Lift-and-shift moves an application to new infrastructure largely as it is, while a cloud-native migration rebuilds it to use containers, managed services and automatic scaling. Lift-and-shift is faster and cheaper up front but carries existing limitations with it; cloud-native takes longer and needs more skill but can scale and recover better. Most organisations do not choose one for everything: they lift and shift most systems, make modest changes to some, and rebuild only the few where the benefit justifies the effort.<\/p>\n
You move servers and applications to new infrastructure with minimal changes: the same operating system, the same software, the same configuration. It is like moving office furniture into a new building without rearranging it.<\/p>\n
You redesign the application to take advantage of modern infrastructure: splitting it into services, packaging them in containers, running them on an orchestrator such as Kubernetes, and using managed databases and object storage instead of software you run yourself.<\/p>\n
Between the two sits replatforming: keeping the application’s core but changing a few components on the way. Common examples are moving a self-run database to a managed database service, moving files to object storage, or putting an existing application in a container without redesigning it. This often captures much of the operational benefit for a fraction of the effort.<\/p>\n
Assess each application separately and ask:<\/p>\n
Lower DNS time-to-live values a day or two before switching, so the change takes effect quickly, and check that backups run on the new environment from day one.<\/p>\n
Tremhost’s cloud migration service follows those five steps, starting with a free assessment and including a rollback plan, with the old system kept until you confirm the move. It moves servers, applications, databases and websites from your office, another host or another cloud, to Tremhost data centres in Johannesburg, New York, Miami, Limburg or Roubaix, or to another cloud if that suits you better. cPanel websites move to Tremhost cPanel hosting free.<\/p>\n
For destinations:<\/p>\n
Larger projects are scoped with an engineer first. Support is by ticket, WhatsApp on +263 73 563 9917 or a booked call, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00 CAT.<\/p>\n
No. It is often the right first step, especially under time pressure. Many organisations rehost first and modernise the systems that matter once they have moved.<\/p>\n
Not necessarily. Managed databases, object storage and containers on a single server already bring many benefits. Kubernetes helps most when you run many services that need to scale independently.<\/p>\n
It should not, if the old system stays live while data is copied and tested, and users are switched in a short window at the end.<\/p>\n