What Are the 7 Rs of Cloud Migration?
A company is migrating a large enterprise workload to AWS. They want to understand all the migration strategies available. Which framework categorizes cloud migration strategies as the '7 Rs'?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is the AWS Migration Strategy 7 Rs. This framework is the standard taxonomy defined by AWS to categorize all possible approaches for moving workloads to the cloud, covering Retire, Retain, Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, and Relocate. It is the correct choice because AWS documentation and the official CLF-C02 exam guide explicitly reference these seven strategies as the comprehensive model for planning a migration, ensuring you evaluate every option from simply moving servers (Rehost) to completely rewriting applications (Refactor). On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam, this question tests your understanding of foundational migration concepts, often appearing as a straightforward definition question where incorrect options might list generic IT terms or other frameworks. A common trap is confusing the 7 Rs with the 6 Rs from older AWS content, but the current exam includes Relocate as the seventh. To remember them, use the mnemonic "Really Ripe Ripe Ripe Ripe Ripe Ripe" for Retire, Retain, Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Relocate.
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the '7 Rs' with the AWS Well-Architected Framework pillars or the AWS CAF perspectives, because all three are numbered frameworks used in AWS cloud adoption discussions, but only the 7 Rs specifically categorize migration strategies.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Migration Strategy 7 Rs
The '7 Rs' (Retire, Retain, Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor, Relocate) is a specific set of migration strategies defined by AWS to categorize how workloads can be moved to the cloud. This framework is directly referenced in AWS documentation and training as the 'AWS Migration Strategy 7 Rs' and is the standard taxonomy for discussing migration approaches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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AWS Well-Architected Framework pillars
Why it's wrong here
The Well-Architected Framework defines six pillars covering operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimisation and sustainability; it does not categorise migration strategies. The 7 Rs framework does. Well-Architected is tempting because it guides workload design, and would be correct for reviewing an existing architecture against best practise.
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AWS Cloud Adoption Framework perspectives
Why it's wrong here
The AWS Cloud Adoption Framework organises guidance into six perspectives covering business, people, governance, platform, security and operations; it does not enumerate migration strategies. The 7 Rs framework provides that categorisation. CAF is tempting because it addresses enterprise cloud migration holistically, and would be correct for structuring an organisation-wide cloud transformation programme.
- ✓
AWS Migration Strategy 7 Rs
Why this is correct
The AWS Migration Strategy framework defines the 7 Rs: retire, retain, rehost, relocate, re-platform, repurchase and refactor. It is the AWS-published categorisation of migration strategies, matching the requirement to identify the framework naming the 7 Rs.
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AWS Service Control Policy levels
Why it's wrong here
Service Control Policies are AWS Organizations guardrails that restrict which IAM actions accounts may perform; they do not categorise migration approaches. The 7 Rs framework itself lists strategies such as rehost, replatform and retire. SCPs are tempting because they govern large enterprise AWS estates, and would be correct for enforcing permission boundaries across accounts.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on CLF-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to migrate 50 virtual machines from their on-premises data centre to AWS as quickly as possible to reduce data centre costs. They plan to move the VMs without making any changes to the applications. Which cloud migration strategy does this represent?
medium- A.Refactor
- B.Replatform
- ✓ C.Rehost
- D.Retire
Why C: (Rehost) is correct because the company is migrating 50 virtual machines to AWS without making any changes to the applications, which is the defining characteristic of a 'lift and shift' migration. This strategy involves moving the VMs as-is, typically using AWS Server Migration Service (SMS) or AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN), to quickly reduce on-premises data center costs without application refactoring.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.