How do you migrate an application to AWS?

1. Assess

   Inventory servers, applications, databases and dependencies, and build a business case.

2. Mobilize

   Create the landing zone (accounts, networking, identity, security baseline), set up migration tooling and run a pilot.

3. Migrate

   Move applications in waves, replicate data, test, then cut over with a rehearsed runbook and rollback plan.

4. Optimize and modernize

   Rightsize from real metrics, apply Savings Plans, and modernize components that benefit most.

1. Rehost

   Lift and shift servers to EC2 with minimal change, often using AWS Application Migration Service.

2. Relocate

   Move VMware-based workloads to VMware Cloud on AWS without changing them.

3. Replatform

   Lift, tinker and shift: for example, move a database to Amazon RDS or an app into containers.

4. Refactor

   Re-architect for cloud-native services such as microservices on EKS or serverless.

5. Repurchase

   Replace with a SaaS product.

6. Retire

   Decommission applications that are no longer needed.

7. Retain

   Keep some workloads where they are for now.

A simple lift-and-shift of a small application can take two to four weeks; full modernization with re-architecture, containers and CI/CD typically takes two to four months. Cost depends on the number of applications, data volumes and the amount of modernization. AWS offers migration funding programs for eligible projects through partners.

• Copying on-premises server sizes instead of rightsizing.
• Skipping the landing zone and fixing security later.
• Undiscovered dependencies breaking during cutover.
• No tested rollback plan.

• Assess first: dependencies decide the wave plan.
• Pick a strategy per application; not everything should be refactored.
• Most savings come after migration, from rightsizing on real data.

References

• AWS Cloud Migration
• AWS Application Migration Service