Benefits of Lift-and-Shift Migration for Enterprises

In the ongoing age of innovation, organizations have been consistently searching for ways to enhance efficiency, adaptability, and versatility across their operations. This undertaking, thus, leads to the reassessment of their IT infra, conventional on-premises data centers, and so on. Honestly, while these can appear to be familiar, the reality is that they can present several limitations. Faced with this reality, switching to cloud computing is a promising solution. Yet, selecting the right migration strategy can be daunting since there are more than a handful of ways in which companies can move to cloud computing.

However, I will delve into one method in this article: lift and shift migration. We will examine together the potential advantages this approach holds for companies. Understanding the benefits of lift and shift migration is the only way to better assess whether it aligns with your organization's specific requirements, thus enabling you to make a well-informed decision about your cloud migration strategy.

What is Lift and Shift Migration?

The lift and shift cloud migration approach, also known as rehosting in the market, involves the transfer of an existing app, including its data, to a cloud environment, albeit without significant changes. To cut a long story short, this migration strategy involves minimal to no modifications to the app itself throughout the migration process. So, what happens is that the app is relocated from its on-premises setting to the cloud with minimal adjustments to its code, architecture, etc.

Benefits of Lift-and-Shift Migration You Need to Know

• Ease of migrating permissions and other features: With the lift and shift migration approach, the transfer of existing user permissions, access controls, and additional features associated with the application is rendered quite straightforward. This means you can preserve sharing permissions, maintain data timestamps, versions, and migrate external shares. The seamless transfer of these elements is also the key to ensuring minimal user disruption. The approach also simplifies the migration process, thus making the process more efficient and effective.
• No architecture or code changes: One of the most important benefits of lift and shift migration is its avoidance of major changes to the current application's code or architecture. This advantage is especially valuable for legacy apps, where the code may be outdated or perhaps a Herculean endeavor to modify. Avoiding extensive code rewrites means the lift and shift enable quick migration of apps without introducing the complexity associated with overhauling the entire codebase or architecture.
• Minimal disruption risks: This migration approach also helps ensure minimal disruption risks, thanks to its ability to keep changes to the app to a minimum during the migration process. The lift-and-shift approach helps alleviate the risk of disruptions or downtime for users since the application remains largely unchanged. Consequently, the transition to the cloud environment is usually quite smooth and causes minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
• Seamless Delta migration: Lift and shift migration serves as a terrific starting point for a phased migration strategy within the organization. When one initially transfers apps without significant changes, the company can establish a presence in the cloud quickly and begin using its advantages. Subsequently, they can gradually optimize or modernize these apps to fully exploit the cloud's capabilities. Such a staged approach to migration empowers enterprises to migrate quickly and then enhance their apps at their preferred pace.

Final Words

There you have it, folks -- the many compelling benefits that the lift and shift migration presents. However, it is still important to carefully assess your company's needs, constraints, and goals before embarking on the migration journey. Taking into account factors such as scalability, security, and potential disruptions can further enhance the success of your transition to the new infrastructure.