What is Lift and Shift?
Lift and shift is a cloud migration strategy that moves on-premises applications and data to cloud infrastructure with minimal or no changes to the original architecture.
Lift and shift, also known as rehosting, is a migration pattern that transports a workload from on-premises hardware to a cloud environment without modifying the application code, data schema, or operational dependencies. The workload runs on cloud virtual machines or containers configured to mirror the original environment. This approach prioritizes speed and simplicity over optimization. It avoids the cost and risk of rewriting or re-architecting the application, but it also does not take advantage of cloud-native features such as auto-scaling, managed databases, or serverless compute.
The process typically involves using a tool or script to copy disk images, databases, and configuration files to cloud infrastructure. Networking, security groups, and storage are recreated to match the original topology. Once migrated, the application is tested for parity. If the workload was licensed for specific hardware counts, license terms may need renegotiation. Some cloud providers offer migration services that automate the replication of virtual machines, including stateful data, to reduce downtime.
Lift and shift occupies the simplest end of the seven common cloud migration strategies defined by Gartner (rehost, replatform, refactor, repurchase, retire, retain, relocate). It is best suited for workloads that are hard to change, require quick migration due to data center lease expiry, or serve as a first step before a later modernization. The trade-off is higher ongoing operational cost: because the application does not use elasticity or managed services, the cloud bill can be larger than a refactored version. Organizations often use lift and shift to meet deadlines, then gradually modernize parts of the application using a re-architecting (refactor) approach over time.
Key facts
- No application code changes are required for a lift and shift migration.
- Also called rehosting, categorized as the simplest cloud migration strategy.
- The workload runs on cloud VMs or containers, not on serverless or managed platforms.
- Can result in higher operational costs compared to cloud-native architectures.
- Often used as a first step before incremental modernization (strangler fig pattern).
How it works in practice
Related terms
References
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