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Application migration:
a comprehensive process overview
May 13, 2025
Application migration involves moving a software solution from one computing environment to another. This includes migrating the app from one data center to another, from the on-premises infrastructure to the cloud, or between cloud environments.
Relying on our solid experience in application services and cloud computing, Itransition helps companies safely migrate applications to the target environment to reduce operational costs, achieve greater flexibility, and adapt to changing business needs.
Application migration approaches
Organizations can opt for different application migration approaches based on their current technical challenges and business needs.
Rehost
Also referred to as a lift-and-shift approach, rehosting involves migrating an application from its current infrastructure to a new one without significant modifications. The rehosting process usually takes less time and effort than other approaches. However, the long-term costs can be higher because the rehosted application may not be not fully aligned with the new environment thus preventing the application from utilizing its full capabilitiesl.
Replatform
Within the replatforming strategy the application with its core functionality is moved to a cloud infrastructure while still undergoing code changes that ensure its better alignment with the new environment. Examples of such changes include moving a server-hosted database to a cloud-native one, switching to a different operating system, or encapsulating the application into containers or leveraging platform-specific services.
Refactor
If a company opts for refactoring, or re-architecting, developers rewrite large portions of an application’s codebase to adapt the solution to the new environment and then perform the migration. For example, a company can break down a monolithic app originally hosted on-premises into a set of microservices to take advantage of cloud functionalities like autoscaling. This migration path requires thorough planning and testing both prior to and post migration to make sure that the modified application functions as expected.
Repurchase
When taking the repurchasing approach, organizations discard their existing applications or software modules and replace them with similar, often newer, cloud-based solutions. Repurchasing can be a more cost-effective option than re-architecting the existing software while offering access to new features and better app support.
30%
operational cost savings
Fintech ITSM cloud migration
Railsbank partnered with Itransition to improve their ITSM processes and migrate their Jira and Confluence server instances to the cloud. We performed the migration in line with strict data security and compliance regulations and provided support services to ensure seamless adoption of the cloud-based system. As a result, our client got rid of the hosting burden and reduced the overall TCO.
Investment portfolio management solution migration
Itransition helped TradeSmith migrate their whole infrastructure that supports 15+ investment portfolio management products, serves thousands of investors, and processes large data amounts to expand its capacity. Our team chose a combination of migration approaches to streamline the process and ensure business continuity for our client.
Automotive BI system cloud migration
Our team helped a global automotive BI vendor migrate their legacy BI system to a cloud-based SaaS environment, implementing necessary system improvements and redeveloping the legacy architecture into a microservices-based one. The migrated solution allowed our client to increase productivity and employee motivation by 50%.
Pharmaceutical data analytics suite cloud migration
Itransition migrated an on-premises data analytics platform for generating reports based on hundreds of data sources to an AWS cloud environment. After the migration, the solution can accommodate a growing number of users while maintaining high availability, scalability, and security.
Shipping automation software cloud migration
We migrated our client’s flagship shipping automation solution to Microsoft Azure, transforming the legacy application’s architecture into microservices and introducing new features, enabling the solution to operate both in the cloud and on-premises. With the two product versions, our client can consistently grow their user base.
Engineering consultancy CRM replatforming
We helped ECCI transition from their legacy Joomla-based CRM system to a Microsoft-based one. After selecting the most cost-efficient software option, our team configured the environment, set up the solution, migrated the data, and added custom functionality to cover all the client’s needs. The new solution streamlines customer data handling and customer relationship management, reducing manual efforts.
Ready to migrate your application?
Benefits of application migration
While the benefits of app migration can vary depending on the chosen application migration strategy, new IT infrastructure, and specific business goals, there are several universal advantages that this initiative commonly brings to businesses.
