# Cloud Migration Strategies Overview

> Chapter 48 of the Courseiva AZ-900 curriculum — https://courseiva.com/learn/az-900/cloud-migration-overview

**Official objective:** 1.1 — Cloud Concepts

## Introduction

This chapter gives a general overview of cloud migration strategy, setting up the more specific lift-and-shift chapter that follows. AZ-900 tests this under objective 1.1.

## Moving House: Plan First, Then Move

Moving to a new house isn't just picking up boxes and driving — it typically involves planning what to bring, deciding what to replace, and sequencing the move to minimize disruption. Migrating workloads to the cloud follows a similar pattern: rather than moving everything at once without a plan, organizations typically assess what they have, decide on an approach for each workload, and migrate in a planned, sequenced way.

## Core explanation

### What cloud migration involves
Cloud migration is the process of moving an organization's applications, data, and infrastructure from on-premises (or another environment) into the cloud. It typically involves assessing existing workloads, deciding on an appropriate migration approach for each, and executing that migration in a planned way rather than all at once without preparation.

### Common migration approaches
Different workloads often call for different approaches — some might be moved with minimal changes (covered in the lift-and-shift chapter), while others might be redesigned to take fuller advantage of cloud-native capabilities. The right approach depends on the specific workload's requirements, age, and business priority.

### Why a planned approach matters
Migrating without proper assessment and planning risks moving workloads in ways that don't take advantage of cloud benefits, or that introduce unexpected issues. A more deliberate approach — assessing what exists, planning the sequence, and choosing an appropriate strategy per workload — generally leads to better outcomes.

### Migration is often incremental
Organizations rarely migrate everything simultaneously — a phased, incremental approach lets teams learn from earlier migrations and adjust their approach for later ones, rather than committing to one massive, all-at-once migration effort.

## Real-world context

An organization migrating to Azure starts with a less critical, simpler application as an initial migration, learning from that experience before tackling more complex, business-critical applications later in a more informed, planned sequence.

## Exam focus

Objective 1.1 expects a general, conceptual understanding of cloud migration as a planned process, setting up the more specific lift-and-shift-versus-refactor distinction in the next chapter.

A common wrong answer is assuming migration is a single, uniform action applied identically to every workload — different workloads often call for different approaches.

Stable terms: **cloud migration**. Memory trick: migration is generally planned and phased — assess, choose an approach per workload, then execute incrementally, not one massive uniform move.

## Step by step

1. **Assess existing workloads** — Before migrating, an organization typically assesses its existing applications and infrastructure to understand what exists and what migration approach might fit each one.
2. **Choose an approach per workload** — Different workloads may call for different migration approaches, rather than a single one-size-fits-all method for everything.
3. **Plan the sequence** — Migrations are typically planned and sequenced, rather than attempting to move everything simultaneously without preparation.
4. **Execute and learn incrementally** — A phased approach lets an organization learn from earlier migrations and refine its approach for subsequent ones.

## Common misconceptions

- **Misconception:** Cloud migration means moving everything the exact same way at once. **Reality:** Different workloads often call for different migration approaches, and migrations are typically planned and executed incrementally rather than all at once identically.

## Key takeaways

- Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data, and infrastructure from on-premises (or elsewhere) into the cloud.
- Different workloads often call for different migration approaches, rather than one uniform method.
- A planned, assessed approach generally leads to better migration outcomes than moving everything without preparation.
- Migration is often incremental, letting organizations learn from earlier migrations and adjust for later ones.

## FAQ

**What does cloud migration involve?**

It's the process of moving an organization's applications, data, and infrastructure into the cloud, typically involving assessing existing workloads, choosing an appropriate approach for each, and executing the migration in a planned, often phased way.

**Do all workloads migrate the same way?**

No — different workloads often call for different migration approaches based on their specific requirements, age, and business priority, rather than a single uniform method applied to everything.

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Interactive version with quiz and diagrams: https://courseiva.com/learn/az-900/cloud-migration-overview