Leading enterprises around the world are moving away from self-managed deployments to cloud-hosted Atlassian applications.
In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of enterprises will migrate entirely away from on-premises data centers in favor of colocation and cloud infrastructure.
But what if you’re migrating all of your users to cloud in phases or retaining some users on a self-managed deployment? You may need to run both Atlassian Cloud solutions as well as Data Center ones in parallel (hybrid) for some period of time.
Here are 5 things to consider if you’re thinking about a hybrid approach, when moving to Atlassian Cloud.
When should you consider a hybrid approach?
When your users need to move in different phases
The transition from server to cloud requires a lot of planning to maintain functionality and security. For organizations with thousands of users, it gets even more complex as some teams may need to move in different phases and work across deployments (i.e. using both cloud and self-managed products together).
When different tools have different security needs
As much as your organization is ready to benefit from the many advantages that cloud technology brings, cloud is not an obvious choice for each tool due to varying security requirements.
While you might be happy running certain tools in the cloud, many organizations find that deploying their mission-critical tools on Data Center might be a better choice for the time being.
When different tools have different cloud roadmaps
Atlassian has invested heavily in their cloud products to make them the best choice for enterprises, offering a modern experience as well as many features that you won’t find in Server or Data Center.
That said, increasing their investment in cloud offerings is a continuous journey and certain features or products might not all be supported at any given time. To get a better understanding of what’s coming up next, consult the Atlassian Cloud Roadmap.
It’s worth pointing out that as Atlassian invests more in their cloud, feature disparities between their self-managed offerings and cloud will only grow larger. While cloud might not be an option for you now, it’s certainly valuable to revaluate it as an option soon.
When you need to reduce cost
Sometimes moving parts of your toolchain to the cloud and keeping others on-premise, can reduce your total cost of ownership, since you’re no longer responsible for many of the costs associated with hosting and operating your Atlassian products. This is especially true if you can keep the use of your on-premise tools to a minimum.
When you want a slower pace of transition to cloud
Companies might be looking for a slower transition to cloud for various reasons. A hybrid model enables users to safely stay on Data Center while taking time to explore the Cloud and decide whether it’s a better option long term.
However, running cross deployments is no magic bullet and comes with its own set of challenges.
What are the challenges when taking on a hybrid approach to Atlassian Cloud migration?
Hybrid might still be costly
Running cross deployments might lower the overall cost of ownership, but smaller businesses might still find it a costly option compared to cloud alone.
Need for clear separation between on-premise and cloud solutions
When going the hybrid route, ensure your on-premise and cloud environments are clearly separated, and that there is no confusion which tool you’re using and where it belongs.
Migrations can be especially nuanced when implementing a hybrid approach
It’s no secret that migrations require expert planning when you’re moving all your users to the cloud, but they can be especially nuanced when you’re moving some to cloud and keeping some on self-managed environments.
Although Atlassian developed new capabilities that allow for tighter integrations between Cloud and Data Center products, working across both deployments presents challenges, like retaining third-party app functionality, data security and more.
In conclusion
If you’re looking for a gradual transition to cloud, or Data Center isn’t feasible for your organization, considering a hybrid approach to cloud could be the right option for you.
Whatever approach you decide to take, you don’t have to go it alone. Our Certified Atlassian Migration Experts are here to help you determine the right strategy for your organization.
Speak with an expert to find out how we can help you navigate away from Atlassian Server and get the most out of the cloud.
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Read next:
- Is hybrid approach to Atlassian Cloud right for your organization?
- 3 Strategies for Migrating Atlassian Deployments to the Cloud
