Is your ERP server ready for the cloud? A ten-point health check
Before an ERP server moves to the cloud, it needs an honest health check. Ten things we look at, and why each one decides how the move should be done.
Many businesses still run their ERP, file shares and a few critical applications on one server in the office. When that server ages, the question becomes whether to replace it or move to the cloud. The right answer depends on the server's actual condition, so we always start with a health check.
The ten points
- Operating system support. An unsupported operating system stops receiving security fixes. Windows Server 2016, for example, reaches the end of extended support in January 2027.
- Hardware health. Disk errors, failing drives in an array, memory warnings and how close the machine runs to its limits.
- Disk space and growth. How fast the database and file shares are growing tells you what size the cloud machine needs, and what it will need next year.
- Backups that restore. A backup counts only if it has been restored successfully. We check what is backed up, where it goes and when a restore was last tested.
- Performance under load. CPU, memory and disk activity at month-end, when the system is busiest, not on a quiet afternoon.
- Applications and licences. Which applications run on the server, which licences move to the cloud, and which are tied to the hardware.
- Accounts and credentials. Service accounts, scheduled jobs and integrations that log in with stored passwords all have to keep working after the move.
- Security exposure. Open ports, remote access methods, patch level and antivirus status.
- Dependencies in the office. Shared folders mapped on desktops, scanners that save to the server, printers and devices that expect it on the local network.
- Connectivity. The office internet link, and its backup, become critical once the server is no longer down the corridor.
Choosing how to move
The check usually points to one of three paths. A lift-and-shift copies the server as it stands to a cloud machine, which is fastest and keeps credentials intact. A rebuild sets up a fresh, supported server and moves the applications onto it, which is cleaner but takes longer. A hybrid keeps a small local machine for scanners and file shares while the ERP moves out.
Whichever path you take, plan a weekend cutover, a rehearsal restore beforehand and a rollback plan you hope never to use.
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