Plan your Cloud migration
Documents to help you prepare to migrate your Atlassian Server products.
Audit apps for your migration to Cloud
It's important to understand the apps you currently use before developing your app migration plan. Auditing your apps is a good approach to help you do this and determine what course of action to take for your migration.
This page explains strategies and tools that you can use to practice, research, and improve your app audit and develop your migration strategy. At the end of this page, you’ll also find more information about Atlassian's guides to migrating to Cloud, and using the Cloud Migration Assistants.
How to begin
Your migration will be more successful if you take time to research what apps you currently use, evaluate which apps are critical and decide which apps you may or may not need in Cloud.
Identify all your current apps
You’ll first need to find out:
which apps you have currently installed in Server
the cost of each app
You can do this by:
using the Cloud Migration Assistant (if installed), or
manually identify apps through your admin settings.
The table below explains these options.
Cloud Migration Assistant | Admin settings |
|---|---|
In the Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant or Jira Cloud Migration Assistant home screen, navigate to Assess your apps. This feature will:
| You can see a list of your apps by:
|
If you can't assess your apps using the Cloud Migration Assistant, we've created an app audit template you can use to manually track your apps. The template helps you record things like product, app name, what you're currently paying, and whether or not the app offers critical functionality. Learn more about the app audit template
To use the template, copy it and then customize it to suit your needs.
Identify apps you use
For Jira users: Install and use the 'App Usage for Jira’ app to get deeper insights about your app usage (available for Jira Data Center and Server 8.20.0 and above).
Read more about this feature at the end of this section.
As you continue auditing your apps, you'll want to find out which ones are actually used, and which aren't. Below are some common strategies to identify if and how your apps are used.
General | Confluence-specific | Jira-specific |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Use ‘App Usage for Jira’ for app usage assessments
App assessment is easier when you have clear insights about how your apps are used. To help provide you with this capability, JCMA prompts you to install and use the App Usage for Jira app to get detailed information on how your apps being used in Jira.
What you’ll need to do
For Jira Data Center version 8.20.0 and above
You can also choose to install the app later, by selecting the Assess your app usage link at the bottom of the ‘Assess your apps’ screen. The screen will not display this link if the App Usage for Jira app is already installed. | For Jira Data Center versions lower than 8.20.0
| For Jira Server version 8.20.0 and above
| For Jira Server versions lower than 8.20.0
|
To view your app usage data:
After you’ve installed App Usage for Jira, the app begins to assess the usage of apps installed on your instance. Ensure that you’ve refreshed the screen after App Usage for Jira’s install is complete.
Return to the ‘Assess your apps’ screen of the Cloud Migration Assistant. The screen displays a new App usage column.
Select Usage details for an app, and view the app’s usage details within the Administration > Manage apps tab.
Troubleshooting
Not seeing the new ‘App usage’ column on the ‘Assess your apps’ screen?
Check that you’ve installed App usage for Jira.
Ensure that App usage for Jira app is enabled. You can verify this within Administration > Manage apps.
The ‘Usage details’ link is disabled for an app?
Ensure that the respective app is enabled. You can verify this within Administration > Manage apps.
Want to know more about the App usage for Jira app?
Determine apps you need in Cloud
Once you have a list of your current apps and an understanding of how they're being used, it's time to decide the apps you need, and those that aren’t needed. It's common to find that not all of your apps are being used, or that even those being used are not mission-critical.
Even when apps are being used heavily, many customers choose to use a migration as a chance to clean up. For example, you may want to simplify things like overly complicated workflows in Jira. App audits provide Server admins a great opportunity to make people aware of the problem, ask questions, and give them the opportunity to decide if they want to keep everything or consider alternatives.
In some cases, the features offered by Server apps are either not needed in Cloud or are already available as features in our Cloud products.
Compare your Cloud and Server apps
Starting with your essential apps, determine if each offers a cloud equivalent, and assess feature parity. Below are some common questions you may have as you complete your comparison.
