Migrating to the cloud is a cornerstone of digital transformation. Companies of all sizes are turning to cloud solutions to modernize their IT infrastructure, cut costs, and accelerate innovation. One of the most efficient ways to start this journey is through a lift-and-shift migration strategy, also known as rehosting. This method enables businesses to move their existing systems to the cloud quickly and effectively. 

At VIAcode, we specialize in a range of migration strategies, including rehosting, refactoring, re-platforming, and rebuilding. Our expertise is recognized through Microsoft specializations in both “Infrastructure & Database Migration” and “Migrating Enterprise Applications to Microsoft Azure.” While we excel in all approaches, this post focuses on the lift-and-shift strategy. Whether you’re moving mission-critical SQL Server applications, SSIS packages, or other complex workloads, our experts ensure that your migration to Azure is non-disruptive, secure, and optimized for peak performance.  

Lift-and-shift offers fast, cost-effective migration with minimal changes to your applications, making it ideal for businesses looking to quickly capitalize on the benefits of Azure. Additionally, we offer a free migration service where our team will evaluate your environment, determine the best strategy, and even execute that strategy at no cost to you. 

What Is the Lift-and-Shift Cloud Migration Strategy? 

The lift-and-shift migration strategy is a simple and direct way to migrate to the cloud. This method involves transferring applications and their data from an on-premises environment to the public cloud—in this case, Microsoft Azure—without requiring changes to the code or architecture. 

 For businesses needing a fast cloud migration—perhaps due to expiring on-premises infrastructure leases or rising costs—lift-and-shift offers the quickest solution. It’s particularly beneficial for companies using legacy applications such as SQL Server or managing data workflows through SSIS packages. These systems often require extensive reconfiguration or redevelopment to be fully cloud-native, so lift-and-shift allows businesses to quickly move to Azure without the need for complex modifications. By moving these workloads directly to Azure, you can minimize disruption while taking advantage of the cloud’s scalability and security. 

Why Choose Lift-and-Shift to Azure? 

 Even though lift-and-shift is a straightforward approach, it unlocks significant benefits once your systems are running in Azure cloud environments. By choosing Microsoft Azure as your public cloud provider, you gain immediate access to a scalable infrastructure, robust security features, and enhanced performance—without the need to rebuild your applications from scratch. This approach is particularly ideal for migrating legacy systems, such as SQL Server applications or SSIS packages, which can be moved with minimal effort while retaining full functionality. These workloads often don’t require the deep reconfiguration that cloud-native architectures demand, making lift-and-shift a practical and efficient solution. 

Key Benefits of Lift-and-Shift Migration 

Minimal Changes to Code or Architecture 

The lift-and-shift strategy allows you to migrate to the cloud without requiring significant re-architecting or rewriting of code, whether you’re working with SQL Server, SSIS packages, or other applications. By avoiding these complex modifications, your internal teams can save valuable time and focus on higher-priority projects, reducing the need for additional development resources. This also leads to faster migrations and cost savings, making it an efficient choice for businesses aiming to quickly move their on-premises infrastructure to the public cloud. 

Rapid Migration Process 

 For companies facing imminent data center closures or other time-sensitive business needs, lift-and-shift provides a fast track to the Azure cloud. This approach not only enables a rapid transition but also allows businesses to quickly leverage Azure’s scalable infrastructure, robust security, and innovation capabilities. By migrating swiftly, companies can position themselves to scale, innovate, and adapt to changing market demands without delay. 

Scalable and Flexible Resources 

Once your applications are in Azure, scaling resources to meet business demands is as easy as flipping a switch. Azure’s flexible pricing models, such as the pay-as-you-go approach, ensure that you only pay for what you use, making it cost-effective for businesses with fluctuating resource needs. To further enhance cost-effectiveness, consider leveraging VIAcode’s Azure Optimization Assessment, which typically identifies opportunities to reduce annual Azure costs by up to 30%. 

Why Azure for Lift-and-Shift? 

