Cloud Migration Detailed SOP¶

Sub-procedure for Innovate pillar digital transformation

Overview¶

This sub-procedure provides detailed execution guidance for migrating workloads to cloud environments. It covers wave planning, cutover execution, validation procedures, and rollback protocols to ensure successful, low-risk migrations.

Scope¶

Pillar: Innovate (Digital Transformation) Service Area: Cloud Architecture Parent SOP: Cloud Migration SOP

Prerequisites¶

Cloud Assessment and Design phases completed
Target architecture approved and landing zone deployed
Migration tooling provisioned and tested
Runbooks drafted for all workloads in current wave
Rollback procedures documented and tested
Stakeholder communication plan established
Change management approvals obtained

Procedure¶

Step 1: Wave Planning¶

Objective: Organize workloads into migration waves

Review workload dependencies from assessment
Group workloads into migration waves:
Wave 0: Migration infrastructure and test workloads
Wave 1: Low-risk, low-dependency workloads
Wave 2: Medium complexity workloads
Wave 3: High-complexity, business-critical workloads
Wave 4: Legacy and special handling workloads
Define wave success criteria
Establish wave execution schedule
Assign resources to each wave
Create wave-specific communication plan

Duration: 2-3 days Owner: Migration Lead

Step 2: Pre-Migration Preparation¶

Objective: Prepare infrastructure and teams for migration

Validate target environment readiness:
Network connectivity verified
Security controls in place
Monitoring configured
IAM roles and access established
Deploy migration tooling:
Replication agents installed
Data sync tools configured
Validation scripts prepared
Conduct team readiness:
Runbook walkthrough with team
Roles and responsibilities confirmed
Escalation paths communicated
Execute migration rehearsal (Wave 0)

Duration: 3-5 days per wave Owner: Migration Lead

Step 3: Data Replication and Sync¶

Objective: Replicate data to target environment

Initiate data replication:
Configure source-to-target replication
Monitor initial sync progress
Validate data integrity checksums
Establish continuous sync:
Configure delta replication
Monitor replication lag
Address sync errors immediately
Document data volumes and sync status
Validate data consistency

Duration: Varies by data volume (1-14 days) Owner: Data Engineer / Cloud Architect

Step 4: Pre-Cutover Testing¶

Objective: Validate workloads before production cutover

Deploy application to target environment
Execute test plans:
Functional testing: Core application functionality
Integration testing: Upstream/downstream connections
Performance testing: Load and stress tests
Security testing: Vulnerability and config scans
Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT)
Document test results and defects
Remediate critical issues before cutover
Obtain go/no-go decision

Duration: 2-5 days per workload Owner: QA Lead / Application Owner

Step 5: Cutover Execution¶

Objective: Execute production migration

Pre-Cutover (T-24 to T-4 hours):
Final data sync validation
Stakeholder notification
War room setup
Rollback triggers confirmed
Cutover Window (T-0):
Stop source application (if required)
Final data sync (zero delta)
DNS/load balancer switch
Application startup validation
Smoke test execution
Post-Cutover (T+1 to T+24 hours):
Enhanced monitoring active
User validation period
Issue triage and resolution
Rollback decision window

Duration: 2-8 hours per workload Owner: Migration Lead

Step 6: Post-Migration Validation¶

Objective: Confirm successful migration

Execute post-migration checklist:
Application availability confirmed
Data integrity validated
Performance baseline met or exceeded
Security controls verified
Monitoring and alerting functional
Conduct user acceptance sign-off
Document any deviations or issues
Update asset inventory and CMDB
Transition to hypercare period

Duration: 1-2 days per workload Owner: Migration Lead / Application Owner

Step 7: Hypercare and Stabilization¶

Objective: Provide enhanced support during stabilization

Maintain enhanced monitoring (2-4 weeks)
Provide rapid response to issues
Tune performance based on production data
Optimize costs based on actual usage
Address technical debt identified during migration
Conduct lessons learned session
Transition to steady-state operations

Duration: 2-4 weeks Owner: Operations Team

Rollback Procedures¶

Rollback Triggers¶

Trigger	Severity	Action
Data integrity failure	Critical	Immediate rollback
Application unavailable >1 hour	Critical	Rollback decision
Performance degradation >50%	High	Investigate, consider rollback
Security incident	Critical	Immediate rollback
Multiple critical defects	High	Rollback decision

Rollback Execution¶

Notify stakeholders of rollback decision
Stop target environment applications
Switch DNS/load balancer to source
Validate source environment functionality
Resync any delta data to source
Conduct root cause analysis
Update runbooks with learnings

Deliverables¶

Deliverable	Format	Owner
Wave Plan	Excel/Project	Migration Lead
Migration Runbooks	Word/Confluence per workload	Cloud Architect
Cutover Plans	Word per wave	Migration Lead
Test Results	Excel + evidence	QA Lead
Post-Migration Report	Word/PDF	Migration Lead
Lessons Learned	Word/Confluence	Engagement Lead

Quality Gates¶

Wave 0 completed successfully (migration tooling validated)
Pre-cutover testing passed for all workloads in wave
Rollback tested and documented
Stakeholder go/no-go approval obtained
Data integrity validated post-migration
Performance meets or exceeds baseline
Security controls validated
Application owner sign-off received

Migration Patterns¶

Pattern	Use Case	Tooling
Rehost (Lift & Shift)	Quick migration, minimal changes	AWS MGN, Azure Migrate
Replatform	Database migration, OS upgrade	AWS DMS, Azure DMS
Refactor	Application modernization	Manual, CI/CD pipelines
Repurchase	Move to SaaS	Vendor migration tools

Last Updated: February 2026