Assets as a Cloud Service

Move to AEM Cloud Service Like a Pro: Step-by-Step Guide

Posted on February 13, 2024 by deftsoft

Is there a world where a CMS does not need any maintenance? Yes, there is! The stakes went high in 2020 when Adobe Experience Manager introduced AEM as a cloud service in January. AEM has been a pioneer in migrating on-premise software to the cloud since the beginning. Having said that, AEM cloud service is no surprise.

This state-of-the-art content management system is AEM’s cloud-native solution. Enterprises and business organizations can bring their most ambitious customer experiences to life. It transcends the conventional content management and delivery standards and redefines digital content and campaign personalization.
This blog is the exact beginner-friendly guide to migrating Adobe Experience Manager Sites, Assets, and Managed Services to the cloud. Before discussing, we will also navigate through what AEM as a cloud service is, what the benefits of the AEM cloud service are, and what’s new in AEM cloud service.

What’s AEM Cloud Service? How is It Different from the Traditional AEM?

AEM as a Cloud Service is one of the most revolutionary offerings by Adobe Experience Manager. It is specially formulated to build customized, personalized, optimized, and content-led experiences. With extraordinary power through its sophisticated scalability, Agile methodology, and flexibility, it has become the preferred choice of service for top-notch enterprises.

Since everything is hosted on the cloud, enterprises can say goodbye to the massive number of software updates, downtime experienced due to scheduled maintenance cycles, and scalability issues.

To sum up, AEM as a cloud service renders the following dollar-worthy features that are worth your every penny:

Always-ON:

The AEM cloud service never faces downtime. Since all the maintenance tasks are handled in the backend by the AEM itself, enterprises can harness the mighty features of AEM as a cloud service.

Always Up-to-Date:

The AEM cloud service does not require manual refreshes or a human workforce to check software updates. It always stays updated to the latest versions.

Always at a Perfect Scale:

Since the AEM cloud offers auto-scalability features, enterprises can save capital and deploy their budget to create customer segmentation and content personalization. This cloud-native solution scales up and down when required without human intervention.

Performance Resiliency:

The AEM as a cloud service is unique since it focuses on curating a seamless, robust, and efficient digital and content solution for enterprises. It caters to users with resilient performance through its high speed.

Secure by Default:

The AEM cloud provides secure solutions proactively. It looks for vulnerabilities in the software and, thus, offers quick fixes for the identified set of errors, bugs, and weaknesses. This feature allows enterprises to invest in other significant resources.

Intelligent Microservices:

AEM cloud service also offers various intelligent microservices. For example, a highly performant asset ingestion service integrates Adobe Sensei with the latest research technologies like smart tagging, cropping, etc.

The above highlighting features make it different from the traditional Adobe Experience Manager services that do not offer such robust features.

How Do You Migrate to AEM as a Cloud Service?

The primary goal of AEM cloud service is to eliminate the load of planning for product updates and instead focus on innovating novel ideas for elevated enterprise success. After all, AEM as a cloud service is a secure, scalable, flexible, and extendible solution for digital marketers and IT professionals.

One can boost their website and digital asset performance efficiencies by moving to the AEM cloud services. The AEM cloud takes responsibility for automatically rolling out new product features by testing and optimizing the features on the backend. This phenomenon ensures that the enterprise teams get the best and state-of-the-art applications.

There are three main phases of moving to AEM cloud service. These are mentioned as follows:

Planning
Execution
Post Go-live

These phases can be illustrated in a high-level form as the following:

1. Planning:

Before you plunge into the practice of migrating to AEM cloud service, you must check your readiness to assess these AEM cloud services. You can do so by running tests through the Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) on the source environment.

After running tests, it is a pivotal practice to establish project Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), define success criteria, and fix project timeframes.

2. Executing:

The next step is execution. It involves the process of deploying project code to an Experience Manager Cloud service instance. To implement this practically, one must thoroughly educate oneself about the AEM Cloud Manager.

With the help of Cloud Manager, enterprises can manage the AEM as a cloud service quickly and seamlessly. It has dedicated Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) frameworks. These frameworks speed up the process of customized deliveries and updates without degrading the performance.

The next steps involved in the execution stage are mentioned as follows:

A. Content Migration

In the execution process, the first step is to migrate all the content from the existing AEM instance to the AEM cloud service instance. It can be done using the following two tools:

Content Transfer Tool:

This tool is used to transfer content from an on-premise or AMS Adobe Experience Manager instance to an AEM cloud service instance.

Package Manager:

It is a zip file that is used to import and export mutable content of the repository.

B. Refactor/Optimize Existing Code

You must first compile your code using the SDK API Jar and review AEM Dev guidelines, such as log running jobs and background tasks, sling schedulers, input stream usage, etc.

The code restructuring process without changing the code’s external behavior entails the code refactoring process. Code refactoring aims to ensure that the existing code is compatible with AEM as a cloud service.