Businesses are increasingly opting for Microsoft Azure as their preferred public cloud provider for a number of reasons. Azure offers a rich suite of tools, seamless integration with hybrid cloud environments, and built-in compatibility with other Microsoft services like Microsoft 365 and Power BI. By using the lift-and-shift migration strategy, companies can quickly move their SQL Server workloads and SSIS packages to Azure, allowing them to start enjoying these benefits immediately. 

Immediate Cost Savings 

Migrating to the cloud can yield significant cost reductions. By moving to Azure, companies can eliminate the overhead associated with maintaining physical hardware on-premises. With features like Azure Hybrid Benefit and reserved instances, you can further optimize costs post-migration. Additionally, third-party solutions such as VIAcode’s Azure Optimization Assessment can help identify ongoing opportunities to reduce Azure costs, ensuring that your cloud environment remains efficient and cost-effective. 

Enhanced Security and Compliance

Azure’s robust security features, including Azure Security Center and built-in compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, provide businesses with the security assurance they need when moving sensitive data to the cloud. For organizations managing SQL databases or complex SSIS packages, this security upgrade is invaluable. 

Faster Time-to-Cloud 

The lift-and-shift migration strategy allows businesses to move to the Azure cloud much faster than more complex migration methods, such as re-architecting or re-platforming. In scenarios where companies need to vacate their on-premises infrastructure quickly, lift-and-shift provides the necessary speed to meet tight deadlines. 

Pathway to Cloud-Native Services 

While lift-and-shift focuses on migrating existing workloads without changes, it also opens the door to further modernization. Once in Azure, businesses can begin taking advantage of cloud-native services like Azure SQL Database or Azure App Service to enhance their applications over time. 

Embracing Cloud-Native Services for Continuous Modernization 

This transition to cloud-native services represents a critical next step in the modernization journey. Azure’s robust suite of cloud-native tools offers more than just operational efficiency; it provides a pathway to continuous innovation. By gradually incorporating services such as Azure SQL Database and Azure App Service, businesses can optimize application performance, improve scalability, and lower operational costs. This approach ensures that companies are not just migrating to the cloud but evolving with it, allowing them to stay competitive, agile, and better equipped to meet future demands. 

The Lift-and-Shift Migration Process: Step-by-Step 

Successful migrations to Microsoft Azure require detailed planning and execution. Here’s a brief overview of the key steps involved in a lift-and-shift migration: 

1. Pre-Migration Assessment 

Before moving any workloads, it’s essential to evaluate your current on-premises infrastructure. VIAcode offers a free Azure assessment, helping businesses identify key dependencies, estimate costs, and develop a tailored migration strategy. This is particularly important when moving complex workloads like SQL Server databases or SSIS packages to Azure. 

2. Migration Planning 

Once the assessment is complete, a detailed migration plan is developed. This plan outlines the timeline, key milestones, and the workloads that will be moved, ensuring a smooth and well-coordinated process. 

3. Executing the Migration 

Using tools like Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery, the migration begins. Critical workloads are migrated with minimal downtime, and data backups are performed to ensure that no data is lost in the process. 

4. Post-Migration Optimization 

Once your systems are in Azure, post-migration optimization ensures that everything runs smoothly. VIAcode provides ongoing Azure Management services, including performance monitoring, cost optimization, and security assessments, to keep your cloud environment efficient and secure over time. 

Overcoming Common Challenges in Lift-and-Shift Migration 

While lift-and-shift is a relatively simple approach, there are still challenges that businesses might face during the migration process. VIAcode helps address these issues: 

• Lack of Cloud Expertise: Not all companies have the internal resources to handle cloud migrations. Partnering with a trusted Azure expert like VIAcode ensures a smooth transition and mitigates the risks of common pitfalls. 

• Post-Migration Performance Optimization: Simply moving workloads to the cloud doesn’t guarantee optimal performance. VIAcode’s post-migration services help fine-tune your Azure cloud setup to ensure you get the most out of your SQL Server or SSIS packages. 

• Handling Large Data Migrations: Migrating large datasets can be challenging, but tools like Azure Data Box and Azure Data Migration Service help move data securely and efficiently.