CIOPages
☁️Interactive Checklist

Cloud Migration Readiness Checklist

Validate readiness before migrating workloads to the cloud.

30 items0%

Critical items (marked ★) carry 4–5× weight. Migration readiness requires strength across all five phases — gaps in any phase can derail the program.

Phase 1: Discovery & Assessment

Understand your current state before committing to a migration approach.

0/6
A complete application and workload inventory has been completed.★ Critical
1.1
Applications have been assessed using a migration strategy framework (6Rs: Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain).★ Critical
1.2
Application dependencies have been mapped to identify migration sequencing risks.★ Critical
1.3
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis has been completed for target workloads.
1.4
Data classification and sensitivity levels have been assessed for all migrating data.
1.5
Regulatory and compliance requirements for cloud hosting have been identified.
1.6

Phase 2: Cloud Design & Architecture

Design a target architecture that is secure, scalable, and cost-efficient.

0/6
A target cloud architecture (landing zone) has been designed and approved.★ Critical
2.1
Cloud provider selection has been completed with documented evaluation criteria.
2.2
Network architecture for cloud connectivity (VPN, ExpressRoute, Direct Connect) is designed.
2.3
Identity and access management (IAM) design for the cloud environment is complete.★ Critical
2.4
Multi-region or multi-cloud strategy has been evaluated for resilience requirements.
2.5
Cloud cost management and FinOps practices are designed into the architecture.
2.6

Phase 3: Security & Compliance

Security must be built in, not bolted on.

0/6
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tooling is selected and configured.★ Critical
3.1
Encryption standards for data at rest and in transit are defined for the cloud environment.★ Critical
3.2
Vulnerability management and patching processes are adapted for cloud workloads.
3.3
Cloud-native security services (WAF, DDoS protection, threat detection) are configured.
3.4
Compliance controls (GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001) have been mapped to cloud controls.
3.5
Penetration testing is planned for the cloud environment post-migration.
3.6

Phase 4: Operations Readiness

Ensure the team is ready to operate in the cloud before go-live.

0/6
Cloud operations team has completed relevant training and certifications.★ Critical
4.1
Monitoring, alerting, and observability tooling is configured for cloud workloads.★ Critical
4.2
Incident response runbooks have been updated for cloud-hosted workloads.
4.3
Backup and disaster recovery procedures are tested in the cloud environment.★ Critical
4.4
Cloud cost governance (budgets, alerts, tagging standards) is in place.
4.5
A cloud center of excellence (CCoE) or equivalent governance body is established.
4.6

Phase 5: Migration Execution

Execute migrations in a controlled, reversible manner.

0/6
A phased migration plan with clear sequencing and rollback procedures is documented.★ Critical
5.1
A pilot migration has been completed and lessons learned incorporated.
5.2
Cutover plans include communication to business stakeholders and support teams.
5.3
Post-migration validation tests are defined for each workload.
5.4
Legacy infrastructure decommissioning plan is in place to realize cost savings.
5.5
Migration progress is tracked against plan with regular executive reporting.
5.6

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