The code refactoring process includes the following:

Running Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) on the source environment.
Considering project structuring based on Cloud Archetype.
Separating the code from the content, i.e., mutable and immutable. For instance, /apps and /libs are considered immutable; however,/content, /conf, /var, /etc, /oak:index, /system, /tmp, etc. are mutable, which means that they can be changed anytime during the runtime.
Reviewing and executing the required changes in the code and deploying them on a local SDK.
Performing smoke testing with the help of AEM SDK.

The Repository Modernizer tool is one of the best tools to modify multiple AEM Maven projects to a compatible version for AEM as a cloud service. You can follow the below demonstrated Maven project structure to perform code refactoring:

You can speed up the code refactoring process using tools such as Dispatcher Converter, Asset Workflow Migration, and the AEM Modernizer tool. You can review Dispatcher configurations for refactoring.

C. Deployment/Go Live:

Now that you’ve executed the code, it is time to deploy it. AEM provides its own single git repository, which uses Cloud Manager’s CI/CD pipelines to deploy the code. If you don’t want to use AEM’s repo, you can also use an on-premise or customer-managed git repo with AEM Cloud Manager.

You can then run the customer code through the Cloud Manager Quality pipeline.
It is important to test the code after deploying it. You can perform test cycles using various types of tests such as smoke testing, QA, and many more. After validating the test, your AEM instance is ready to go live on the AEM Cloud Service.

3. Post Go-Live:

After going live, cleaning up temporary files, managing logs, and ensuring you’re following the best industry practices are crucial. It is important to make sure that everything is working as expected after going live.

Do You Really Need to Ditch Your Current CMS for AEM Cloud Service?

AEM Cloud Service is indeed a hefty investment, especially if you’re an enterprise already deploying an efficient CMS. In such a case, do you really need to shift to AEM cloud service?

You can either ask your CMS or cross-check yourself to find if your answers are positive for the following questions:

Does your CMS scale up and down automatically in times of abrupt increase in traffic flow?
Is your CMS solution 99.99% available?
Does your CMS fix bugs and update software automatically at its backend?

If your answer is affirmative to the above questions, you don’t need to upgrade. However, if it was negative even for two pointers, it is time to switch to Adobe AEM as a cloud service.

It’s a Wrap!

That’s all for the guide for AEM as a cloud service local setup. The world is abruptly adopting the power of cloud computing, and the digital world is at the apex of the line. An enterprise can supercharge its productivity and efficiency by seamlessly following this migration guide to AEM cloud service.

If you’re looking for a detailed step-by-step guide to moving from AEM to AEM cloud service, this is the perfect guide for you. We mentioned the three most pivotal phases of the migration process, how to tackle emerging issues, and whatnot.
Stay tuned for more AEM-related guides and updates with Deftsoft!

FAQs:

What is meant by AEM cloud services?

AEM as a cloud service is a new-generation solution to working in scalable, highly available, and Agile environments. It is a cloud-native solution for all the AEM instances, such as Adobe Experience Manager Assets, Adobe Experience Manager Sites, AEM Managed Services, etc. It also offers new software updates and keeps the AEM instances up-to-date. Therefore, it reduces pressure on IT teams and marketers so that they can focus on other productive tasks.

What is required to access AEM as a cloud service?

An enterprise user must be added to a group of the required Cloud Service Products. There are various AEM Administrators and AEM user profiles. You also need to make sure that your AEM instances are compatible with the recent releases of the latest version of the AEM cloud service.

What tools are used for migrating to AEM as a cloud service?

There are mainly two tools that are used for migrating to AEM as a cloud service. These are: 1. Content Transfer Tool, 2. Package Manager.

What is the key difference between Adobe Managed Service (AMS) and AEM as a cloud service (AEMasCS)?

Adobe Managed Service is a hosting offering by Adobe Experience Manager for the conventional AEM 6.5. On the other hand, AEM as a cloud service is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering by Adobe that provides scalability, high availability, elasticity, security, and agility for varied AEM instances.

What is the difference between AEM 6.5 and AEM cloud service?

Since AEM as a cloud service is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), i.e., it is not hosted locally on a data center. Therefore, it is lighter than the traditional Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) 6.5. Also, AEM cloud service has a lower ownership cost than AEM.

Assets as a Cloud Service: A Game-Changer for Content Creators

Posted on October 26, 2023 by deftsoft

Content creators are individuals or professionals responsible for generating, designing, and producing various forms of digital content for online or offline platforms.

Social Media has revolutionized the world of content creation and that’s when Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) emerged as a bussing solution. This has reshaped the way content creators are now approaching their content.

Cloud-based solutions, such as AEM Assets as a Cloud Service, have revolutionized the traditional patterns of content management. This evolution is linked to the broader context of content creation in the Digital Age, where rapid technological advancements meet the demand for engaging, multimedia- experiences.

