You might think about that it won’t be something new to you, but Lift and Shift is one of the most huge issues which you can see in middle size to large companies world wide.

I was this week participating as a speaker within the Cloud Native Conference by Vogel IT-Akademie and after my talk this was one topic which was being discussed within a small group. Technically the idea is clear, the path as well, but still it’s a huge issue.

Lift and Shift is very easy to achieve, especially because you got a variety of tools on the market which support you in this way, and this don’t need to be necessarily wrong as it always depends on the use case.

That there is in fact an issue is clearly visible as around 70% is the overpayment companies have to pay, by information of Gartner, if they aren’t able to conduct a proper migration which doesn’t mean lift and shift. In addition nearly 60% of enterprises, by Flexera’s 2023 State of the Cloud report, see a need of optimising the costs in cloud, which shows a clear issue while migration into the cloud.

While promoting ‘lift and shift’ as a state-of-the-art approach for modernizing infrastructure towards the cloud, we inadvertently perpetuate the legacy burdens that hinder cloud adoption. This practice results in inefficient cloud journeys and financial loss. To truly harness the benefits of cloud computing, it is imperative to move beyond mere replication of on-premises environments and instead focus on comprehensive modernization strategies that align with cloud-native principles.

Sascha Lewandowski – Cloud Architect

There are as well prominent examples which are facing issues while there journey into the cloud. The most prominent example where cloud was going 0 -> 100 & 100 -> 0 is Dropbox. They tried to be quickly inside the cloud while going the lift and shift approach which made them facing the trap of costs. Dropbox eventually decided to go back into the own datacenter to learn from the issue and prepare a proper migration into the cloud. Another example was GE (General Electric) which were facing a huge financial impact after starting initially with a lift and shift approach.

Lift and Shift is always coming with a group of drawbacks but technically can be wrapped into this five categories.

1. Cost Management: Without optimizing applications for the cloud, companies often face unexpectedly high costs due to inefficient resource utilization and pricing models that are different from on-premises setups.
2. Performance Issues: Applications designed for on-premises environments may not perform optimally in the cloud. Network latency, storage performance, and other factors can affect the application’s performance.
3. Security and Compliance: Migrating applications without re-architecting them can expose security vulnerabilities and compliance issues. On-premises security practices may not translate well to the cloud.
4. Operational Complexity: The operational practices suitable for on-premises environments might not be effective in the cloud. This can lead to increased operational complexity and management overhead.
5. Lack of Cloud-Native Benefits: Applications not optimized for the cloud miss out on cloud-native benefits like auto-scaling, managed services, and serverless computing, leading to a suboptimal utilization of the cloud environment.

The necessary take away is, that it is never too late to really think about a proper deducted and controlled migration which might have still some parts of Lift and Shift, but mostly utilizing the benefits of a cloud native approach is not only financially beneficial, but as well by time as using the shared responsibility framework which cloud provider introduce it is possible to cut maintenance costs.

To really get the best take out, it is mandatory to follow some steps while preparing your migration

• A comprehensive cloud migration strategy should involve more than just lift and shift. It should include re-architecting and optimization to align with cloud-native principles
• Companies should invest in training and tools to monitor and manage cloud resources effectively
• Regularly reviewing and optimizing cloud usage can help in managing costs and improving performance post-migration

In conclusion, the journey to the cloud requires careful planning and execution. While lift and shift can be a part of the strategy, it’s crucial to focus on a cloud-native approach to truly harness the benefits of the cloud. Learning from the experiences of companies like Dropbox and General Electric, we see the importance of optimizing cloud usage to avoid financial pitfalls and maximize efficiency. By following a well-structured migration plan and leveraging the shared responsibility model offered by cloud providers, organizations can reduce maintenance costs and achieve long-term success in their cloud endeavors.

Remember, it’s never too late to re-evaluate your migration strategy and ensure it aligns with your business goals and operational needs. A thoughtful, controlled migration will not only save costs but also position your company to fully exploit the advantages of the cloud.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay