The clock is ticking, prepare for the sunset of Atlassian server products now

To help accelerate your transition, we have compiled key considerations and best practices to fast track your migration to cloud.
 

1. Don't waste the opportunity

Migrating to the Cloud is a chance for your organisation to change the way it works by streamlining operations and increasing productivity. The ability to rationalise the assortment of project schemas that can accumulate as you expand is a major advantage. By utilising the Cloud, you can consolidate projects and plug-ins, allowing for streamlined processes and improved cross team collaboration.  During your transition, the ways of working should be consistent to reduce context switching for developers, allowing them to focus on innovation rather than navigating various system contexts. Workflows and management overhead can be further optimised using your existing on-premises experience which can translate to a streamlined migration to the Cloud.

2. Involve the right people
 

Getting the right people in the room early on is needed to migrate efficiently. 

The key to delivering on time is to integrate cyber, identity, and business sponsors as soon as possible. Settling on your identity management approach early can accelerate your migration plans by reducing potential re-work and addressing questions around risk early on. Involving the right technical teams is also required to work through security and network configurations, which can remove potential blockers later on. Proactive engagement and buy-in fosters a collaborative and informed environment in which security and access control issues are foreseen and addressed, resulting in a successful and efficient Cloud migration. By actively incorporating stakeholders, establishing consensus, and adopting strong security measures, you not only reduce the risk of the migration, but you also hit the ground running for a smoother and more streamlined delivery process.

3. Have the hard conversations
 

In the same way that a good house move is a great chance to declutter and get rid of items you no longer need, the transition to Cloud can be used as an opportunity to streamline your Atlassian environment. Some tools and capabilities are essential, while some are just nice to have, engaging with your project owners and engineers can differentiate between these and can allow you to prioritise the necessary ones to maintain and plan for during the migration to Cloud.  After narrowing down to your essential plug-in capabilities, it is beneficial to assess these against the new capabilities of Jira and Confluence Cloud, which may already support your needs.

4. Keep it simple
 

The path of least resistance is one that focuses only on the essentials for Cloud migration. These questions can start the conversation with your team and prioritise only necessary immediate moves to the Cloud:

• Do you need all projects in the Cloud or can you archive all but the essentials? – Focusing on only essential pieces of work and archiving non-essential or outdated projects can reduce the complexity and lead time of migrating.
• Do you need all of those plug-ins or can you cut down to the bare essentials? – As mentioned, discuss with your team on the essential plug-ins needed to maintain business operations.
• Are your schemas a mess and could you design re-usable and scalable alternatives? – You can find opportunities to streamline, standardise, and optimise your project structures by examining how you use issues, workflows, and roles.

Answering and deciding on these 3 key questions puts you one step closer to a seamless migration.

5. The new cloud licensing model
 

There are some key differences to consider in the new Atlassian Cloud product licensing model compared to the soon-to-be legacy server products. Plug-ins and services are charged based on the overall number of users on your site, which will require a cost conscious approach to adding additional tools and plug-ins.

However, Atlassian Cloud allows for the creation of separate sites within the one organisation, which supports consolidate invoicing and volume pricing, while providing the option to split user groups into sites as needed.

Atlassian also offers dual licencing to customers during their migration, in order to assist them by reducing duplicate payments during the migration process.

Understanding and utilising the possibilities of this new licencing approach becomes increasingly important as the digital landscape evolves for organisations seeking efficiency and adaptability in their software management strategies.

6. Improve your security and risk management
 

With any mass data move, security and risk management is essential at every stage of the discovery and migration process.

While you may contemplate if Cloud migration is necessary for your organisation, operating on soon-to-be unsupported systems means more than just missing out on the latest features from Atlassian products such as Jira and Confluence. Delaying migration unnecessarily increases your risk exposure, potentially leading to operational and security issues. In contrast, a shared responsibility model in the Cloud means that organisations can leverage Atlassian's security investments, while focusing resources on data protection rather than infrastructure management.

7. Is cloud right for your organisation?
 

Atlassian Cloud allows customers to store their data within Australia, making it a viable solution organisations nedding to comply with data residency regulations. However, it is important to note that some organisations, particularly those managing sensitive health data, may be subject to more stringent privacy regulations such as HIPAA, which is not supported by Atlassian cloud.

Ultimately, migrating to the Cloud can provide your organisation with an opportunity to reinvent and streamline its operations. This transformation can be used to reorganise project schemas, develop consistent procedures and optimise management practises. The approach may require difficult decisions, such as removing excessive plug-ins, licensing and tools. However, by engaging and utilising the correct team, combining cyber, identity, and business stakeholders, you can ensure the right expertise is in the room. While embracing the Cloud can be a significant driver of innovation and productivity, it is necessary to be aware of data residency rules, aligning Cloud adoption with your organisation's specific needs and operations.

Did you miss our recent webinar?

Ensure you don't miss out on crucial information. Access the recording to catch up on valuable insights and have your key questions regarding the Cloud migration process, especially considering that Jira and Confluence server versions will soon be out of support, answered by industry experts and leaders.

To access the recording, click here.