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For CIOs and technology leaders, modernizing IT infrastructure has become a business-critical imperative in today’s evolving tech landscape. As markets shift and digital demands intensify, legacy systems have become roadblocks to innovation, agility, and growth.
Rising operational costs, rigid architectures, and sluggish development cycles are forcing organizations to rethink how their technology supports their vision. Increasingly, that rethink leads to one destination: the cloud. And when it comes to enterprise-ready cloud platforms, Amazon Web Services (AWS) stands out as the foundation for scalable, secure, and future-ready digital transformation.
According to Gartner, 85% of enterprises will embrace a cloud-first strategy by the end of 2025- a clear signal that the cloud is no longer an option; it’s the new normal. But migrating to AWS isn’t simply about moving workloads. It’s about unlocking a new operating model that empowers innovation, accelerates delivery, and aligns IT with business strategy.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to approach AWS cloud migration as a strategic transformation and not just a technical project. We’ll guide you through implementation steps, share best practices, highlight common pitfalls, and answer key questions to help you plan and execute a migration that delivers long-term value.
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What Is AWS Cloud Migration and Why Is It Important?
AWS Cloud Migration is the process of moving digital assets i.e. applications, databases, infrastructure, and workloads from on-premises or other cloud environments to the AWS cloud.
But it is not just a matter of lifting and shifting. It is about enabling business agility, cost savings, and modernization. Migrating to AWS gives organizations access to automation, AI services, flexible compute, and secure storage- all on demand.
Executing an AWS cloud migration strategy typically involves assessing the current IT landscape, choosing appropriate migration methods, and then systematically moving systems to AWS with minimal downtime. It’s not only about moving servers “as is,” but often about transforming legacy systems to take advantage of cloud capabilities.
For example, a company might migrate a simple application via rehosting (lift-and-shift with minimal changes), whereas a complex, critical system might need refactoring (redesigning components for the cloud) to fully exploit AWS’s scalability and managed services. Ultimately, AWS cloud migration is about transforming how IT is delivered – shifting from fixed on-premises infrastructure to AWS’s on-demand, secure, and globally distributed cloud platform.
Why migrate now? Because legacy infrastructure is not built for the pace of business today. Cloud adoption reduces total cost of ownership, improves resilience, and accelerates your go-to-market timelines.
Cloud migration isn’t just about upgrading systems—it’s about unlocking new possibilities for your business. The right migration strategy empowers innovation while reducing risk, says Rekha Raj, Chief Operating Officer at Quinnox.
AWS Cloud Migration Strategy
A well-defined AWS cloud migration strategy is essential for a successful transition. This strategy should align with your business objectives and outline how each part of your IT portfolio will move to AWS. It starts with upfront planning: assessing your current environment and defining the scope, timeline, and business case for migration. Key stakeholders should agree on the target outcomes (e.g. cost reduction, faster time-to-market, improved resilience) and secure executive sponsorship from the outset. Early executive buy-in and cross-functional alignment will help ensure everyone is working toward the same goals and that the migration effort has the necessary support and resources.
One core element of migration planning is deciding which migration approach to use for each application or workload. AWS identifies seven common migration strategies (often called the “7 R’s”) to consider: relocate, rehost, replatform, refactor, repurchase, retire, or retain. The brief definitions are:
The 7 “R’s” of AWS Migration
AWS defines seven migration strategies often called the “7 R’s”:
- Relocate – Move systems to AWS without changes at the hypervisor level (e.g. via VMware Cloud on AWS), essentially shifting infrastructure location.
- Rehost – Lift-and-shift by redeploying applications on AWS infrastructure without modifying their architecture (quick migration, minimal change).
- Replatform – Lift-tinker-and-shift, making some optimizations or swapping out components (like using an AWS managed database) to gain cloud benefits without fully rewriting the app.
- Refactor (Re-architect) – Redesigning the application (or parts of it) to be cloud-native (for example, decomposing a monolith into microservices or using serverless architectures). This unlocks maximum cloud benefits but requires more effort.
- Repurchase – Replacing the current application with a cloud-based product (for instance, moving from a self-hosted CRM to a SaaS CRM). Essentially, drop the old solution in favor of a new, cloud-native one.
