In today’s article, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of one particular data migration strategy: lift and shift. When it comes to data migration, selecting the appropriate strategy can result in significant time and cost savings, while also improving overall performance.
Data migrations can be complex endeavors, but they offer substantial benefits for businesses. In a previous article titled “Choosing the right data migration strategy,” I discussed four common types of data migrations, including lift and shift, data lake, a combination of lift and shift and data lake, and hybrid streaming. Various factors, such as data architecture, applications, business requirements, and other drivers, must be taken into account when choosing a data migration strategy.
In this article, I will delve into the fundamentals of the lift and shift data migration strategy.
Understanding Lift and Shift Data Migration
To provide a brief overview, lift and shift involves moving applications, data, and operational solutions from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud without redesigning or modifying the workload. The ultimate goal is for the workload in the cloud to resemble and function similarly to its on-premises counterpart. This approach was one of the original data migration strategies, developed during a time when fewer cloud solutions were available. Nowadays, organizations have access to a wide range of cloud-based, serverless solutions that optimize costs while simultaneously improving performance. Platform advancements and the introduction of new products continue to simplify and expedite data migration projects.
Advantages of Lift and Shift Data Migration
Lift and shift is the fastest method to migrate an on-premises database to public cloud resources, as it does not require time spent on optimization or code revisions. Moreover, it is the most cost-effective migration model since it eliminates expenses associated with code or configuration changes. However, it is crucial to note that while this approach may result in upfront savings, there may be missed opportunities to optimize workload costs in the long run.
From a planning perspective, lift and shift requires minimal project resources. In certain situations, this strategy can be less risky compared to refactoring an application, especially when resource constraints prohibit extensive code updates without compromising performance. Furthermore, lift and shift can extend the lifespan of a struggling workload when optimization with existing resources is prohibitively expensive.
Disadvantages of Lift and Shift Data Migration
As with any approach, lift and shift has its drawbacks that need to be considered. Organizations that choose to forgo code and configuration optimization or workload refactoring may miss out on long-term cost savings and the benefits offered by a cloud infrastructure, such as improved performance, automation, and stability. Additionally, technical debt accumulated on-premises will be transferred to the cloud.
While the cloud provides a unified platform to manage and scale the entire infrastructure using repeatable processes, lifting and shifting an on-premises database without a comprehensive assessment can exacerbate visibility issues and pose challenges during troubleshooting in the cloud environment.
From a procedural standpoint, mistaking a lift-and-shift data migration model for a simple copy-and-paste approach without proper planning or migration testing can lead to disastrous results. Finally, optimizing a legacy workload without native environment resources can be more challenging in the cloud.
Variations of the Lift and Shift Approach
Although lift and shift is the most basic strategy, organizations can opt for different variations based on their specific needs and challenges. Choosing the right strategy involves a deep understanding of the environment, workloads, timelines, leadership goals, and other relevant factors. Here are a few variations:
- Pure Lift and Shift: Migrating a workload without refactoring or rebuilding, often referred to as “rehosting.”
- Lift, Shift & Optimize: Migration that involves minimal efforts to optimize a workload, usually done post-migration.
- Refactoring: Making significant changes to configurations or code
- Containerisation: Bundling individual app components, such as libraries and dependencies, into containers separate from the infrastructure to promote flexible migrations between premises and cloud environments.
- Rebuild: Completely redesigning a cloud-native application in cases where, for example, a license has expired or an application is no longer supported.
Is Lift and Shift the Right Strategy for Your Data Migration?
The decision to use the lift and shift strategy ultimately lies with the migration teams, supported by business leaders. Conducting a comprehensive cloud assessment is critical to gaining a full understanding of various aspects, such as timelines, business goals, challenges, workload migration strategies, pre- or post-migration optimization work, cloud adoption readiness across the business, risks associated with optimization and refactoring, costs and licensing, expected performance, potential migration challenges related to poor bandwidth, post-migration data transfer costs, and more.
In some cases, lift and shift may be the only viable option, as demonstrated by our experience with an automotive manufacturing customer whose existing data center was closing. Moving their portfolio of business-critical applications to another facility was not cost-effective for them. Instead, Beyondsoft proposed a lift and shift to Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing them to avoid expensive hardware and licensing costs while reaping the benefits of the cloud. This move to the cloud also positioned our customer to refactor their vehicle configuration service to leverage the full capabilities of AWS.
A cloud assessment from Stilogic can help you determine the best migration strategy for your specific needs and challenges. Our certified practitioners have extensive experience in data and application migrations for enterprise customers and can assist you in creating a roadmap to achieve your data migration goals. To learn more, please contact us today.