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Cloud Migration Strategies: Lift-and-Shift vs Re-architect


Cloud Migration Strategies


When to migrate as-is vs rebuild cloud-native.


The 6 Rs of Migration


  • **Rehost** (Lift-and-shift): Move VMs directly to cloud
  • **Replatform**: Minor optimizations (e.g., RDS instead of self-managed DB)
  • **Repurchase**: Replace with SaaS
  • **Refactor**: Re-architect for cloud-native
  • **Retire**: Decommission unused apps
  • **Retain**: Keep on-premises (for now)

    • Lift-and-Shift


    When to use:

  • Need to migrate quickly
  • Legacy apps with unknown dependencies
  • Compliance requires minimal changes

    • **Tools:** AWS MGN, Azure Migrate, CloudEndure


    Re-architect


    When to use:

  • App is already being rewritten
  • Performance/scalability issues
  • Want modern cloud features (auto-scaling, managed services)

    • Patterns:

  • Microservices architecture
  • Serverless compute
  • Managed databases
  • Container orchestration

    • Our Approach


  • **Assess**: Inventory and dependency mapping
  • **Prioritize**: Business value vs complexity
  • **Pilot**: Migrate non-critical app first
  • **Iterate**: Learn and improve process
  • **Optimize**: Post-migration improvements

    • Timeline: Lifted 50 apps in 6 months, then selectively re-architected 20%.