Virtual machines migrated from a data center into the cloud, still require the same operational processes as virtual machines on-premises. Moving virtual machines to the cloud may provide additional options not available to you previously with an on-premises virtual machine.

Network Connectivity - The post-migration cutover refers to making the target SDDC the new “home” for a given set of migrated virtual machines. The exact process depends on the IP addressing strategy that is chosen for migrated workloads. If you’ve opted to change workload IP addresses, then a cutover would mean ensuring that the new address space is reachable by end-users and that all DNS has been updated to reflect the change. If instead, you’ve opted for workloads to keep their IP addresses, then a cutover would involve disconnecting any layer-2 extensions for migrated networks and configuring routing such that the migrated networks are reachable via a routed path to the SDDC (VPN, other specific Cloud connectivity).

Asset Tracking – Virtual machine objects being moved between data centers may have an impact on security, licensing, and costs. As virtual machines are moved to a different location, such as the cloud, these asset or configuration databases should be updated to reflect the new state of your applications after a migration.

Monitoring – Many times, ownership of virtual machines by Infrastructure teams may change if the virtual machine exists in the cloud instead of on-premises. It is important that monitoring is appropriately configured and alerts go to the right teams as workloads are moved to different data centers.

Disaster Recovery – Add your virtual machines to a new disaster recovery routine. You may be using a second cloud location to protect against a regional disaster or you may start using your on-premises locations as your fail over location. It is vital to ensure that your disaster recovery routines are still viable after migrating your virtual machines to cloud infrastructure.