In this era, AEM Migration to Cloud has become a strategic imperative, ensuring that organizations harness the full potential of cloud-based infrastructure. The relationship between AEM Digital Asset Management capabilities and the speed of cloud services has started a new era of content creation. Within this framework, Adobe Asset Management solutions play a pivotal role, providing content creators with the tools needed to understand the complexities of the digital landscape.

Understanding Adobe Experience Manager

With modern content creation stands the Adobe Experience Manager, a comprehensive solution that includes powerful tools for Adobe Manager Sites, AEM Cloud Services, and AEM Assets as a Cloud Service. Moreover, Adobe Experience Manager is more than just a content management system. It’s a dynamic platform that empowers content creators by combining digital asset management, web content management, and online forms. As a part of the broader spectrum of Asset Management, Adobe Experience Manager stands out for its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the digital world.

AEM Cloud Service: Key Features

Adobe Experience Manager’s transition to the cloud signifies a paradigm shift for content creators. With AEM Cloud Services, collaboration becomes effortless, allowing teams to work cohesively across geographies. Real-time updates, streamlined workflows, and secure access are pivotal features. Furthermore, Adobe Experience Manager Digital Asset Management functionalities are enhanced, ensuring that multimedia content managed via AEM Assets as a Cloud Service, remains organized, searchable, and ready for deployment. The cloud-based infrastructure significantly optimizes content creation processes, making Adobe Experience Manager a vital tool in the arsenal of any content creator.

Benefits of AEM Cloud Services for Content Creators

For content creators navigating the complexities of the digital age, the benefits of Adobe Experience Manager Cloud Services are transformative. Content versioning and approval workflows are seamlessly managed through Digital Asset Management, ensuring that the right content is delivered at the right time. The efficiency of AEM Migration to Cloud ensures uninterrupted productivity, while the collaborative prowess of Adobe Experience Manager fosters innovative content creation. With its cloud offerings, content creators experience a dynamic shift, enabling them to focus on what they do best: crafting compelling, high-quality content that resonates with audiences worldwide.

AEM Cloud Services:

A. Revolutionizing Content Management

1. Scalability and Flexibility in Cloud-Based AEM

AEM Cloud Services herald a new era in content management, offering unparalleled scalability and flexibility. Traditional constraints dissolve in the cloud, allowing content creators utilizing AEM Assets as a Cloud Service to expand their horizons limitlessly. The adaptability of Adobe Experience Manager in the cloud means that organizations can effortlessly scale their operations, accommodating the growing demands of the digital landscape.

2. Collaboration and Remote Work Capabilities

One of the hallmarks of AEM Cloud Services is its robust collaboration and remote work capabilities. Content creators, regardless of their geographical location, seamlessly collaborate in real-time. Teams using AEM Digital Asset Management tools find themselves interconnected, enhancing creativity and productivity. With AEM Migration to the Cloud, the boundaries of collaboration are pushed further, enabling remote teams to work cohesively, ensuring the continuity of creative processes.

3. Enhanced Security and Version Control

Security and version control lies at the core of AEM Cloud Services. Enhanced security protocols safeguard valuable digital assets, ensuring their integrity and confidentiality. Migration to Cloud guarantees a smooth transition while maintaining stringent security measures. Moreover, meticulous version control, an intrinsic feature of AEM Digital Asset Management, assures content creators that they are always working with the latest, approved versions, fostering a secure and collaborative content creation environment.

AEM Assets as a Cloud Service

1. Exploring AEM Assets Module

Within the era of AEM Services, the AEM Assets as a Cloud Service module stands as a beacon of innovation. It redefines how digital assets are managed and utilized. This module allows content creators to delve into a comprehensive array of features, simplifying the intricate process of content management. With its intuitive interface, users navigate effortlessly, organizing multimedia resources with precision. AEM Digital Asset Management capabilities within this module enable metadata tagging, ensuring assets are not only stored efficiently but are also easily searchable, streamlining the creative workflow.

2. Advantages of AEM Assets in the Cloud

The advantages of Adobe Experience Manager’s assets in the Cloud are manifold. By leveraging these services, content creators experience unparalleled flexibility and accessibility. Assets become available anytime, anywhere, enabling seamless collaboration among globally dispersed teams. Furthermore, during Migration to Cloud, assets are seamlessly transitioned, ensuring continuity in creative processes. The cloud environment enhances version control and security, providing a robust foundation for Adobe Experience Manager users. Scalability is intrinsic, allowing content creators to adapt swiftly to changing project requirements, optimizing productivity and creativity.

