A cloud migration strategy is the key to moving your applications, data, and workloads to the cloud without unexpected setbacks. Yet, many businesses dive into migration without a clear plan—only to face rising costs, security risks, and operational downtime. Without the right strategy, what should be a smooth transition can quickly turn into a costly, frustrating mess.
A well-planned cloud migration strategy prevents these issues. It ensures that every step—from assessment to optimization—aligns with your business goals.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- The seven cloud migration strategies—and which one fits your needs.
- The five-phase cloud migration process—so nothing gets overlooked.
- Best practices for a smooth migration—to minimize risks and unexpected costs.
Cloud migration can transform your business, but only if you do it right.
Let’s get started.
What is a Cloud Migration Strategy?
A cloud migration strategy is a structured plan for moving applications, databases, and IT infrastructure from on-premises data centers to a cloud environment. Without a clear migration plan, businesses risk downtime, security vulnerabilities, and higher-than-expected costs.
A well-defined migration approach ensures a smooth transition while optimizing performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
There are three main types of cloud migration strategies:
- On-premises to cloud – Moving existing applications and workloads from physical servers to AWS cloud, Azure, or Google Cloud.
- Cloud-to-cloud migration – Transferring resources between cloud providers for better performance, cost savings, or compliance needs.
- Hybrid cloud migration – A mix of cloud-based and on-premises infrastructure, which offers flexibility and control.
Selecting the right migration strategy depends on business goals, workload complexity, and technical constraints. Some organizations opt for “lift and shift” (rehost), while others choose replatform, refactor, or repurchase approaches. Careful planning is essential to migrating to the cloud without disrupting operations.
The Seven Cloud Migration Strategies
Migrating to the cloud is not a one-size-fits-all process.
Businesses must choose the right migration approach to ensure efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and minimal disruption.
Originally, Gartner introduced the “5 Rs” of cloud migration, but this has evolved into the “7 Rs of cloud migration”, providing organizations with more flexibility in how they move workloads to the AWS cloud, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Here’s a breakdown of the seven cloud migration strategies:
- Rehost (“Lift and Shift”) – This is the fastest way to move to the cloud. Applications are transferred to a cloud environment without any modifications. While this method speeds up migration, it may not fully leverage cloud capabilities.
- Replatform (“Lift and Reshape”) – This approach makes small adjustments to optimize an application for the cloud. Unlike rehost, minor updates improve performance, such as switching to a managed database.
- Refactor (“Rearchitect”) – Applications are completely redesigned to be cloud-native. This strategy maximizes scalability, cost efficiency, and automation, but it requires significant development effort.
- Repurchase (“Drop and Shop”) – Instead of migrating existing applications, businesses switch to Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, like replacing an on-premises CRM with Salesforce.
- Relocate (“Hypervisor-Level Migration”) – This strategy moves workloads without modifications, such as shifting virtual machines from an on-premises VMware Cloud to AWS Cloud.
- Retire – Some applications no longer serve a business purpose. Instead of migrating them, they are decommissioned to save costs.
- Retain (“Revisit”) – Certain workloads remain on-premises due to security, compliance, or business reasons.
The Five Phases of a Cloud Migration Strategy
A successful cloud migration strategy follows a structured approach to minimize risk, ensure business continuity, and optimize cloud performance. Below are the five key phases that guide organizations through a smooth migration process.
Phase 1 – Assess and Prepare
Before migrating applications to the cloud, businesses need to assess their current IT infrastructure, identify workloads, and set clear migration goals.
This step includes evaluating the cloud readiness of applications and determining whether they require rehost, refactor, replatform, or repurchase approaches. Organizations must also consider security, compliance, and cost implications before selecting a migration approach.
Phase 2 – Plan and Design
Once the assessment is complete, it’s time to choose the right cloud environment.
Companies must decide whether a public cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), private cloud, or hybrid cloud best fits their needs.
A detailed migration plan should outline the budget, resources, expected downtime, and the order in which applications will be migrated. The choice between lift and shift, refactor, or replatform will play a crucial role in shaping this phase.
Phase 3 – Migrate
This is where the actual cloud migration process happens. Applications, databases, and workloads are transferred from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud.
Businesses implementing AWS cloud migration or moving to NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP should ensure minimal downtime and data integrity.
For those migrating large-scale databases, using an AWS database migration service can simplify the process. These services help automate data replication, reduce manual effort, and ensure seamless integration with cloud platforms.
Testing during migration is essential to verify performance, compatibility, and security.
Phase 4 – Operate and Monitor
After moving workloads to the cloud, organizations need to actively monitor cloud performance, security, and compliance.
Using cloud migration tools and automation helps track system health, detect potential issues, and optimize cloud-based applications. Continuous monitoring ensures a stable cloud environment and prevents performance degradation.
Phase 5 – Optimize and Scale
Once the cloud migration is complete, the focus shifts to cost optimization, security enhancements, and performance scaling.
Businesses can leverage cloud-native capabilities such as auto-scaling, serverless computing, and managed services to improve efficiency.
Continuous evaluation of cloud security and cost management tools helps organizations refine their cloud strategy and maximize return on investment.
Best Practices for a Smooth Cloud Migration
A well-executed cloud migration strategy minimizes risk, ensures data security, and keeps costs under control. Without careful planning, organizations may face unexpected downtime, compliance issues, and rising cloud costs. Below are key best practices to ensure a successful migration process.
1. Perform a Readiness Assessment
Before migrating workloads to the cloud, businesses should assess existing applications, dependencies, and infrastructure.
Not all workloads are cloud-ready—some may need refactoring or replatforming, while others may be better suited for rehost or repurchase strategies. A cloud migration plan should outline performance requirements, cost expectations, and potential risks.
2. Prioritize Data Security and Compliance
Migrating data to the cloud requires strong security controls to prevent unauthorized access, data loss, or breaches. Businesses must ensure GDPR, HIPAA, and industry-specific compliance standards are met.
This includes encrypting sensitive data, managing user access, and continuously monitoring security threats.
3. Choose the Right Cloud Provider
Selecting between AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or a hybrid cloud setup depends on business needs and technical requirements. Factors such as scalability, cost, support for existing applications, and cloud-native services should guide the decision.
For those considering Microsoft Azure, understanding key Azure migration services can be a game changer. These services streamline workload transitions, enhance security, and help businesses take full advantage of Azure’s cloud ecosystem.
4. Plan for Downtime and Business Continuity
A phased migration approach reduces disruption by moving workloads in stages.
Businesses should test each migration phase and have a rollback plan in place. Tools like NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP can help manage data replication and minimize downtime.
5. Implement Cost Management Tools
Cloud costs can quickly spiral if not controlled. Using autoscaling, reserved instances, and resource monitoring tools helps optimize spending.
One often-overlooked factor is data transfer costs. Following data migration service best practices can prevent unnecessary expenses and ensure that your cloud storage and networking strategies remain cost-efficient. Effective planning can also help avoid bottlenecks that slow down migration and drive up costs.
Continuous cost evaluation ensures workloads are running efficiently without unnecessary expenses.
Conclusion
A cloud migration strategy ensures a smooth transition while avoiding downtime, security risks, and cost overruns.
Choosing the right migration approach, following the five-phase process, and implementing best practices help businesses migrate efficiently.
At Coherence Inc., we specialize in email, Active Directory, and full cloud migrations for AWS, Azure, and hybrid environments. With expert guidance and proven tools, we make migration seamless.
if you are ready to move to the cloud, make sure to contact Coherence Inc. today to plan a secure and successful migration.
