In This Blog

TL;DR

  • A successful cloud migration starts with a properly designed Azure landing zone.

  • Organizations should define disaster recovery regions, naming standards, networking requirements, and security controls before migrating workloads.

  • Extending Active Directory into Azure helps improve resiliency and simplify testing.

  • Emergent Software uses a "Power of 10" methodology to prioritize and validate workload migrations.

  • Starting with low-risk workloads helps teams refine processes before tackling more complex applications.

Starting a cloud migration project requires more than simply moving servers from one location to another.

Successful migrations involve planning, governance, security, networking, disaster recovery, and careful workload prioritization.

In the second installment of our cloud migration video series, Azure Architect Jeremy Brewer walks through what happens during the planning and implementation phases of a cloud migration project.

If you haven't already, be sure to review part one of this series, where we discuss the business justifications behind cloud migration and the preparation steps that help set projects up for success.

Part Two of the Cloud Migration Video Series

Once you've established why you're moving to the cloud, the next step is determining how the migration will actually happen.

This phase focuses on creating the foundation that will support your workloads both during and after migration.

Topics include:

  • Azure landing zones

  • Disaster recovery planning

  • Identity management

  • Networking architecture

  • Security requirements

  • Migration prioritization

The goal is to create a repeatable process that minimizes risk while maximizing long-term success.

1. Create Azure Landing Zones

The first step in most cloud migration projects is establishing an Azure landing zone.

An Azure landing zone serves as the foundation for your cloud environment.

It provides a framework for:

  • Security governance

  • Identity management

  • Networking

  • Operational standards

  • Workload deployment

Whether your workloads use Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or a combination of both, the landing zone provides the structure needed to support them.

Microsoft's Azure landing zone framework offers guidance and best practices for creating a scalable cloud environment.

Building the landing zone first ensures future workloads are deployed consistently and securely.

2. Identify Disaster Recovery Regions

Business continuity planning is another critical component of cloud migration.

Organizations should determine:

  • Primary production regions

  • Secondary disaster recovery regions

  • Failover strategies

  • Recovery objectives

Azure provides paired regions that are designed to support disaster recovery scenarios.

For example, a workload hosted in North Central US may use South Central US as its paired disaster recovery region.

While organizations are not required to use paired regions, they often provide a practical starting point when designing resilient cloud architectures.

If you're interested in learning more about disaster recovery planning, check out our article on protecting your systems with disaster recovery and backup planning.

3. Establish Azure Naming Conventions

Consistent naming conventions become increasingly important as cloud environments grow.

Many Azure services have specific naming requirements and restrictions.

For example:

  • Some resources cannot contain capital letters

  • Storage accounts have unique naming requirements

  • Network assets often follow standardized naming structures

Establishing naming standards early helps improve:

  • Operational consistency

  • Resource management

  • Troubleshooting

  • Long-term scalability

Microsoft's naming and tagging guidance provides an excellent starting point.

4. Extend Active Directory to the Cloud

Identity management plays a major role in cloud migrations.

Many organizations extend their Active Directory environment into Azure during the migration process.

This approach provides several benefits:

  • Improved resiliency

  • Identity replication

  • Simplified testing

  • Consistent authentication experiences

Deploying domain controllers in Azure can help ensure critical identity services remain available even if on-premises infrastructure experiences disruptions.

It also creates a strong foundation for hybrid identity strategies.

5. Understand Your Network Infrastructure

Networking is one of the most important planning activities during cloud migration.

Organizations must evaluate:

  • IP address space

  • Virtual networks

  • VPN connectivity

  • ExpressRoute requirements

  • Routing considerations

One important consideration is that Azure does not support overlapping network address spaces.

If your environment includes multiple locations, business units, or future connectivity requirements, proper network planning becomes essential.

Well-designed networking reduces future complexity and helps prevent costly rework.

6. Address DMZ and Security Requirements

Organizations with internet-facing applications often need to address DMZ requirements as part of their cloud architecture.

A DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is typically used to isolate systems that are exposed to the public internet.

