On-prem to cloud
Move from your own servers to the cloud, at your pace
If your servers are getting old, your hardware refresh is coming, or your VMware bill has changed, you have options. This page sets them out, then shows how a move works with us.
Signs it is time
Signs it is time to look at the cloud
- Your servers are near the end of their life and a hardware refresh is coming.
- Your virtualisation licence or support renewal costs have changed.
- One person holds all the knowledge of how it works.
- Your backups sit in the same room as your servers.
- You are running out of space, power or cooling in the server room.
- You want to stop buying hardware in large lumps.
If one or two of these sound familiar, it is worth a conversation. It is not a reason to rush.
Your options
Ways to move your servers
Stay where you are.
Often the right answer if your hardware is healthy and your costs are stable. Make sure your backups are good and kept away from your servers.
Hybrid.
Keep some systems on-prem and move others. Useful when one system cannot move yet, or when you want to move in steps.
Move to a hyperscaler (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud).
The best choice if you need a wide range of services, certifications or several regions. It can cost more to learn and manage.
Move to Mighty Blue Cloud.
A good fit if you run virtual machines, want simple monthly pricing and want to talk to the person who runs the platform.
How a move works
How a move works, step by step
Free assessment
We look at what you run: how many servers, what they do, how they connect, and what they depend on. You get a written quote within one business day.
Sizing
We size your private network, storage and compute and write it down for you to review.
Pilot VM (ask us)
For some moves we can start with one low-risk server. Ask us whether a pilot makes sense for you.
Cutover window
We agree a time that suits your business. We move the remaining servers and check each one before you rely on it.
Rollback
Your original servers stay as they are until you are happy. If something is not right, you can go back to them.
After the move
24/7 monitoring and emergency support from the operator, with backups through Veeam.
We will confirm the exact method for each server during the assessment.
What moves and what can stay on-prem
Good candidates to move
Standard Windows and Linux virtual machines, application servers, file servers, internal web apps and test environments.
Often better left on-prem, at least at first
Equipment tied to physical devices (phones, door systems, special cards), systems with strict latency needs to something in your office, and anything the vendor does not support in the cloud.
Good to know
We do not currently host regulated healthcare or financial workloads. If that is you, tell us up front and we will say plainly whether we are a fit.
We decide this with you at assessment. Nothing moves that you do not want to move.
Hybrid: your office and your cloud on one network
You can keep some systems on-prem and connect them to your private cloud network with a site-to-site VPN. Your people use both as one network.
This works well for moving in stages, or for keeping a few systems in the office for good.
Licences, billing and leaving
Bring your own licences. You can use your own Windows, SQL and similar licences. You are responsible for making sure they are valid for how you use them. We help you check what you own during the assessment, but compliance remains yours.
No contract, easy exit. Billing is month to month. If you choose a yearly term, a discount is available. If you want to leave, your data stays in standard formats. Exports are available at the extra cost of the USB storage.
Common questions
On-prem to cloud FAQ
No. You can move some servers and keep others, and connect them with a site-to-site VPN.
No. If you run VMware today, that is your on-prem platform. Our cloud runs on Apache CloudStack and KVM. Your servers move to it, but it is a different platform and some things will work differently. We explain what changes during the assessment.
It depends on how much you run and how it connects. We give a plan with timings after the assessment. We do not quote a standard timeframe.
Yes. You bring them and you are responsible for compliance.
We can back up your cloud servers with Veeam Cloud Connect to a hardened repository in Vancouver. Backups are immutable for the retention period you set, so a compromised Veeam server cannot delete or encrypt them.
You can. We use standard formats and have a documented exit process.
Yes. Our hardware and backups are in Vancouver, BC.
Running VMware today? See VMware migration.
Start with a free assessment
Tell us what you run today. We will give you a plan and a written quote within one business day.