Lift and Shift
A cloud migration strategy where applications are moved to the cloud with minimal changes.
Description
Lift and Shift is a cloud migration approach that involves moving applications, workloads, and data from on-premises infrastructure to cloud environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) with little to no modification. This strategy is often used by organizations seeking to quickly transition to the cloud to leverage its scalability, flexibility, and cost savings. By replicating the existing architecture in the cloud, businesses can reduce the time and resources required for migration while minimizing disruption to operations. While this method can expedite cloud adoption, it is essential for organizations to consider long-term optimization opportunities post-migration, as simply moving applications may not fully leverage the benefits of cloud-native capabilities. Companies often choose Lift and Shift to quickly address capacity issues or modernize their infrastructure without the complexities of redesigning applications from the ground up.
Examples
- A financial services firm migrating its legacy customer relationship management (CRM) application to AWS to quickly improve availability and reduce operational costs.
- An e-commerce company shifting its website and backend systems to AWS during peak shopping seasons to handle increased traffic without modifying the existing codebase.
Additional Information
- Lift and Shift can be an initial step in a multi-phase cloud strategy, potentially leading to more advanced cloud-native transformations later.
- This approach may not always optimize performance or cost-efficiency, as applications may not be designed to take full advantage of cloud features like auto-scaling and managed services.