Examples include:

  • Web servers

  • Application gateways

  • External services

Modern Azure environments frequently leverage security solutions such as:

  • Network Virtual Appliances (NVAs)

  • Firewalls

  • Zero Trust architectures

  • Application gateways

Vendors such as Palo Alto and Meraki offer virtual appliances specifically designed for Azure deployments.

Security requirements should be evaluated early to ensure the migration architecture aligns with organizational policies.

7. Start with the Power of 10 Approach

One of the most effective ways to reduce migration risk is to avoid migrating everything at once.

Emergent Software follows a methodology called the "Power of 10."

The process begins by identifying the first ten workloads that are candidates for migration.

Each application undergoes:

  1. Digital estate and eligibility review

  2. Cost analysis and sizing assessment

  3. Migration planning and prioritization

Applications are generally categorized as:

  • Invest – Strategic systems that provide significant business value.

  • Maintain – Important systems that will continue operating with minimal changes.

  • Retire – Legacy systems that no longer justify migration investment.

The first migration typically focuses on a low-risk workload that:

  • Has limited complexity

  • Has minimal dependencies

  • Has strong stakeholder support

  • Provides an opportunity to validate the migration process

After completing the first migration, the team conducts a post-mortem review to identify lessons learned and improve future migrations.

Those learnings are then applied to the remaining workloads as complexity increases.

This phased approach helps build confidence and improve outcomes throughout the migration journey.

How Emergent Software Can Help

Emergent Software helps organizations plan, design, and execute successful Azure cloud migration projects through assessments, landing zone deployments, infrastructure modernization, disaster recovery planning, security consulting, and managed support services. Our team works closely with clients to reduce migration risk while building secure, scalable cloud environments that support long-term business goals. If this sounds familiar, we can help.

Final Thoughts

Cloud migration success depends on preparation, planning, and a well-defined process.

Organizations that invest time in designing landing zones, defining governance standards, understanding networking requirements, and prioritizing workloads are often better positioned for long-term success.

The migration itself is only part of the journey.

Creating a secure, scalable, and manageable cloud foundation is what ultimately drives long-term value.

If you're planning a cloud migration initiative and want guidance from experienced Azure architects, reach out to our team. We'd love to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Azure landing zone?

An Azure landing zone is a foundational cloud environment designed to support workloads, governance, security, networking, and identity management. It provides a structured framework for deploying and managing Azure resources. Landing zones help organizations maintain consistency and scalability as cloud adoption grows. They are often one of the first components implemented during a cloud migration project. A well-designed landing zone can reduce operational complexity and improve security.

Why is disaster recovery planning important during cloud migration?

Disaster recovery planning helps organizations maintain business continuity when unexpected outages occur. During cloud migration projects, teams identify primary and secondary regions, define failover processes, and establish recovery objectives. Planning early helps ensure workloads remain available during disruptions. Azure provides paired regions that support disaster recovery strategies. Proper planning reduces downtime and improves resilience.

What is the Power of 10 migration approach?

The Power of 10 is a migration methodology that prioritizes the first ten candidate workloads for migration. The process includes assessments, cost analysis, workload categorization, and phased deployment. Beginning with lower-risk applications allows teams to validate processes and refine migration strategies. Lessons learned are applied to future migrations as complexity increases. This approach helps reduce risk and improve outcomes.

Why are naming conventions important in Azure?

Azure services often have specific naming requirements that organizations must follow. Consistent naming standards improve resource management, operational efficiency, and troubleshooting. As environments grow, standardized naming becomes increasingly valuable. Naming conventions also help support governance and automation initiatives. Establishing standards early prevents confusion later.

Should Active Directory be extended into Azure?

Many organizations extend Active Directory into Azure to improve resiliency and simplify identity management. Azure-hosted domain controllers can provide redundancy and support hybrid environments. Extending Active Directory can also help simplify testing and migration activities. The right approach depends on business requirements and architecture goals. Identity planning is an important part of cloud migration success.

How long does a cloud migration project typically take?

The timeline varies depending on the size and complexity of the environment being migrated. Smaller projects may take weeks, while enterprise migrations can span several months or longer. Factors such as application dependencies, networking complexity, security requirements, and testing all impact timelines. Most organizations migrate in phases rather than moving everything at once. Proper planning helps establish realistic expectations and schedules.

Author

Jeremy Brewer