Migrating Legacy Software to the Cloud: How Does It Work?

If you’re wondering how Crestwood Associates takes an on-premise application like the Microsoft Dynamics ERP software suite and migrates it to the cloud, here’s a look into the process.

First Things First

Crestwood will start by analyzing your existing system, taking into consideration:

• concurrent usage
• transaction volume
• total data size

We then use this data to tailor a cloud environment for your unique needs.

Pay for What You Actually Use

One of the great things about the Crestwood Cloud is that your new cloud environment is “right-sized” based on your actual usage. You won’t have to buy more than you need up front to handle growth, like you would with an on-premise server. Instead, we can simply increase or decrease the resource levels at any time and provide you with just the right amount of infrastructure.

Another great benefit is that we don’t charge per-user fees for your servers. Which means your hosting cost will not increase arbitrarily – only once you require additional hardware capacity to support your day-to-day operations.

Setting Up

Once your environment has been prepped, we will configure your virtual servers. Crestwood servers are hosted on Microsoft’s Azure, so you are protected from downtime and data loss thanks to Azure’s geo-redundant storage technology. Your instance is private which means there are no other organizations sharing your server.

Other cloud providers often place a large number of users on one system, taxing the underlying resources, creating privacy concerns, and limiting the remote access options available.

Moving Your Data

Once your Crestwood Cloud tenant is ready, we will upload your ERP databases and associated apps to the cloud. (If you haven’t already done so, this is also a great time to upgrade to the latest version of your ERP solution.) Application access is delivered via Microsoft’s RemoteApp technology – providing a user experience no different than a locally-installed client. There is no “remote desktop” to which your windows are tethered — you are free to drag around individual windows, even across multiple desktops.  Access is secured via SSL and RemoteApp’s native encryption, ensuring your connection is private.

Refresh, and Ta-Da!

Once we have confirmed connectivity to the new environment, we simply refresh the databases and go live on the cloud platform. You’re in the cloud! It’s fast, efficient, and easy.

Interested in learning more?  Check out this webinar (an oldie but goodie!) presented by Crestwood’s implementation expert, Ben Borger.

Email us:  sales@crestwood.com