3. Easy Integration with Content Creation Tools

The integration capabilities of AEM Assets as a Cloud Service with various content creation tools epitomize synergy. Seamless collaboration between Adobe’s creative suite and the cloud service ensures a harmonious workflow. From Adobe Photoshop to Adobe Illustrator, assets seamlessly transfer, maintaining their integrity and quality. This integration transcends formats and mediums, accommodating diverse creative needs. The fluidity in the exchange of assets between Adobe Asset Management solutions and content creation tools not only enhances productivity but also fosters an environment where creativity knows no bounds, solidifying the pivotal role of AEM Cloud Services in the digital content landscape.

AEM Migration to Cloud: Best Practices

Planning and Strategy for AEM Migration

A successful AEM Migration to the Cloud hinges on meticulous planning and strategic execution. Understanding the nuances of Adobe Experience Manager and AEM Assets as a Cloud Service is crucial. The migration strategy should align seamlessly with the organization’s goals and workflows. Prioritizing content structure and metadata tagging ensures a smooth transition, optimizing AEM Digital Asset Management capabilities in the cloud. Collaborative efforts between teams and stakeholders, guided by the expertise of Adobe Experience Manager professionals, lay the foundation for a successful migration.

Overcoming Challenges in Migration to Cloud

Challenges during Migration to the Cloud are inevitable, but proactive measures mitigate risks. Addressing legacy system complexities and ensuring compatibility with cloud infrastructure are paramount. Collaboration between IT specialists and content creators streamlines workflows. Comprehensive testing protocols identify and resolve potential bottlenecks before they impede migration progress. Moreover, leveraging the expertise of Adobe Asset Management specialists aids in resolving migration challenges, ensuring a seamless transition that upholds content integrity and accessibility.

Ensuring Data Security and Integrity During Migration

During AEM Migration to the Cloud, data security is non-negotiable. Rigorous encryption protocols safeguard content throughout the migration process. Attention to detail in data mapping and validation guarantees content integrity post-migration. Regular audits and adherence to Asset Management best practices reinforce data security, creating a robust framework where data remains confidential, accessible, and unaltered. This meticulous approach assures stakeholders that their assets are safe, solidifying trust in Adobe Experience Manager Services.

Efficient Organization and Retrieval of Digital Assets

In the realm of AEM Digital Asset Management, efficiency is paramount. Adobe Experience Manager Assets as a Cloud Service offers intuitive tools for systematic organization and swift retrieval. Metadata tagging, by AEM Cloud Services, ensures assets are well organized, enabling content creators to locate and employ resources quickly. Seamless integration with content creation tools enhances the creative workflow, providing a cohesive environment where assets are efficiently managed and readily available.

Collaboration and Workflow Optimization

Digital Asset Management under AEM Services fosters collaboration and optimizes workflows. Teams, regardless of geographical dispersion, collaborate seamlessly. Cloud-based collaboration tools enhance real-time interactions, nurturing creativity. Content creators leverage Adobe Experience Manager to collectively enhance assets, ensuring consistency across projects. Workflow optimization is embedded in every facet of collaboration, empowering teams to achieve more together than they could individually.

Version Control and Metadata Management

Version control and meticulous metadata management are linchpins of Digital Asset Management. Under AEM Assets as a Cloud Service, version control ensures that content creators always work with the latest iterations, avoiding discrepancies and fostering a cohesive creative process. Simultaneously, metadata management ensures assets are not only categorized effectively but are also enriched with vital information, enhancing searchability and relevance. This meticulous approach forms the backbone of Adobe Asset Management, enabling digital asset excellence in the cloud.

Strategies for Content Creators

1. Optimizing Cloud-Based Content Creation Workflows

Efficiency in cloud-based workflows is achieved through robust planning, collaborative tools, and streamlined approval processes. AEM Assets as a Cloud Service provides a centralized hub, enhancing asset accessibility, and collaboration, while meticulous version control maintains consistency.

2. Ensuring Consistency and Brand Identity

Maintaining consistency across diverse content is pivotal. Adobe Experience Manager tools enable standardized templates, ensuring brand integrity and a unified user experience.

3. Collaboration Strategies for Remote and Diverse Teams

Cloud-based collaboration tools bridge geographical gaps, fostering creativity among remote teams. Regular virtual meetings and shared digital spaces ensure seamless communication and ideation.

Conclusion

AEM Cloud Services and Adobe Asset Management redefine content creation. Streamlined workflows, enhanced collaboration, and robust security characterize this paradigm shift. Content creators benefit from efficient asset management, ensuring consistent branding, even in remote collaborations.

Now is the time to take your talent of content creation to the next level with Deftsoft’s Adobe Experience Manager Assets as a Cloud Service! At Deftsoft, we excel in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) implementation, customization, and optimization. Our cloud-based solutions transform the way businesses operate. With a blend of technical expertise, creativity, and a customer-centric approach, Deftsoft is a reliable partner for businesses seeking to enhance their digital presence, optimize their operations, and achieve their goal. Your success is just one call away!