Migrating to Atlassian Cloud represents a strategic shift that can transform how your organization operates, collaborates, and scales. With Atlassian's server products reaching end-of-life, organizations need a structured approach to ensure a smooth transition. This comprehensive cloud migration checklist will guide you through the essential steps to prepare for, execute, and optimize your Atlassian Cloud migration.
Key takeaways
- Strategic planning is essential: Develop a comprehensive migration strategy that addresses technical requirements, business objectives, and user needs to create a roadmap for success.
- Assessment drives success: Conduct a thorough assessment of your current environment to identify potential challenges and opportunities, ensuring your migration strategy is built on solid understanding.
- User adoption requires focus: Invest in change management, clear communication, and early training to ensure users embrace the new cloud environment and maximize its benefits.
Phase 1: Assessment (3-12 months before migration)
Before diving into migration, you need to understand your current environment and establish clear objectives. This critical phase sets the foundation for your entire migration journey.
- Understand the migration scope and complexity
- Count the number of instances, apps, and users
- Determine if your migration will be straightforward (3 or fewer instances, 6 or fewer apps, <750 users) or complex
- Evaluate your current Atlassian setup
- Install the Cloud Migration Assistants for Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket
- Use the app assessment feature to understand app compatibility
- Review your current customizations and integrations
- Start planning your migration approach
- Determine your migration timeline
- Assemble your migration project team
- Start a free Cloud migration trial
- Conduct a MAGIC assessment (for organizations with over 1000 users)
- M: Migration strategy
- A: Apps, integrations, and customizations
- G: Growth & scalability
- I: Identity management
- C: Compliance & security
Phase 2: Planning (2-3 months before migration)
With a clear understanding of your migration scope, it's time to build your team and develop a detailed migration plan.
- Assemble your migration team
- Project manager: Manages the migration and acts as the main point of contact
- Systems admins: Configure systems and perform the migration
- Executive sponsor: Handles budget approval and champions the project
- Technical team and testers: Performs the migration and testing
- Security, legal, and compliance representatives
- Product champions: Help teams adapt to the new environment
- Build your migration plan
- Create a Jira Software project to track tasks
- Set up a Confluence space to document decisions
- Develop a high-level timeline with buffer periods
- Determine when to complete maintenance tasks (upgrades, cleanup, archival, backup)
- Choose your migration method
- For teams over 10,000 users: Consider a lift and shift method
- For teams over 1,000 users: Consider engaging a solution partner
- For most organizations: Plan to use the Cloud Migration Assistant Applications
- Document current environment statistics
- In Jira: Review "Database Statistics" in the System info admin page
- In Confluence: Check counts in Admin > General configuration > System information
Phase 3: Preparation (1-2 months before migration)
This is your final preparation phase before testing your migration. Ensure all details are confirmed and create necessary resources for the migration event.
- Complete pre-migration items
- Review the Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket pre-migration documentation
- Identify information requiring additional manual steps
- Plan for handling all data types (user data, app data, attachments, customizations)
- Create a migration runbook
- Document specific actions required to start and complete the migration
- Record preparation steps, durations, and any necessary downtime
- Update the runbook as new items are identified
- Prepare your environment
- Install the Cloud Migration Assistant apps
- Upgrade your Atlassian products to recommended versions:
- Jira Software: 7.13.1 or higher
- Jira Service Management: 3.0.0 or higher
- Confluence: 5.10 or higher
- Create User Acceptance Testing cases
- Write test cases for verifying data migration
- Include cases for major functions and daily activities
- Test permissions and roles
- Verify anonymous access settings
- Create cases to verify the amount of data migrated
- Develop communication and training plans
- Prepare messaging for stakeholders, testers, and users
- Create an FAQ page in Confluence
- Gather training resources using Atlassian's Cloud adoption toolkit
Phase 4: Testing (1 month before migration)
Now it's time to run a test migration to identify and address any issues before the production migration.
- Back up your environment
- Back up data, file system, and attachments in your current application
- If data exists in the Cloud application, back that up too
- Store backup files in a safe location
- Perform a test migration
- Follow the steps outlined in your runbook
- Install or migrate apps
- Move all data, users, and groups
- Connect or integrate other applications
- Note the duration of each step
- Conduct User Acceptance Testing
- Ask the test team to complete the test cases
- Monitor cases for problems or new findings
- Document any issues that arise
- Retry the migration if needed
- Address any problems identified during testing
- Repeat the test migration until everything runs as expected
- Finalize migration date
- Choose a date with minimal user activity
- Ensure critical team members are available
- If migrating more than 1,000 users, inform your Cloud Migration Manager at least one month in advance
- Complete final preparations
- Communicate the date and launch plan to all stakeholders
- Alert support teams to expect additional requests
- Use announcement banners to share migration plans
- Ask users not to make changes during the migration
Phase 5: Migration (Migration day)
After careful testing, it's time for the production migration. Follow your runbook closely to ensure a smooth process.
