What are you trying to improve?
Name the business driver first: capacity, reliability, deployment speed, operating effort, or a change in application needs. A clear goal helps evaluate whether migration is the right step.
Which systems depend on each other?
Inventory applications, databases, identity services, network paths, scheduled tasks, and external integrations. Dependencies determine migration order and the testing you will need.
What must stay available?
Agree acceptable downtime and recovery requirements. Design a pilot and cutover plan around those constraints, with a documented route back if validation fails.
Who will operate the environment?
Define access, monitoring, maintenance, incident ownership, and cost review. A cloud platform still needs an operating model.
How will you measure the result?
Capture a baseline before migration. Compare cost, performance, reliability, and operating effort after the move, using the goals you agreed at the start.