Lift-and-shift is rarely the end state — and full rewrites are rarely the start. The teams that migrate well pick patterns that match risk, cost, and team skill.
Patterns that work
- Rehost for stable systems when speed matters more than optimization.
- Replatform when managed services remove operational toil without redesign.
- Refactor selectively for the workloads that need elasticity or lower unit cost.
Keep delivery moving
Migrate in slices, keep dual-run windows short, and measure cost and latency from day one so surprises surface early.
