Lift and shift

As explained in Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure

A lift-and-shift approach moves an existing software system to a new environment with minimal changes to its architecture or implementation.

Lift and shift moves an existing subsystem or monolith to a new environment, commonly from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud, while minimizing changes to behavior, design, and implementation. It is a modernization choice, not a universal destination: teams can later apply more invasive strategies to individual subdomains. section 12.4.1

Use lift and shift when:

• Legacy coupling makes fine-grained modernization impractical, so moving the entire monolith provides a workable first step. section 12.4.1
• A subdomain has limited modernization opportunity, making deeper redesign less valuable than the cost of investment. section 12.4.1
• Modernization can proceed gradually, with later subdomain-level choices such as polishing, replicating, remodeling, or rethinking. section 12.4.1

Moving a monolith before reshaping it

A tightly coupled legacy system is moved from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud as a whole. Once there, teams can assess each subdomain and selectively pursue deeper redesign, while avoiding a big-bang transformation. section 12.4.1 section 12.6

Figure 12.19 The Modernization Strategy Selector (to be used per subdomain)

The Modernization Strategy Selector helps compare how much to change a subdomain’s behavior, design, and technology, supporting case-by-case investment decisions. section 12.4.1

How Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure covers it

How deep it goes

Explains lift and shift as a gradual strategy choice and contrasts it with progressively deeper redesign approaches.

Examples

Uses an on-premises-to-cloud move and whole-monolith migration before applying varied strategies to individual subdomains.

What you can do after

Evaluate modernization investment and choose whether to move, polish, replicate, remodel, or rethink each subdomain.

How it connects

Connects modernization strategy, subdomains, monoliths, cloud migration, complete rewrites, and migration patterns.

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Related concepts

• strategykind of · A strategy is a planned approach for achieving objectives through coordinated choices, priorities, and actions.
• virtual machineuses · A virtual machine is a software-based environment that emulates or implements an abstract computer system, providing an interface on which an operating system or programs can execute.
• cloud computingcontrasts with · Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of computing resources and services over a network from remotely managed infrastructure.
• playbookalternative to · A playbook is a structured set of instructions or procedures for carrying out a type of work or responding to a class of situations.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structure. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.