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Understand the Benefits of and Strategies for Migration to the AWS Cloud

☁️ Exam Guide: Cloud Practitioner
📘 Task Statement 1.3

🎯 What Is This Task Testing?

This objective focuses on whether you understand:

  • Cloud adoption strategies (how organizations plan and execute migration)
  • Resources that support migration
  • The benefits of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (AWS CAF)
  • How to choose appropriate migration strategies/tools for a scenario (e.g., database replication, AWS Snowball)

1) 🧭 Cloud Adoption Strategies

Cloud adoption is more than “moving servers.” It typically includes:

  • Aligning cloud goals to business outcomes: cost, speed, resilience, innovation
  • Planning for people/process changes: skills, operations, governance
  • Selecting migration approaches per workload: not every app moves the same way
  • Executing in phases: (pilot → migrate → optimize)

2) 🧩 AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (AWS CAF)

AWS CAF is guidance that helps organizations plan and manage a cloud adoption journey by addressing business and technical considerations. The goal is to reduce uncertainty and increase the likelihood of successful migration and modernization.

Benefits of AWS CAF

  • Reduced business risk: clearer planning, governance, security approach, and migration sequencing
  • Improved ESG performance: more efficient infrastructure use, less wasted capacity, potential reduction in environmental impact
  • Increased revenue: faster delivery of new features/products, global expansion, improved customer experience
  • Increased operational efficiency: automation, standardized processes, improved monitoring, and better resource utilization

3)🧰 Resources That Support the Migration Journey

AWS provides multiple programs and services to help customers assess, mobilize, and migrate.

Common resource types: (what they’re for)

  • Assessment & planning: evaluate readiness, build a business case, identify dependencies
  • Migration & transfer services: move servers, databases, and large datasets
  • Partner support: system integrators and AWS Partners can help execute migrations
  • Ongoing guidance: best practices for operations, security, and architecture after migration

4) 🗺️ Identifying Appropriate Migration Strategies

Different workloads require different strategies.

A. Database replication 🔁

When it’s appropriate:

  • you want minimal downtime (or near-zero downtime)
  • you need to keep source and target databases in sync during migration
  • you want a gradual cutover rather than a hard stop

B. AWS Snowball 📦

What it is: a physical device used to transfer large amounts of data into AWS.

When it’s appropriate:

  • very large datasets (terabytes/petabytes)
  • limited bandwidth or slow/expensive internet connectivity
  • need for secure offline transfer with chain-of-custody style handling

Exam scenario signals:

  • “network link is too slow”
  • “moving petabytes of data”
  • “upload would take weeks/months”
  • “remote location with poor connectivity”

✅ Quick Exam-Style Summary

  • AWS CAF helps plan adoption and improves outcomes (risk reduction, ESG, revenue, operational efficiency).
  • Choose migration strategies based on constraints:
    • Database replication → minimize downtime and support gradual cutover.
    • AWS Snowball → move massive datasets when bandwidth is limited.

Additional Resources

  1. An Overview of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework

  2. Getting Started with AWS Snowball

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