Migrating Unstructured Data to Public Cloud? Hyperscalers May Not Know the Risks

Many public cloud providers don’t fully understand unstructured data migration; that creates risk.  Their primary focus is delivering extreme performance, unlimited scalability, and cost-effective accessibility, NOT unstructured data migration. Organizations must consider certain factors when selecting the right partner to migrate their unstructured data onto the cloud, says Michael Jack, CRO, Datadobi.

A Hard Lesson: Hope Is Not a Strategy 

Just a few years ago, traditional storage vendors were beginning to wrangle “Big Data” and keep pace with the exponential growth and increasing data complexity. As they went along, they were learning the hard lessons that migrating large quantities of data between different platforms cannot be delivered by inexperienced teams and “freemium” tools. Instead, delivering the absolute best possible outcome requires organizations to invest in and utilize specialized software and develop expert knowledge to avoid unexpected migration failures and delays. 

“Pick Me! Pick Me! We’ll Work the Migration Details out Later”

Today, a similar pattern is looming in the public cloud space. A “we got this” attitude is prevalent among many public cloud storage providers (hyperscalers) who are jockeying to host unstructured data on their cloud. The proverbial carrot being dangled is that by using their migration tools, it’s an easy, quick process, and, by the way, it’s free. While that’s an easy message for hyperscalers to push in the heat of a sale, organizations should see a red flag and reflect on the complexity of their data. They should thoughtfully consider the very real challenges of moving or copying massive amounts of proprietary and valuable data that is the lifeblood of their organizational success.

There is an estimated $312 billion worldwide public cloud services market (IDC May 13, 2021Opens a new window ). Additionally, it’s estimated that 80% to 90% of data generated is unstructured, and the volume of unstructured data is far outpacing structured data. 

Learn More: How Cloud Tech Helps “Everyday Life” Companies

How Well Do Hyperscalers Understand Unstructured Data Migration, Really?

There’s no arguing that there’s a great deal of upside to moving your file data to a public cloud – potential cost savings, scalability and load balancing, flexibility, advanced security and compliance, simplified administration, and heightened business agility. However, getting your data on a public cloud is where your organization’s rubber will meet the road. 

Despite the many benefits offered by public cloud services, no vendor can be all things to all customers, given the unique needs across industries and individual companies. The intricacies and volume of unstructured data mean enterprises must now take data migration one step further and seek out services that guarantee projects are focused on business and technology needs. After all, no vendor can be all things to all customers.

It’s reasonable that hyperscalers are not necessarily focused on providing effective migration planning. They lack the implementation experience. Enterprises need to evaluate this factor when looking to complete a cloud migration project. 

Learn More: Stalled Cloud Migrations: Look at the People, Not the Tech

Look for the Proof in the Unstructured Data Migration Pudding

Consider using a specialized software solution backed by unstructured data experts who get you to the finish line quickly, easily, cost-effectively, and of course with the highest possible integrity. 

Top three must-haves when choosing how and who will migrate your unstructured data:

• Provable data integrity – Due to increasing compliance standards, enterprises undergoing data migrations must be able to provide proof of data integrity. Corrupted data could cost organizations thousands of dollars in downtime as the problem is fixed. 
• An indomitable support team – 24/7 support from an unstructured data expert, can save organizations time, money, and customer frustration. Having quick access to this guidance can be a “make-or-break” in complex data migration projects.
• Agile, adaptable strategies – Successful data migration depends on agility and avoiding infrastructure inflexibility because in the rapidly evolving enterprise IT ecosystem, what’s important today may not be so critical six months from now. 

Migration to the Cloud Doesn’t Have to Be Risky Business

To deliver successful, timely and accurate data migration at scale, organizations should pursue a strategy that takes into account not only the capabilities but also the limitations of their potential public cloud provider. Likewise, when dealing with the complexities of unstructured data migration, filling the migration need must be deliberate and purpose-driven. Enterprises that rely on an unstructured data management vendor for their data migration to the cloud will yield the best outcomes and long-term benefits from the project. 

et us know if you liked this article or tell us on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!