Migrating Legacy Systems to the Cloud

Legacy modernization is a daunting but necessary task. Moving to the cloud unlocks agility, cost savings, and innovation potential.

The 6 Rs of Migration

AWS defines 6 strategies for migration:

1. Rehost (Lift and Shift): Moving apps as-is. Fast, but doesn't leverage cloud-native features.
2. Replatform: Making minor optimizations (e.g., moving to a managed database) without changing core code.
3. Refactor: Re-architecting the application (e.g., to microservices) to be cloud-native. High effort, high reward.
4. Repurchase: Moving to a SaaS product.
5. Retire: Turning off unneeded apps.
6. Retain: Doing nothing for now.

Planning Your Migration

Start with a thorough assessment of your portfolio. Identify low-hanging fruit—apps that are low risk but high value to move. Create a roadmap and communicate clearly with stakeholders.