- Re-hosting
As implied by the name, re-hosting entails lifting the stack and moving it from the on-premises hosting to the cloud. Also called lift and shift, this approach is cheap and requires minor refactoring compared to other approaches. It involves transporting the exact copy of the current hosting environment without making changes for a fast return on investment. This strategy is suitable for companies that have conservative culture or those that have no long-term strategy to harness the advanced cloud capabilities. This approach, however, has some downsides. One of these disadvantages is that you can miss out on the benefits because lifting and shifting require bare minimum changes.
- Replatforming
Unlike re-hosting, re-platforming involves making some adjustments that optimize the cloud. The core architecture in this strategy, however, remains the same. This is a good strategy for conservative organizations that require building trust in the cloud while at the same time achieving benefits such as increased performance. It is also called move-and-improve because it involves moving the stack and making some updates to the application. An example is introducing scaling or automation without overhauling the whole thing. This strategy is a superior option to re-hosting.
- Repurchasing
This strategy involves moving applications to a new cloud-native product. In most cases, it entails moving applications to a SaaS platform, such as moving a CRM to Salesforce. The challenge that this approach has is losing the familiarity of the existing code and the need to train the team on the new platform. Even though it entails the movement of applications to a new cloud, it can be cost-effective in the end if you are moving from a highly customized legacy system.
- Refactoring
Also called rearchitecting, this strategy means rebuilding applications from scratch. This strategy is often used when there is a need for a business to leverage cloud capabilities that are not available in the current environment. It is an expensive option but is also compatible with future versions. This approach requires an investment in skills development and time, but its benefits after proper application are unique.
- Retiring
Retiring involves turning applications off after they are no longer needed. This is done after assessing the portfolio of applications for cloud readiness, after which the applications that are no longer needed are turned off. This is often done to cut costs and boost the case for the need to migrate applications.
- Retaining
For some organizations, adopting the cloud makes no sense. This is mostly due to compliance challenges that force them to keep data on-premises. Another reason can be a lack of preparedness to prioritize an app that was recently upgraded. In such instances, the existing storage can be retained and cloud computing revisited at a later date. Migration is only good if it makes sense to your organization.
At a basic level, migrating to the cloud has various advantages. Some of the key reasons you might benefit from include decreased hosting costs, agility, improved disaster recovery, and decreased footprint. Regardless of the benefits, you are looking to attain, implement the right cloud adoption strategy that suits you.