Cloud engineering

Cloud migration: planned, step by step and with a way back

Moving to the cloud, to another provider or back to your own servers does not have to bring your business to a halt. Sortia Labs plans the migration application by application, tests every step in advance and keeps the current environment ready until the new one has stood up to everyday use. Any maintenance window is kept as short as possible and announced in advance.

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Cloud migration
Lift and shift
Migration to AWS
Migration to Azure
Cloud exit
Server move

InventorySystems and dependencies
PlanOrder and fallback
Step by stepTest run before the switch
TargetCloud or own server
AcceptanceMeasured against the old one

Cloud migration

What a migration with us includes

Inventory and dependencies

Which application talks to which database, which interface depends on a fixed IP address, which cron job has been running unnoticed for years? We clarify this before planning, because this is exactly where surprises hide.

A route for every application

For each application we decide whether it moves unchanged, is adapted to the target platform or gets replaced by a service. The order follows risk and dependencies, not the organisation chart.

Data transfer you can verify

We move databases with replication or verified exports and files with several synchronisation passes. Before the switch-over we compare records and checksums on both sides.

Switch-over with a runbook

The switch has a runbook with a schedule, named owners and clear criteria for going back. We prepare DNS, certificates and access beforehand so that the actual step stays short.

Out of the cloud as well

Not every application belongs in the public cloud. With steady load and high bills we plan the move to your own servers or to a hosting provider in Germany with the same care.

Costs calculated in advance

Before anything moves, we calculate the running costs at the target, including traffic, backups, licences and operations. You decide on the basis of your own numbers.

Approach

How a migration runs

1
Analysis
An inventory of servers, applications, data and dependencies, plus your requirements for availability and privacy. The result is a target design with a cost comparison and a stage plan.
2
Trial run
A less critical application moves first. With it we test the tools, the duration of the data transfer and the way back under real conditions.
3
Migration in stages
The remaining applications follow in planned steps. Old and new environments run in parallel for a while, and every switch-over is agreed with you.
4
Completion
The old environment is switched off only once the new one runs stably and the data has been checked. You receive documentation, credentials and an operations plan for the new environment.

From our own work

Software we build and run ourselves.

Tempo Calendar and day plannerIn October 2026 we moved Tempo from a hosted database service to our own server in Germany. Because the same open-source components run there, only the address and the key changed for the web app and for Android.

Questions about Cloud migration

How much time should we plan for the migration?

That depends on the number of applications, the amount of data and the dependencies. A single application with a database is usually a matter of weeks, a whole company IT rather a matter of months. After the analysis you receive a schedule with individual stages.

Will there be downtime during the migration?

With replication and a parallel environment it can often be limited to a short, announced maintenance window. Whether the interruption can be avoided entirely depends on the application. We tell you openly after the analysis instead of promising it beforehand.

Should we move everything at once?

We advise against it. Moving in stages limits the risk, and what we learn from the first application feeds into the next. Only very tightly coupled systems sometimes move together, and then we plan that date with particular care.

Is moving back out of the cloud worth it?

With steady load, large amounts of data or high costs for outbound traffic, your own server or a hosting provider in Germany can be considerably cheaper. We compare both options using your current bills before you decide.

Read on.

AWS and AzureAWS and Azure offer an almost endless choice of services, and that is exactly what makes getting started hard.Hosting in GermanyWhere the data lives is the first question for many customers and data protection officers.KubernetesKubernetes plays to its strengths when many services, several teams or strongly fluctuating load come together.Database migrationMoving a database rarely means just copying data: data types, stored procedures, character sets and the application's queries have to work the same…Legacy modernizationThe application has run for years, but hardly anyone dares to touch the code any more: the original developer is gone, and the PHP version or the…DevOps and CI/CDWhen a release frays nerves, the cause is rarely the code and usually the road to production.

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Planning to move your IT?

Tell us where you are and where you want to go, for example from your own server room to Azure or from the cloud back to your own servers. You get a first assessment of stages, risks and effort.