Cost savings
achieved through adopting a more cost-efficient IT infrastructure, optimization of computing resource utilization, and switching to a more flexible software licensing model
Improved operations
owing to faster app performance, enhanced system reliability, and more efficient data storage
Business growth support
ensured by the capability to easily scale workloads in response to evolving business needs
Faster innovation
facilitated by modern IT environments that enable access to AI, ML, and blockchain – advanced technologies legacy infrastructures often lack
Application migration roadmap
Every app migration project is unique, therefore migration roadmaps differ depending on the type and complexity of the app migrated, the selected migration approach, and other factors. However, there are key app migration stages and activities that most companies generally undergo.
1
Business analysis
- Identifying migration goals
- Evaluating the application and corporate workloads to be migrated
- Mapping app dependencies
2
Migration planning
- Determining the target environment (cloud, on-premises, or hybrid)
- Selecting a migration approach, deployment model, and tools
- Estimating migration costs and timeline
- Preparing migration, risk management, and rollback plans
3
Migration execution
- Implementing required app modifications or modernization
- Setting up a new environment
- Migrating the data and application
- Configuring the migrated solution and integrating it with other systems
4
Testing & release
- Performing functional, performance, security, and user acceptance testing
- Fine-tuning the app & new infrastructure for optimal performance
- Deploying the migrated app in production
5
Post-launch support
- Providing user onboarding
- Continuously monitoring the application’s performance, security, reliability, and regulatory compliance
Application migration risks
Application migration is associated with multiple challenges that can disrupt the system and business operations. We explore the most common risks that companies face during their app migration journeys and suggest possible solutions.
Data loss
When performing app migration, some data can be lost due to unnoticed improper data formatting or corruption during the conversion process. In addition, data can be lost when it is unintentionally discarded during migration (e.g., it can be filtered out by migration rules or excluded due to human or logic errors).
How to mitigate it:
- Establish a data backup and recovery strategy that implies using comprehensive data checkpoints before the migration, validating data integrity before and after the migration, and using data migration automation.
- Design the migration process so that it can be rerun safely and reliably, either partially for specific stages or fully.
Unplanned downtime
Since application migration is a complex process, technical issues that can potentially arise during the process lead to unexpected downtime. Failures, such as database crashes or application bugs, can make the migrated application temporarily unavailable or non-functional, disrupting the company’s operations.
How to mitigate it:
- Perform a mock migration beforehand to uncover and fix issues that can hinder the migration progress.
- Consider migrating app components in phases rather than all at once.
- Schedule the migration during off-peak hours to minimize impact on business operations.
Budget overrun
When an application migration initiative is poorly planned, there’s a high likelihood of project delays, scope creep, and the need to engage additional resources and tools. In this case, the actual project costs will exceed the initially estimated budget.
How to mitigate it:
- Carefully calculate the app migration budget, factoring in all necessary expenses. Take into account diverse factors, including operational expenses, capital expenditures (e.g., equipment cost if applicable), licensing fees, and new app training costs.
- Check against the detailed cost breakdown and cost thresholds, regularly track the spending during migration, and adjust the budget if needed.
Security vulnerabilities
If there are any potential weaknesses in the security of an application, its data, or infrastructure, migrating it to another environment can expose it to threats, so that attackers can intercept the data during the transfer or access it after the migration is complete.
How to mitigate it:
- Implement data encryption for secure data transfer and storage.
- Conduct security assessments and penetration testing before and after migration.
- Introduce strong access controls and role-based permissions in the migrated application.
Application migration best practices
The following best practices can help organizations complete their application migration projects successfully.
Pre-migration
- Carefully assess the application you’re planning to migrate and the ecosystem hosting it, including server configurations, integrations, databases, frameworks, and libraries it relies on to factor in all the details and complexities in the migration plan.
- Encourage relevant business units to take part in the migration planning early on to identify critical processes that must be preserved or optimized as a result of migration and prevent disruption to key operations.
- Establish a rollback plan to prepare for a potential migration failure, so that you can quickly revert the changes and restore the app in its original environment.
During migration
- When possible, use migration automation tools to streamline repeated patterns, minimize human errors, and reduce possible downtime.
