As the cloud has matured, Government organizations are trying to determine the best way to migrate their applications and infrastructure to take advantage of the benefits it offers.
Customers moving their mission-critical systems to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) have many options for migrating.
Two similar migration approaches involve the Lifting and Shifting of applications “as is” to the cloud and the Replatforming of applications to take advantage of new cloud capabilities. Have you heard of the Autonomous Database capabilities in the cloud, and do you want to take advantage of them?
Or the auto-scaling and advantages of containers that come with Oracle Kubernetes Engine? Those are just a few of the options when you are re-platforming. Let’s explore the differences in each approach, the benefits, and challenges, as well as the considerations associated with each, and why a government organization might choose one over the other.
What does it mean to “Lift and Shift” your application?
A Lift and Shift migration involves moving an application or system “as-is” (as much as possible!) from one environment to another, usually from on-premises to the cloud. Essentially, you are doing your best to duplicate what you have on-premise in the cloud. This method is often considered a straightforward, more rapid, and less disruptive approach.
Benefits of Lift and Shift Migration
Minimal disruption to existing systems: You are moving everything as it is today. A Lift and Shift migration retains the core architecture and functionality of the existing system, resulting in minimal changes to the application or associated databases. If you were running standalone databases on servers before, you’re doing it the same way in the cloud. Frequently, this approach ensures a smooth transition, reducing the risk of potential disruptions during the migration process.
Faster time to migration and a quick win:
A Lift and Shift is typically the fastest way to migrate their applications to the cloud. Need to exit your data center quickly? Have a compelling need to move fast? A Lift and Shift enables faster deployment and allows agencies to leverage the scalability and agility offered by the cloud platform.
Some Cost savings and resource optimization:
Lifting and shifting can provide many benefits, including access to more resources on demand, paying only for what you use, and not having to worry about hardware upgrades. But at the end of the day, it’s the same system in the cloud, and additional benefits may not be realized.
Challenges of Lift and Shift Migration
Compatibility issues: Sometimes, it may not be possible to Lift and Shift. If your environment runs on a proprietary platform, it may not be possible – or you may have other restrictions, technical or licensing-related.
Not realizing the full benefits of the cloud: While Lift and Shift can provide immediate cost savings and speed, it may not fully leverage the cloud’s scalability, elasticity, or new functionality. For example, the security benefits and reduced maintenance resource requirements may not materialize if you take everything “as is” and move it.
Potential technical debt accumulation: If the existing system has significant technical debt or an outdated architecture, migrating it as-is could lead to additional technical debt in the cloud environment. It’s crucial to assess and address any underlying issues before migrating to avoid future challenges.
What is Replatforming, and how is it different?
Replatforming involves migrating an application to the cloud and leveraging new capabilities offered by the target platform. For example, move from a standalone, customer-managed database to the Autonomous Data Warehouse. Or you may move from a self-managed Kubernetes Cluster to Oracle Kubernetes Engine to take advantage of the auto-scaling, self-healing, and other capabilities.
Benefits of Replatforming Migration
Access to modern features and capabilities: Replatforming can allow organizations to tap into the advanced features and tools provided by the target platform. For example, customers migrating to Oracle E-Business Suite or PeopleSoft may take advantage of Database Cloud Service to reduce their maintenance requirements. Other customers may take advantage of machine learning capabilities, serverless computing, auto-scaling, or advanced analytics, boosting innovation and increasing capabilities.
Cost savings:
While replatforming an application may require an initial investment, it can yield long-term cost savings. For example, migrating to Database Cloud Service may reduce your database maintenance requirements, reducing required personnel resourcing and allowing existing resources to work on higher-value-added activities.
Enhanced performance and scalability:
Replatforming provides an opportunity to modernize the underlying infrastructure, enabling businesses to leverage the new platform’s performance and scalability. This can lead to improved user experience, reduced response times, and increased capacity to handle growing workloads.
Challenges of Replatforming Migration
Increased complexity and effort:
Replatforming may involve modifying the application code, configurations, or dependencies to align them with the target platform. You may need to test and ensure compatibility and validate that everything works properly.
Vendor support and compatibility:
Does your application vendor support some of the advanced Cloud features? While Oracle supports many advanced OCI features for its applications, such as E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, Customer Care and Billing, and Primavera, not all are supported. Make sure you validate the specific features you’d like to use and whether they are supported.
Potential disruptions during the migration process:
As replatforming often changes the application or database system, there is a greater risk of disruptions during migration. It’s crucial to plan and execute the migration carefully, including rollback strategies, and to ensure proper testing and validation to mitigate potential issues.
Need for retraining and knowledge transfer:
Replatforming to a new platform might require the development team to acquire new skills or knowledge. Different processes may need to be built to take advantage of the new or modified capabilities. Adequate training and knowledge transfer should be provided to ensure a smooth transition and to fully leverage the benefits of the new platform.
How do you choose the right approach?
When deciding between Lift and Shift and Replatforming, there are several factors to consider:
Organization goals and objectives:
Understand your organization’s specific needs and objectives. Why are you moving to the cloud? How long will the system remain in place? If the system is considered strategic moving forward, it may make more sense to focus on future factors such as scalability requirements, desired performance improvements, and cost reduction, which may require refactoring.
Current system architecture and infrastructure:
Assess the compatibility of your existing system with the target platform. Many systems, like PeopleSoft and E-Business Suite, have built-in capabilities and tools to help you refactor to new technologies. Identify any architectural limitations, dependencies, or technical debt that might impact the success of each migration approach.
Time and budget constraints:
Evaluate the available time frame and budget for the migration project. Lift and shift migration often requires less time and effort, making it a suitable option for organizations with tight deadlines and limited resources. Replatforming, on the other hand, might require more upfront investment but can yield long-term benefits.
Comparative Analysis of Lift and Shift and Replatforming Approaches
To help you make an informed decision, let’s compare the benefits and challenges of Lift and Shift and Replatforming approaches side by side:
To ensure a successful migration, follow these best practices:
Assess the readiness of existing systems:
Conduct a comprehensive analysis of your current systems to identify potential compatibility issues, technical debt, or performance bottlenecks that need to be addressed before migration. Understand the vendor support for any new features you’d like to uptake.
Develop a comprehensive migration plan:
Plan the migration process meticulously, considering factors such as resource allocation, data transfer, testing, and rollback strategies. Assign dedicated resources and establish clear communication channels to streamline the migration process.
Mitigate risks and address potential issues:
Identify potential risks and challenges associated with your chosen migration approach. Implement risk mitigation strategies and establish contingency plans to minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.
Summary
Choosing the right migration approach is crucial for organizations seeking to modernize their systems and infrastructure. But there is no one-size-fits-all answer for every government agency. By considering factors such as business goals, current architecture, time and budget constraints, and future scalability needs, you can make an informed decision between Lift and Shift and Replatforming. Remember to follow best practices, mitigate risks, and address potential challenges to ensure a successful migration.
If you’re ready to embark on your migration journey or have any questions about lift and shift or re-platforming your Oracle applications and databases, we’re here to help. Contact us today to discuss your specific requirements and explore how our expertise can help you achieve a seamless, efficient migration experience.