- Retire – Decommissioning applications that are no longer needed. Migration provides an opportunity to turn off obsolete systems and avoid migrating unnecessary work.
- Retain – Keeping certain systems on-premises (for now). In some cases, due to regulatory, latency, or recent investments, you might decide not to migrate a particular application and revisit it later.
Figure 1: This image illustrates the seven common application migration strategies—Retain, Retire, Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, and Refactor—mapped as paths from evaluation to production stages.
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In reality, most enterprises apply a mix of these based on the complexity and business impact of each application.
Key Phases of AWS Cloud Migration
While every organization’s cloud journey is unique, most AWS migrations can be structured into a few key phases. AWS’s recommended migration process is typically broken into three main phases: Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate & Modernize. Each phase has distinct objectives and deliverables:
1. Assess (Planning and Readiness):
This first phase focuses on understanding where you are and what you need. The migration team performs a thorough assessment of your current IT landscape and cloud readiness. Key activities include inventorying all applications and servers, identifying dependencies, determining technical requirements, and assessing migration feasibility for each workload. It’s also crucial to identify the business drivers and success criteria for the migration (e.g. cut data centre costs by 40%, improve scalability for peak season, etc.).
During the assess phase, you’ll build a migration business case, including a high-level TCO analysis and ROI estimate for moving to AWS. Prioritization is another outcome of this phase – for example, you might categorize applications into groups (easy, medium, hard to migrate) and decide which ones to tackle first. By the end of Assess, you should have a clear picture of your current state, a target state vision on AWS, and stakeholder agreement on the case for change.
2. Mobilize (Preparation):
In the mobilize phase, you turn the assessment into an actionable migration plan and prepare your organization for execution. Think of this as getting everything ready to “go.” Key steps include filling any skill or process gaps identified earlier and setting up the foundational AWS environment (often called a landing zone). This involves creating your AWS account structure, configuring networking (VPCs), security controls, identity management, and baseline guardrails so that the new environment is enterprise-ready.
You’ll also establish or refine your Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) or core cloud team – the people who will drive the migration. They will develop the detailed migration runbook, including timelines, wave plans, and contingency plans.
During Mobilize, many organizations address application-specific preparations as well: for example, optimizing applications or databases before moving, resolving dependencies, and designing the target AWS architecture for each system.
Pilot migrations are often executed in this phase (e.g. migrating a non-critical application end-to-end) to validate the approach and iron out any kinks in tooling or processes. By the end of Mobilize, your team, processes, and AWS environment should be set for full-scale migration, and you’ll have a refined plan based on lessons from any pilots.
3. Migrate & Modernize (Execution and Optimization):
This phase is where the bulk of the workloads get migrated to AWS. Teams systematically migrate applications, data, and databases as per the wave plan. Each migration involves deploying the application in AWS, migrating data (which may be done live or via backups), and then cutting over from the on-premises system to AWS.
It’s important to closely monitor and validate each workload as it goes live on AWS – checking that performance, security, and functionality meet expectations. Any issues should be addressed promptly, and rollback plans should be ready in case a critical problem arises (though with good planning, rollbacks are rarely needed).
In this phase, many organizations also take the opportunity to modernize as they migrate – for instance, switching an application to use an AWS managed database or integrating an automation pipeline for deployments. Optimizations might not all happen on “Day 1” of go-live, but the migrate phase sets the stage by getting everything into AWS.
Once initial migrations are done, teams often iteratively enhance and refactor applications to fully leverage cloud-native features. It’s understood that cloud adoption is an ongoing journey of improvement, so even after migrating, you’ll continue to refine configurations, right-size resources for cost efficiency, and introduce advanced services over time.
By the end of Migrate & Modernize, you will have most (or all) workloads running on AWS, and the focus shifts to operational excellence and continuous improvement in the cloud.
AWS Cloud Migration Best Practices
Based on years of real-world projects, here are proven AWS cloud migration best practices to help your journey stay on track.
1. Build a Skilled Migration Team
Invest in AWS training or bring in experts. Your team should include architects, engineers, and security pros who understand both your current environment and AWS best practices.
2. Assess and Prioritize Workloads
Don’t migrate blindly. Understand each app’s dependencies, usage, and risk profile. Focus first on high-value, low-complexity workloads to gain early momentum.
