Getting Started with AEM as a Cloud Service

How to Migrate from AEM On-Premise to AEM as a Cloud Service
Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service (AEMaaCS) offers scalability, automatic updates, and CI/CD capabilities by default, but migrating from on-premise AEM is not a straightforward lift-and-shift process. It requires careful planning, refactoring, and validation.
🧱 1. Assess Your Current Setup
Inventory custom code, content, workflows, and integrations.
Identify deprecated APIs or legacy features.
Check dispatcher configs, replication agents, and user groups.
🧹 2. Clean Up and Modernize
Remove unused components, templates, and content.
Refactor Classic UI to Touch UI.
Replace deprecated APIs with Cloud Service–compliant alternatives.
🧱 3. Align with AEMaaCS Architecture
Modularize your codebase (use Core Components, Sling Models).
Organize folders by best practice (
/apps,/content,/conf).Use editable templates and content fragments.
⚙️ 4. Set Up Cloud Manager
Onboard your program via Adobe Admin Console.
Set up Git repo, branches, and environments (Dev, Stage, Prod).
Configure pipelines for build and deployment.
📦 5. Prepare Code & Deploy
Update Maven project structure to follow AEMaaCS archetype.
Run code scans using Adobe's Best Practices Analyzer (BPA).
Fix critical blockers and deploy via Cloud Manager.
📤 6. Content Migration
Use Content Transfer Tool (CTT) from Adobe.
Migrate content from source (On-Prem) to Cloud.
Run dry-runs before final migration.
✅ 7. Test & Validate
Test all functionality and workflows.
Validate integrations (authentication, APIs, analytics).
Monitor logs and performance post-migration.
🌟 Final Thoughts
Migrating to AEMaaCS isn’t just about moving servers — it's an opportunity to modernize. Plan early, involve both developers and content authors, and take full advantage of Adobe’s tools and guidelines.
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