- Back up everything again
- Back up data, file system, and attachments in your current application
- Back up any existing data in your Cloud application
- Execute the final migration
- Install or migrate apps
- Move all data, users, and groups
- Connect or integrate other applications
- Complete all steps in your plan
- Conduct final User Acceptance Testing
- Ask the test team to complete the test cases
- Address any issues that arise
- Decommission previous application
- Make projects and spaces read-only by modifying permissions
- Add an announcement banner with a link to the new Cloud application
- Disable the ability to login to the old system
- Redirect the old URL to the new URL
- Sever connections and integrations with other applications
- Take the previous application offline if appropriate
Phase 6: Launch (1-4 weeks after migration)
In the weeks following migration, focus on supporting users and optimizing your new Cloud environment.
- Monitor support channels
- Proactively monitor the Jira project, chat room, or other support channels
- Check in with stakeholders and support staff
- Update the FAQ page with new questions and answers
- Train users
- Conduct training sessions using resources from Atlassian's Cloud adoption toolkit
- Provide clear instructions on how to request help
- Stay informed about Cloud updates
- Regularly review the Atlassian Cloud roadmap
- Bookmark the Atlassian status page or subscribe to notifications
- Continue learning
- Consider Atlassian University training courses or certification
- Join the Atlassian Community to network with peers and continue learning
Implementing security measures during migration
Security should be a paramount concern throughout your migration journey. Use this checklist to ensure your data remains protected.
- Review Atlassian's security practices and compliance certifications
- Understand encryption and compliance standards
- Review Atlassian's security documentation
- Update firewall allowance rules
- Ensure Atlassian domains are accessible
- Verify IP addresses and domains for Atlassian Cloud products won't be blocked
- Verify user authentication
- Ensure migration users have System admin permission on Data Center
- Confirm they exist in the target cloud site with organization admin role
- Check public access settings
- Review project permissions
- Consider removing anonymous access before migrating
- Plan for sensitive data handling
- If using Atlassian Guard Premium, review content scanning detections
- Identify and protect sensitive information
- Address external integrations
- Note that entity IDs change in Cloud
- Plan to update external integrations post-migration
- Review HTML and JavaScript code
- Remove embedded HTML or JavaScript from custom field descriptions
- Address potential security vulnerabilities
Understanding cost factors and ROI
A comprehensive understanding of costs and potential ROI is essential for making informed decisions about your migration.
- Calculate initial migration costs
- Licensing fees (review Atlassian's subscription pricing)
- Migration resources (internal staff time and external consulting)
- Training costs
- Temporary dual environment costs
- Identify long-term benefits and savings
- Reduced infrastructure costs
- Lower maintenance overhead
- Automatic updates
- Improved scalability
- Enhanced productivity
- Include contingency in your migration budget
- Add buffer for unexpected challenges
- Plan for potential timeline extensions
- Conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis
- Consider your organization's specific circumstances
- Account for size of user base and complexity of environment
- Align with long-term strategic goals
Frequently asked questions about Atlassian Cloud migration
What are the key benefits of migrating to Atlassian Cloud?
Migrating to Atlassian Cloud offers numerous benefits including automatic updates and maintenance, enhanced security features, improved accessibility from anywhere, better scalability to meet growing needs, and access to the latest features and innovations. Additionally, cloud migration eliminates the need for managing on-premise infrastructure, reducing IT overhead and allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than maintenance tasks.
How long does a typical Atlassian Cloud migration take?
The duration of an Atlassian Cloud migration varies significantly based on the size and complexity of your instance. According to Atlassian community forums, migrations can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months from planning to completion. For larger enterprises with complex customizations, the process tends to be longer. The actual data transfer might take several days, with GLiNTECH noting that "data transfer times and post migration fixes can mean migrations take more than 72 hours on average" for the execution phase alone.
What happens to our apps and integrations during migration?
Apps and integrations require special attention during migration, as not all server apps have cloud equivalents, and some function differently in the cloud environment. Atlassian recommends using their App Assessment Tool early in the process to identify potential issues. You should contact each Marketplace Partner (app vendor) to check if their migration path supports the Cloud Migration Assistant and to get advice on migrating their data efficiently. For custom integrations, be aware that entity IDs change during migration, which may require updates to integration code.
How can we ensure data security during and after migration?
To ensure data security during migration, update your firewall allowance rules to permit connections to Atlassian domains, implement robust backup strategies for both server and cloud environments, and review public access settings before migration. After migration, leverage Atlassian Cloud's security features, including encryption and compliance with standards like HIPAA. If you're using Atlassian Guard Premium, review content scanning detections to identify sensitive data. Additionally, continue to monitor and audit access permissions in your new cloud environment to maintain security standards.
What's the best approach for managing user adoption during migration?
The best approach for managing user adoption includes building a dedicated migration team with representatives from different departments, developing a comprehensive communication plan that keeps all stakeholders informed, investing in early training tailored to different user groups, implementing a champion program where power users serve as local resources, and gathering ongoing feedback to address concerns promptly. GLiNTECH emphasizes that "Communication is key!" and that early investment in training "contributes to productive testing and a more successful production migration."
Sources:
Atlassian
Atlassian Support
Atlassian Cloud Migration Checklist
GLiNTECH
Cprime