Assess app privacy and security postures
Marketplace Partners (app vendors) are accountable for app data security in Cloud. For this reason, it is important that you contact your individual Marketplace Partners while auditing and assessing your apps, to determine if their Cloud app meets your security, privacy, reliability, legal and compliance standards.
To begin assisting you with this assessment:
Atlassian’s Marketplace trust programs provide signals to identify the trust postures of apps in Cloud.
Atlassian has also implemented strict requirements for every app listed in the Atlassian Marketplace. Third-party apps are expected to comply with industry aligned security self-assessment, and GDPR and European regulations on data and privacy.
The Cloud Fortified Apps program can help you find Atlassian Marketplace Cloud apps with advanced security, reliability and support.
Atlassian provides a ‘Cloud Security Participant’ badge in the Atlassian Marketplace listing for apps that have chosen to participate in Atlassian’s public bug bounty program, and are tested by security researchers.
Learn more about app security in the Cloud migration guide
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if Server and Cloud apps offer the same features?
The best place to start is by looking at your Server apps to see if they have a comparable version for Cloud. Keep in mind that like Atlassian's products, Cloud apps can differ in features and functionality from the Server version, so you'll want to check that the Cloud version has the primary features you need.
You can do all of this using the app assessment feature in the Cloud Migration Assistants if you have them installed on your Server.
We also recommend carefully reviewing the Marketplace listing for each app, and contacting the Marketplace Partner with any questions.
What if an app isn't available in Cloud?
There are a few things you can do if the app you need isn't available in Cloud. You can:
Contact the Marketplace Partner (vendor): Reach out to the Marketplace Partner to see if they're currently working on a Cloud version. It may be possible that they're planning to release one soon, in which case you'll want to find out what functionality it will offer and what their timelines are.
Research alternatives:
Check the list of alternative apps you could switch to. Learn more about Cloud alternatives to Server and Data Center apps
See if there are similar apps available in Marketplace.
Look up alternatives in the CMA: If you are using the Cloud Migration Assistant, apps that you select Use alternative for will automatically show you Marketplace alternatives in the next screen. It's important to understand that these are not recommended by Atlassian, and are selected based on similarity in functionality.
Decide not to migrate the app: If the app isn't essential or isn’t being used, you may choose not to migrate the app.
How can I compare pricing between Server and Cloud?
For each app, check the pricing tab on the Marketplace listing to see if there's a Cloud equivalent and calculate Cloud costs.
If your app doesn't have a Cloud version, review alternative apps and pricing information. Keep in mind there may be multiple alternatives to consider.
Record costs for Server and Cloud in our app audit template to compare pricing. Learn more about the app audit template
How can I test apps in Cloud to see if they have what we need?
You can test the apps you need in Cloud by starting a free app trial on your test Cloud instance. Your testing options include any of the following:
a free migration trial
a Standard 7 day trial (this will revert to a Free plan after the trial)
a Free plan, with a maximum of 10 users (recommended for small teams)
Learn more about testing your Server to Cloud migration
Decide which apps to migrate
After completing your audit, you should have a good understanding of your current app landscape and what your options are for moving them to Cloud. Now it's time to review your audit with stakeholders and decide what to do going forward. Again, we recommend starting by determining what's essential, what isn't, and prioritising from there.
Help your team understand the following:
Which apps and functionality will be available in Cloud after you migrate, and what does this mean for the day-to-day work of the team?
How does your app migration timeline fir into Atlassian discontinuing selling server licenses? Learn more about server licenses
Keep in mind as you evaluate that you may also have custom apps or integrations to consider. In most cases, the same guidance will apply.
What happens after auditing apps
Below are the two processes we recommend after auditing your apps.
Decide on your app migration strategy
The two most common app migration strategies are selective migration and clean slate migration.
Selective migration
Migrating to Cloud gives you the chance to simplify and remove apps from Server instances that have grown organically, were acquired by acquisition, or that lacked strong app governance. This approach involves using the audit process outlined in this guide to:
work out which Server apps are needed in Cloud
determine the migration paths available
migrate app data to the Cloud app, leaving anything you don't need
This method is best supported using the Jira and Confluence Cloud Migration Assistants, which currently automate the app assessment process.
