamic scaling, so additional database instances can be created to meet changing application loads.

Organizations are using the cloud to help them enforce a strong disaster recovery plan. Organizations can copy or backup entire virtual servers to an off-premises data center with cloud computing.

You can spin up the virtual server on a virtual host in a few minutes. The benefit of this is that you can safely and accurately restore a database in a remote data center without reinstalling the server. Consequently, you can cut down on disaster recovery times.

One of the key organizational goals when migrating databases to the cloud is to improve analytics capabilities, including data lakes and data warehousing. You can even prepare for advanced analytics, for example, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Data modernization is the initial step to initiating scalable analytics capabilities. Organizations can use cloud computing to achieve real-time data availability.

Via the cloud, organizations can visualize their data and provide access to more employees for improved decision-making. Most importantly, cloud providers offer a range of data analytics and machine learning services that can help organizations gain deeper insights into data without a major investment in infrastructure.

See More: Applying Gartners 6 Rs to Data Migration

Here are cloud database offerings from the worlds leading cloud providers Amazon and Microsoft.

Amazon Web Services offers the following cloud database services:

Azure offers the following cloud database services:

See More: A Cloud Networking Primer: Building Your Network in the Azure Cloud

Cloud database services are becoming a pillar of IT operations in the cloud. Traditionally, managing database infrastructure and concerns like scaling and high availability were high on the priority list of IT teams, because databases are typically a mission critical application. Today, many organizations are moving to the cloud and outsourcing these concerns to a third-party provider.

Migrating a database to the cloud is convenient, but also involves a certain loss of control. In the on-premise data center, IT staff could choose their database version, implement customizations, fine-tune performance, and easily integrate their database with legacy systems. All these become much more difficult, if not impossible, in a managed service.

That being said, there are many strong drivers for migrating to the cloud, such as cost savings, elimination of physical infrastructure, easier scalability, disaster recovery, and improved analytics.

In addition, I covered popular cloud database offerings from the big three cloud providers, which you can leverage to make a move to the cloud, notably Amazon RDS, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Cosmos DB. All the leading providers offer free trials and free pricing tiers, so you can test drive any of these services and see if a cloud database is right for your project.

Have you moved your on-premises database to the cloud? What benefits have you seen? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Top 5 Reasons To Migrate Databases to the Cloud - Spiceworks News and Insights