- Throughout the migration process, regularly keep the stakeholders informed about the migration progress and address their concerns to avoid misunderstandings or unrealistic expectations.
Post-migration
- Update the application’s documentation to reflect the new architecture, configurations, and workflows.
- Don’t decommission the previously used software right after migration but rather gradually reduce access to it and redirect users to the new application. This practice helps smooth out the transition between the two solutions and facilitates user adaptation.
- Provide training to help users get quickly accustomed to any changes in the functionality, user experience, and workflows.
- Continuously monitor the performance, security, and resource usage of the migrated application to identify areas for optimization and make necessary adjustments.
Top cloud platforms for app migration
Today, more and more organizations choose to migrate their software applications to the cloud to achieve greater flexibility and drive innovation. To support this shift, cloud service providers offer robust platforms that cater to the needs of various companies. Here’s a list of the leading cloud platforms recognized in Gartner’s 2024 Magic Quadrant for Strategic Cloud Platform Services.
- AWS Migration Hub, a tool for end-to-end app migration and modernization
- 114 availability zones
- SaaS, PaaS, IaaS services models
- 240 fully featured services, including cloud migration, cloud operations, containers, DevOps, serverless computing, and data lakes & analytics
- Best fit for large-scale applications
- Azure Migrate, a free migration tool
- 93 availability zones
- SaaS, PaaS, IaaS services models
- 200+ products and services across various categories, including DevOps, databases, cloud resource management, security services, analytics and AI + machine learning
- Best fit for compliance-heavy apps
Google Cloud Platform
- Migration Center, a proprietary migration tool
- 121 availability zones
- SaaS, PaaS, IaaS services models
- Diverse solutions, including infrastructure modernization, application modernization, databases, data analytics, and AI
- 20 free products, including Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Run, and Cloud Shell
- Best fit for software requiring containerization
Get expert help with application migration
Application migration services we offer
Migration consulting
Itransition helps you build a robust strategy for successful app migration, choosing the best-fitting approach and target environment to address your business needs. We also provide advisory guidance during the migration process to help you navigate technical challenges and minimize disruption to business processes.
End-to-end migration
We execute your app migration project from start to finish, ensuring a smooth transition to the new environment of your choice with minimal downtime and no risk of data loss.
FAQs
The duration of application migration varies depending on the project specifics. It can take from several weeks for a lift-and-shift of small infrastructures to over a year for complex environments that require several migration iterations or major rebuilding.
The cost of an application migration project can start at $5,000. The final amount depends on multiple factors, including:
- Migration scope (one vs several applications)
- The app’s complexity
- The app’s migration readiness and the scope of required app modifications
- Migration approach
- App deployment option
- Data volume to be migrated
Contact our team to get an estimation for your specific app migration project.
When opting for cloud application migration, companies can choose between four common deployment models, each with its benefits and limitations.
- Public cloud
A cloud environment shared between multiple users and managed by the vendor. With the public cloud option, companies can pay only for the resources used as well as scale on demand. There is no burden of hardware and infrastructure maintenance. On the other hand, customization options are rather limited and there is a lack of control over the infrastructure. - Private cloud
A cloud environment dedicated exclusively to one organization. When opting for a private cloud, companies rarely face any compatibility issues and have greater control over computing resources. On the downside, this model implies high costs and limited scalability options. - Hybrid cloud
A combination of cloud and on-premises environments. With the hybrid model, organizations can achieve a cost-benefit balance, minimize downtime risks, and guarantee enhanced data security. With all these tangible benefits, businesses must be aware of a technically demanding setup, complex maintenance, as well as the risk of compatibility issues. - Multicloud
An environment that combines multiple cloud services from different cloud providers. This approach allows businesses to use the best of multiple cloud vendors, therefore it’s easier to optimize costs and performance and minimize the risk of vendor lock-in. However, such environments require solid management efforts and there are security and compliance-related risks.
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