Moving workloads to the cloud requires a clear migration strategy that balances speed, risk, and cost. Explore the 6 R's of cloud migration and how to choose the right approach for each workload in your portfolio.
Why cloud migration strategy matters
Organisations that approach cloud migration without a strategy often end up with higher costs than on-premises, degraded performance, and security gaps. The cloud is not inherently cheaper — it is cheaper when workloads are appropriately sized, architecturally suited, and managed with cloud-native disciplines.
A migration strategy starts with portfolio assessment: cataloguing every application, its dependencies, its traffic patterns, and its compliance requirements. This audit reveals which workloads should move first, which need re-architecture, and which should remain on-premises.
The 6 R's framework for migration decisions
Rehost (lift-and-shift) moves applications unchanged to cloud VMs — fastest migration with lowest immediate benefit. Replatform makes minor cloud optimisations without re-architecture. Refactor rebuilds applications to use cloud-native services.
Repurchase replaces applications with SaaS equivalents. Retire decommissions unused applications discovered during the audit. Retain keeps workloads on-premises where cloud migration cost exceeds benefit. Applying the right R to each workload is the core migration strategy decision.
Managing migration risk
Parallel running — maintaining both old and new systems simultaneously during transition — is the safest migration approach for business-critical workloads. It allows testing and validation before cutting over.
Database migrations deserve special attention: schema changes, data transformation, replication lag, and cutover windows require careful planning and rehearsal. A poorly executed database migration can cause data loss or extended downtime.
Cost optimisation after migration
Many organisations move to the cloud and immediately start spending more than on-premises because they apply on-premises thinking to cloud resources. Right-sizing instances, reserved capacity commitments, auto-scaling policies, and storage tiering reduce cloud costs by 30–60% compared to unconfigured lift-and-shift deployments.
Emirates ITS provides cloud migration assessment, execution, and ongoing cost optimisation services — ensuring every workload runs cost-effectively on the most appropriate cloud service model.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which should we migrate to the cloud first? A: Start with development environments and non-critical applications. Build team competency before migrating business-critical production workloads.
Q: How long does a cloud migration project take? A: Simple lift-and-shift migrations can complete in weeks. Complex migrations involving application re-architecture typically take 3–12 months.
Q: Will our cloud costs be lower than current on-premises costs? A: With proper sizing and cloud-native architecture, cloud is typically 25–40% cheaper than equivalent on-premises infrastructure. Savings depend on workload characteristics.
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