Friday, December 01, 2023

Which migration strategy consists of a simple transfer of application resources from an on-premises data center to the AWS cloud?

Rehost: lift and shift

Rehosting, often referred to as "lift and shift," is a migration strategy that involves a straightforward transfer of application resources from an on-premises data center to the AWS cloud. This strategy aims to replicate the existing infrastructure and applications in the cloud environment with minimal changes or modifications. Here's a detailed exploration of the rehosting migration strategy:

Understanding Rehosting (Lift and Shift)

  • Simple Transfer: Rehosting involves moving applications, data, and infrastructure components from on-premises servers to AWS without making significant alterations to the architecture. It's essentially a "lift and shift" process where the goal is to replicate the existing setup in the cloud.
  • Minimal Changes: Unlike other migration strategies that may involve rearchitecting or refactoring applications for cloud compatibility, rehosting focuses on maintaining the current structure as much as possible. This minimizes the complexity and time required for migration.
  • Infrastructure Replication: During rehosting, the infrastructure components, including servers, storage, networking configurations, and databases, are replicated in the AWS cloud environment. This allows for a seamless transition with familiar setups and configurations.
  • Rapid Migration: One of the key benefits of rehosting is its speed and simplicity. Organizations can quickly move their workloads to the cloud without the need for extensive redesign or reconfiguration. This is particularly advantageous for businesses looking to accelerate their migration timelines.
  • Minimal Disruptions: Since rehosting aims to replicate the existing environment, it minimizes disruptions to ongoing operations. Users and applications can continue functioning without major changes, reducing downtime and potential impacts on productivity.

Benefits of Rehosting (Lift and Shift)

  • Cost-Efficiency: Rehosting is often cost-effective as it requires fewer resources and efforts compared to other migration strategies that involve extensive redesign or redevelopment.
  • Faster Time to Market: By opting for rehosting, organizations can quickly move their applications to the cloud and start leveraging AWS services without significant delays.
  • Risk Mitigation: Since rehosting maintains the existing setup, it reduces the risk of compatibility issues or disruptions that may arise from extensive modifications during migration.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Once migrated to AWS, applications can take advantage of the scalability and flexibility offered by cloud services, allowing for future growth and optimization.
  • Transition to Cloud: Rehosting serves as an initial step for organizations transitioning to the cloud, providing a solid foundation before considering more advanced cloud-native architectures or optimizations.


In conclusion, rehosting, or lift and shift, is a migration strategy that offers a straightforward and rapid path for transferring applications and resources from on-premises data centers to the AWS cloud. While it may not involve optimization for cloud-native environments, rehosting provides a practical starting point for organizations looking to leverage cloud benefits without extensive redesign efforts.

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