3. Secure Executive Buy-In
A top-down mandate makes all the difference. Form a cross-functional task force, align on KPIs, and communicate progress transparently.
4. Prioritize Security and Compliance
Embed security from day one. Use AWS native tools like IAM, GuardDuty, and CloudTrail. Encrypt data, define IAM roles with least privilege, and validate compliance needs based on your industry.
5. Test Before and After Migration
Perform load and integration testing in a staging environment before go-live. After migration, validate performance benchmarks and ensure business continuity.
6. Communicate and Manage Change
Keep stakeholders informed. Anticipate concerns, provide training, and prepare end-users for any UI or access changes post-migration.
7. Always Have a Backup Plan
Set up rollback procedures. Backup databases and app states so you can revert quickly if a migration wave fails.
8. Iterate in Phases
Avoid a big bang approach. Learn from each wave, refine your strategy, and scale confidently. Every iteration will improve speed and reliability.
9. Focus on Long-Term Optimization
AWS offers powerful tools for cost control and performance tuning. Use auto-scaling, reserved instances, and continuous monitoring to optimize your cloud spend and user experience.
Common Challenges in AWS Cloud Migration
Despite best efforts, some challenges are inevitable. The key is to plan for them early.
1. Sunk Cost Bias
IT leaders often hesitate because of past investments in on-prem hardware. Remember, every delay means missed opportunities. A hybrid model can ease the transition.
2. Upfront Costs
Cloud is cheaper long-term, but migration can require new tools, services, and training. Budget for this phase and explore programs like AWS MAP for cost relief.
3. Internal Resistance
Change is hard. Stakeholders may fear loss of control or job roles. Address this with strong communication and training programs
4. Complex Dependencies
Many applications are tightly interwoven. Mapping dependencies early helps avoid migration surprises that could disrupt business continuity.
5. Downtime Risks
Migrating large datasets or critical apps can involve downtime. Mitigate this with AWS tools like DMS or MGN that support near-zero downtime migration.
6. Skills Gap
Legacy teams may lack cloud fluency. Build capabilities early through certifications and mentoring. Or work with a partner to bridge short-term gaps.
7. Security and Compliance
Regulatory compliance varies by industry and region. Define which AWS services meet your needs and configure environments accordingly. Use the shared responsibility model as your guide.
Also Read: Is Moving a Legacy System to AWS Worth It?
Tools to Support Your AWS Cloud Migration
AWS offers a robust ecosystem of tools and services to streamline migration.
AWS Native Tools
- AWS Migration Hub – Track application migrations across tools in a central dashboard.
- AWS Application Discovery Service – Automatically collects metadata from on-prem servers to map dependencies.
- AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) – Rehost on-prem servers with minimal downtime using continuous replication.
- AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) – Migrate databases with low downtime and live data sync.
- AWS DataSync & Snowball – Transfer large datasets either online or via physical appliances.
- AWS Control Tower – Set up a secure, multi-account landing zone with governance guardrails.
- AWS MAP – Structured programs offering tools, training, and funding for large-scale migrations.
Conclusion
AWS cloud migration is not just a move. It is a modernization leap—one that lets you retire outdated systems, reduce IT overhead, and position your business for agile innovation.
The road may seem complex. But with the right strategy, expert support, and best-in-class tools, you can navigate it smoothly. Whether you are planning a small pilot or a full data center shift, a phased, consultative approach pays off.
Quinnox helps enterprises modernize at scale with a migration-first mindset and deep AWS expertise. Our team supports you across assessment, execution, and post-migration optimization.
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FAQs Related to AWS Cloud Migration
AWS Cloud Migration is the process of moving applications, data, and IT resources to Amazon Web Services. It helps reduce costs, improve scalability, and enhance innovation by moving to a cloud-native environment.
Benefits include pay-as-you-go pricing, global infrastructure, high availability, enhanced security, and access to innovative AWS services like AI, machine learning, and analytics.
Some top best practices include starting with a business goal, forming a CCoE, tagging resources, automating infrastructure provisioning, and using monitoring tools for governance.
Use blue-green deployments, migrate during off-peak hours, and leverage tools like AWS MGN and DMS for continuous replication and cutover testing.