Lift and Shift on Azure

The Benefits that Clients Enjoy When They Lift and Shift on Azure

Lift and shift is pretty much what it sounds like. You simply relocate a solution from your on-premises to the cloud server. Despite the change of the IT environment, the companies are achieving this relocation without a change in the software architecture or any modifications. This lift and shift are also called rehosting, as the change of host is all that lift and shift bring along.

Thanks to the minimal overheads, lift and shift is one of the favorite strategies that companies adopt when they implement a hybrid cloud strategy. With the immediate transition from CapEx to OpEx and a less labor-intensive approach, lift and shift strategy is leveraged by most. Moreover, the process requires little to no change in the program code and no change in the architecture altogether.

Although the strategy sounds like a ‘copy, paste’ functionality, lift and shift didn’t gain sufficient traction until the cloud solutions evolved. And no cloud is evolving at the breakneck pace of Azure. Not only is Microsoft ingraining new features once every three weeks, but it is actually going the extra mile to acquire other companies to tailor the best Azure offerings.

Let’s dig in as to what lift and shift is all about.

Factors to consider before rehosting

Factors to Consider Before Rehosting

The simplicity of lift and shift does entice the customers. However, getting carried away by its simplicity may bring unwanted problems. It is wise to assess a couple of things before a company rehosts solutions.

Just because the process is less labor-intensive, rehosting a solution might become a self-inflicted wound. Assess the application lifespan and the scalability requirements that the solution demands. After all, the cloud is all about long-term benefits. Embracing that vision, one ought to migrate if the application is bound to have a long shelf life and scalability demands.

Also, hammer out a sound strategy with the Azure services providers such as Effiniti. Reach out to them and understand all automation tools they can use for a seamless migration experience. It is better to rehost business-critical applications first and then the other applications of lower priority.

In the same spirit, identify a lean business period to implement this strategy. Should the lift and shift throw up any unwanted surprises, there will be a reduced adverse impact on your business.

The Benefits

Although there are unique benefits that every Azure customer enjoys, by and large, a few benefits are common for most. Let’s dive in.

Azure Benefits

1) Stunted Labor Expenses

It is quite regular to have multiple people focusing on various aspects of the company’s IT solutions. From storage to security, each job is allocated to a different individual. With rehosting in play, companies can cut down on in-house manpower.

Hosting applications on the cloud would trim down the labor expenses as the IT functions can be handled by one individual alone. This consolidation is made easy due to the seamless integration and production capabilities that Azure brings along.

2) Centralization

Enterprises can now exploit the availability of a common directory. Instead of having functions duplicated everywhere at in-house servers, customers can rope in the functions and tools that they need. With the rehosting, the customers can rent out the tools they need once and for all. Additionally, Azure has the most expansive global presence.

Exploiting Microsoft’s parentage, Azure has an environment that is compatible for most. By lifting and sharing, the rehosting organization can make the applications readily available to any employee they wish to.

3) Scalability

No Azure blog is complete without a mention of its swift scalability. Azure is deft with its scalability feature. Be it autoscaling or regular scaling; Azure has got it all. Hosting an application with scalability requirements on Azure is a no-brainer as companies across the world are exploiting this feature. The majority of the customers concur that Azure’s scalability is deft and cost-effective.

4) Detailed log

An added benefit of rehosting an application is tracking the changes pertaining to it. Azure, by default, saves all of the actions performed. With Log Analytics Workspace and Azure Monitor Configuration, one can scope out what all actions have been performed.

What’s more is that with Azure Monitor, the company can be sent alerts if any unexpected or undesired surprises crop up. The alerts can be configured in the Monitor tool.

5) Security

Instead of storing on the local servers with the company security, it is wise to enjoy the benefits of Azure’s Software Development Lifecycle (SDL). This feature makes Azure a fortress. To this day, Azure has the largest security portfolio among all cloud solutions. With its threat matrix updated periodically, companies can breathe easily as SDL is there to guard their applications.

Summing it up

Azure Offers

The lift and shift strategy is aimed at holistically improving your applications. By providing a better home to your applications with little to no inherent change, companies can unlock the immense potential and benefits that Azure offers. Be it automation or autoscaling, your application’s power is taken to new heights.

However, you may have doubts and concerns. Despite its simplicity, lift and shift is a strategy that needs to be well-planned. With Effiniti, experience the rehosting benefits that Azure houses. We will map out a strategy that works best for your organization. Reach out to us and stay competent with an Azure solution tailored optimally for your organization.

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