Migrating software to the cloud can seem like a leap into the future. Companies expect higher performance, scalability, and lower costs. And it's true - the cloud has the potential to deliver all of that. But the road isn't always smooth. Behind the buzzwords and success stories are real challenges. Some are technical. Others are organizational. All require careful planning and ongoing effort.
In this article, we'll look at the common obstacles teams face when migrating and maintaining software in cloud environments. We'll also share ideas to help you overcome them with more confidence.

Complexity of Migration

Let's start with the migration itself. Migrating software from on-premises servers to the cloud isn't a simple copy-paste. It's a strategic shift that affects every part of your system.
Legacy systems are a puzzle
Legacy applications, especially monolithic ones, were often not built with the cloud in mind. Their architecture may not support easy containerization or horizontal scaling. As a result, the development team often has to refactor or even rewrite parts of the application. This takes time, effort, and money.
Data migration adds risk
Transferring large amounts of data can be risky. Downtime must be minimized. Data integrity must be maintained. And syncing data between the old and new systems during the transition can quickly become complex.

Choosing the Right Cloud Model

Cloud environments are not one-size-fits-all. The client and I need to decide between public, private, and hybrid cloud models. Each has its pros and cons.
For example, public clouds like AWS or Azure are scalable and flexible. But they can raise concerns about data sovereignty or compliance. Private clouds offer more control but require more internal resources to support. Hybrid models seem like a good compromise, but they are difficult to manage.
This decision impacts your migration path and ongoing operations. So take your time. Weigh your security, compliance, and performance needs with our experts before settling on a model.

Security and Compliance Concerns

When your data and applications move to the cloud, so do your security responsibilities. Cloud providers protect their infrastructure, but you are still responsible for your data, access management, and application security within your company.
The shared responsibility model is often misunderstood
Many companies assume that the cloud provider will handle everything. This misunderstanding can leave gaps that hackers love to exploit.
Regulations don't disappear in the cloud
Whether it's GDPR, HIPAA, or another regulation, compliance is still your responsibility. You'll need clear visibility and control over where your data is and who is accessing it.
Pro tip: Set up automated security policies and regular audits. Don't wait for a breach to test your practices.

Cost Management Surprises

At first glance, cloud services seem cost-effective. No more hardware. No more data centers. Just pay for what you use. But things can quickly get out of control.
Unexpected expenses add up
Auto-scaling works great until your bill doubles. Storing large amounts of data seems cheap until you factor in transfer costs. And some services charge per second, making it hard to estimate future costs.
Usage visibility can be poor
Without clear dashboards and alerts, it's easy to overspend. Costs are spread across services, regions, and teams. Tracking everything manually is a pain.

More in our article: https://instandart.com/blog/software-maintenance/challenges-in-migrating-and-maintaining-software-in-cloud-environments/