They say nothing lasts forever and with Atlassian’s Server EOL announcement, the saying is fortified!
In October last year, Atlassian shook the world by announcing that it would end the sale (and subsequent) support of all its Server products including Jira Software Server, Jira Core Server, Jira Service Management Server (formerly known as Jira Service Desk Server), Confluence Server, Bitbucket Server, Crowd Server, Bamboo Server, as well as Atlassian-built apps. Although the announcement has most caused a lot of furor in the market, it is all for a better future: a future that is underpinned by the cloud!
The available migration options
Server EOL means organizations using Atlassian Server have a few options at hand:
• Stay on the Server until support is ended and then plan the move to Data Center or Cloud (not recommended)
• Or migrate to Data Center immediately and leverage all that Atlassian has to offer via its Data Center products
• Or migrate directly to the Cloud and make the most of all the investments and innovations of the Cloud
• Or migrate to Data Center for the time being, and then move to the cloud
Why is migration to the Cloud a preferred option?
In an era where every organization is looking to digitize itself, cloud adoption is probably THE best way to drive transformation. Not only does Cloud optimize costs; it also delivers unmatched flexibility, security, scalability, and availability of resources. Using Cloud, modern organizations can drive continued growth of their business – without ever worrying about resource constraints.
Cloud’s significance is well-known by most enterprise organizations, and that’s exactly why Atlassian is focusing on delivering world-class cloud experiences to its customers: right from streamlined administration to updated regulatory and security requirements, flexible plans, and more. Given the investments Atlassian is making, migrating to Cloud is a preferred option for teams looking to work flexibly, scale efficiently, and innovate quickly.
When migration to the cloud may not be immediately possible
But direct and immediate migration to Cloud may not always be possible. Here’s why!
Organizations, especially in highly regulated industries, often have to comply with extremely stringent regulations. For such organizations, moving to the cloud may not be immediately possible. They would have to sort out their guidelines and move only when they have all the sanctions, support, and approvals in place.
Despite organizations’ readiness to move to the cloud, it is possible that the apps they are currently using in their Server environment are not available on the cloud. Such unavailability of critical apps on the cloud compels them to delay their move to the cloud – until they (or their alternatives) are made available.
How organizations can still make the most of Cloud
Organizations who want to move their Server products to the Cloud but are restricted by their compliance guidelines or unavailability of apps have reason to cheer! If you can’t immediately move to the cloud, don’t worry!
Here are 3 ways you can still make the most of the cloud deployment:
• The public + private/on-premises option: Organizations who want to immediately move to the cloud but need time to sort compliance issues can opt for a hybrid option: this means moving dynamic, everyday workloads or enterprise applications to the Public Cloud while keeping sensitive workloads in the Private Cloud or on-premises Data Center. This option allows them to make the most of the cloud’s scalability and flexibility capabilities for everyday workloads while continuing to meet regulatory guidelines – until they are equipped for the cloud.
• The public cloud for big data option: The deluge of growing volumes of data often makes it difficult for organizations to keep their head above water. For those who are perennially submerged in data, choosing the public cloud for big data analytics applications is a great way to make the best of both worlds. Since Cloud offers seamless access to unlimited storage, processing, and analytics capabilities, organizations can enjoy a scalable, flexible, cost-effective, and secure way of managing their big data applications.
• The Codefactori option: Another great way of preparing for the eventual cloud move is to first migrate to a modern and competent deployment platform like Codefactori and then to the cloud – once the required products and apps are available. Using a combination of modern software development tools from Atlassian and top-notch secure hosting and release management expertise from Addteq, Codefactori overcomes every possible organizational challenge with ease: from disintegrated workflows to poorly customized tools, hardware management to resource management – moving to Codefactori means organizations can be worry-free about hosting and managing their workloads while enjoying a fully-customized environment with 99% uptime guarantee.
The path forward
If moving to Atlassian Cloud was part of your 10-year plan, you might need to make amendments straight away!
With Atlassian soon bidding adieu to Server products, you might have to move to the cloud ahead of time. But given how tedious cloud migration could be, especially with the EOL clock ticking, it might be best to rope in a qualified partner who can ease out the migration process for you. Working with experts like Addteq can help in a complete analysis and assessment of your existing environment, prepare a robust roadmap, and suggest the best path forward. As a Platinum Partner of Atlassian, we can help in careful yet quick migration of your Server products and ensure you make the most of Data Center or Cloud capabilities.