The 5 cloud migration strategies encompass various approaches to moving applications and workloads to cloud environments:
- Rehosting (lift and shift): Involves migrating applications to the cloud with minimal changes to their architecture or functionality, typically using IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) offerings.
- Replatforming (lift, tinker, and shift): Involves making slight adjustments to applications to optimize them for cloud environments, often by adopting PaaS (Platform as a Service) solutions.
- Repurchasing (drop and shop): Involves replacing existing on-premises software with cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) solutions that offer similar functionalities.
- Refactoring/rearchitecting: Involves redesigning applications to take full advantage of cloud-native capabilities such as microservices, containers, and serverless computing.
- Retiring: Involves decommissioning applications or infrastructure components that are no longer necessary or suitable for migration to the cloud.
The 5 R’s of cloud migration strategy provide a framework for deciding how to migrate applications:
- Rehost (lift and shift): Migrating applications to the cloud with minimal changes.
- Replatform (lift, tinker, and shift): Making some adjustments to optimize applications for cloud environments.
- Repurchase (drop and shop): Adopting cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) solutions to replace existing applications.
- Refactor/rearchitect: Restructuring applications to leverage cloud-native features and capabilities.
- Retain: Keeping certain applications or data on-premises due to regulatory, cost, or technical constraints.
Types of cloud migration strategies include:
- Cloud-First Strategy: Prioritizes migrating new applications and services to the cloud rather than investing in on-premises infrastructure.
- Hybrid Cloud Strategy: Involves deploying some applications and workloads in the cloud while keeping others on-premises, creating a hybrid environment.
- Multi-Cloud Strategy: Involves distributing workloads across multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in and leverage best-of-breed services.
- Lift and Shift Strategy: Focuses on quickly moving applications to the cloud with minimal modifications, often using IaaS.
- Cloud-Native Strategy: Emphasizes designing and developing applications specifically for cloud environments, leveraging PaaS and SaaS offerings extensively.
The five phases of cloud migration typically include:
- Assessment: Evaluating current IT infrastructure, applications, and dependencies to determine migration readiness and strategy.
- Planning: Developing a detailed migration plan, including timelines, resource allocation, risk assessment, and communication strategies.
- Migration: Executing the actual migration of applications, data, and workloads to the cloud based on the chosen strategy.
- Testing: Validating migrated applications and services to ensure functionality, performance, and security in the cloud environment.
- Optimization: Fine-tuning applications and infrastructure in the cloud, optimizing performance, cost, and security, and ongoing management and improvement.
The 7R cloud migration strategies encompass a comprehensive approach to determining the best course of action for each application or workload:
- Rehost (lift and shift): Migrating applications to the cloud with minimal changes.
- Replatform (lift, tinker, and shift): Making adjustments to optimize applications for cloud environments.
- Repurchase (drop and shop): Adopting cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) solutions.
- Refactor/rearchitect: Redesigning applications to leverage cloud-native features and capabilities.
- Retire: Decommissioning applications or infrastructure that are no longer needed.
- Retain: Keeping certain applications or data on-premises due to specific requirements.
- Reskill: Providing training and development opportunities for teams to manage cloud environments effectively.