Migrating Applications to the Cloud: The 6 R’s
Migrations are an important process that requires significant investment before the first migration step can be taken. It’s important to understand the environment and to create a migration strategy for each application. To make this process easier, it’s best to use one of the six strategies for migrating applications to the cloud. These strategies are commonly referred to as the 6 R’s: Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Retire and Retain.
Rehost
Rehosting, also known as lift and shift, is the simplest and most straightforward approach to cloud migration. It involves lifting existing applications, as-is, and moving them to the cloud without making any changes. This strategy is the fastest and most cost-effective migration approach, but it doesn’t take advantage of the cloud’s scalability, automation, and other features.
Replatform
Replatforming is similar to rehosting, but it involves making changes to the application before moving it to the cloud. This could be done to take advantage of cloud-native features, such as scalability and automation, or to reduce costs. With this strategy, there is a trade-off between cost and speed, as it takes longer to make the required changes before the application is ready to migrate.
Repurchase
Repurchasing involves replacing the existing application with a cloud-native application. This approach is best for applications that are outdated or that don’t have the features needed to move to the cloud. It’s also a great option for applications that don’t have the resources or expertise to migrate to the cloud.
Refactor
Refactoring is the process of restructuring an application’s code to make it more efficient and easier to maintain. This approach is best for applications that need to take advantage of cloud features, such as scalability and automation, but don’t have the resources or expertise to migrate them to the cloud.
Retire
Retiring is the process of sunsetting an application that is no longer needed or is no longer supported. This approach is best for applications that have reached the end of their lifecycle and that have no value to the business.
Retain
Retaining is the process of keeping an application as-is and not making any changes. This approach is best for applications that are still relevant and that don’t need to be migrated to the cloud. This strategy is the safest and most cost-effective option, but it doesn’t take advantage of the cloud’s features.
Conclusion
Migrating applications to the cloud can be a complex and time-consuming process, but it’s worth it in the end. By using one of the six strategies outlined above, you can ensure that your applications are migrated quickly and efficiently. The key is to pick the right strategy for each application to ensure that it meets the business needs of the organization.