Learn more about assessing and migrating apps with the Cloud Migration Assistant
Clean slate migration
Instead of first auditing your apps, you may choose to remove all of your apps when migrating to Cloud, and then adding apps you need in Cloud after you migrate. You might consider this if:
you have a Server instance that you'd like to simplify in Cloud, or
if you only have a few non-critical apps.
Develop your app migration plan
After you've decided on the apps and functionality to migrate, you'll need to develop your app migration plan and consider the recommendations in this section.
Help Atlassian prepare Marketplace Partners for your app migration
After you’ve started assessing your apps in the Cloud Migration Assistant, Atlassian can help prepare your Marketplace Partners (app vendors) for your app migration.
If you’ve marked at least 1 app as Needed in Cloud on the ‘Assess your apps’ screen, the Cloud Migration Assistant homepage displays an option as shown in the screenshot that follows. This feature allows Atlassian to help prepare your Marketplace Partners (app vendors) for your app migration.
Marketplace Partners can support your app migration better when they know more about your migration plans, the decisions you’ve made in the Cloud Migration Assistant, and the information you provide Atlassian support. By allowing Atlassian to share relevant information with your Marketplace Partners, you can help us prepare them for your app migration. As part of this initiative, we’ll be sharing only relevant details related to your planned migration as listed below:
Details from the Cloud Migration Assistant, that’s limited to:
whether you’ve marked the Marketplace Partner’s app as Needed in Cloud in the ‘Assess your apps’ screen
the app version you’ve installed
Information about your migration plans as provided in your support ticket raised via support.atlassian.com, that’s limited to the following:
your customer domain
the Atlassian products you’re planning to migrate (Confluence / Jira Software / Jira Service Management)
the number of users you’re planning to migrate
the date by when you plan to complete the migration
your current migration phase (assess, plan, test, migration or post-migration)
your solution partner (if applicable)
To view this option in the Cloud Migration Assistant (CMA), ensure that:
you’ve upgraded to latest version of the CMA.
you have at least 1 app marked as ‘Needed in Cloud’ in the ‘Assess your apps’ screen.
Atlassian does not take responsibility of reaching out to Marketplace Partners and informing them about your migration plans.
We strongly recommend that you proactively reach out to your Marketplace Partners to inform them about your intent to migrate, planned migration dates, and request any support you’ll require for your app migration. Read more about the importance of doing this in the section that follows.
Inform your Marketplace Partners
After completing your app assessment in the Cloud Migration Assistant, the next important step is to inform individual Marketplace Partners / app vendors of your migration decision. More specifically, ensure that you have contacted the Marketplace Partners of all the apps that you’ve marked as ‘Needed in Cloud’ in the Assess your apps screen of the Cloud Migration Assistant.
Informing Marketplace Partners early about your intention to migrate their app helps them to understand, plan, schedule and prepare for the size and complexity of your app migration.
Provide the Marketplace Partner with:
your planned migration schedule (including updates about changes to your migration plans)
security considerations
the level of support you require, and
any other app specifics that would be valuable for them to know before you continue to install, test and migrate the app to Cloud.
The migration of app data is highly dependent on the Marketplace Partner (vendors/app developers) of each app, as they will need to provide a migration path to move app data to cloud. We recommend you work with Marketplace Partners of the apps you intend to migrate to review their documentation and determine the best way to migrate each app.
Apps do not need to be disabled or uninstalled from Server before migrating. If your apps are still active when the migration occurs, the migration will still be successful.
Learn more in the Cloud migration guide
More information
We have a number of channels available to help you with your migration:
for migration planning information, visit the Atlassian Migration Program website
for technical issues or support with strategy and best practices, get in touch with our support team
for peer advice, ask the Atlassian Community
for expert guidance, work with an Atlassian Partner
Was this helpful?