Migrating workloads to public or private cloud

Migrating workloads to public or private cloud is a critical step for organizations looking to modernize and standardize their IT estate. However, the journey is rarely straightforward, especially for companies dealing with legacy applications, outdated security configurations, and compliance requirements. Traditionally, businesses have relied on Gold Images to streamline operating system deployments, but these images come with their own set of challenges, such as lack of documentation, limited flexibility, and compatibility issues with modern environments.

At RiverMeadow, we’ve developed a revolutionary solution called Gold Plating, designed to take existing workloads and bring them up to modern and supported standards. As part of the migration process, RiverMeadow clones existing workloads without touching the source to the public or private clouds of your choosing, then modernizes the operating system, applications, security configurations, and Day 2 operations stack on the new target clone to rapidly and cost-effectively extend the lifecycle of existing workloads.

The Limitations of Gold Images

Gold Images are preconfigured Operating System (OS) templates that include management tools, security applications, and custom settings. They are meant to standardize deployments across an organization. While this sounds efficient, the reality often falls short:

  1. Undocumented Customizations

    Many organizations fail to document the exact configuration changes made to their base OS. Without this information, replicating or modifying the Gold Image becomes a cumbersome task.

  2. Compatibility Issues

    Gold Images often lag behind in supporting modern tools, OS versions, and security protocols. This poses significant challenges when moving to cloud environments, as compatibility is crucial for seamless operations.

  3. Inflexibility

    Once a Gold Image is created, updating or modifying it can be time consuming, especially if it involves multiple third-party applications and security configurations.

What is Gold Plating?

Gold Plating is RiverMeadow’s process for modernizing workloads during the migration process. Unlike Gold Images, which rely on static templates, Gold Plating modernizes the target clones’ operating system, applications, security configurations, and Day 2 operations software, ensuring that workloads are modernized without the need for complete rebuilds which takes months and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Key Features of Gold Plating

  1. OS Modernization
    • Modernize legacy OS versions (e.g., Windows Server 2008, 2012, RHEL 6.x, 7.x, CentOS, SLES 11) to modern versions (e.g., Windows Server 2019, 2022, RHEL 8.x, 9.x, SLES 15) using OEM-approved methods.
    • Ensure that the modernization process is fully compliant and supportable by Microsoft, Red Hat, and others.
  2. Application Modernization
    • Modernize legacy versions of Microsoft SQL Server and IIS (e.g., SQL Server 2008, 2012, 2014) to modern versions (e.g., SQL Server 2019, 2022) using OEM-approved methods.
  3. Customizable OS Hardening
    • Apply security benchmarks such as CIS (Center for Internet Security) standards.
    • Customers can upload custom OS hardening configuration via CSV, allowing for up to 750 configuration items depending on the OS.
  4. Enhanced Security Features
    • BIOS to EFI conversion: Ensure compatibility with modern hardware.
    • Secure Boot Enablement: Verify the integrity of the OS and prevent unauthorized code execution.
    • Firewall Rule Application: Automatically implement firewall settings to enhance security.
  5. Confidential VM Support
    • Migrate workloads to Confidential VMs to enhance data privacy and security.
    • RiverMeadow can migrate and modernize legacy Windows Server workloads (Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016) to Microsoft Azure and land them on Confidential VMs (Windows Server 2019 or 2022).
  6. Migration Extensions
    • Run custom scripts at various stages of the migration process to automate tasks such as:
      • Removing outdated software.
      • Installing and configuring new security agents.
      • Applying customer-specific configurations.

How Gold Plating works

  • Initial Assessment
    • Evaluate the source workload, including legacy configurations and applications.
    • Identify customer-specific security and compliance standards.
  • Migration Execution
    • Leverage RiverMeadow, start a workload mobility migration, select desired options, and configure security settings as required.

Benefits of Gold Plating

  1. Seamless Modernization: Upgrade legacy systems without costly rebuilds.
  2. Enhanced Security and Compliance: Meet or exceed industry standards for security and compliance.
  3. Risk-Free Migrations: Test and validate the target environment without touching the source.
  4. Operational Efficiency: Automate key aspects of migration and modernization.

Use Cases

Gold Plating is ideal for organizations with large estates of technical debt, particularly in highly regulated industries such as:

  • Financial Services and Banking
  • Healthcare
  • Public Sector
  • Manufacturing

Why Choose RiverMeadow?

With Gold Plating, RiverMeadow provides a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to modernize their IT infrastructure while migrating to the cloud. Our process ensures that workloads are secure, compliant, and optimized for modern environments, all without disrupting your operations.

Reach out to one of our experts.