Lift-and-Shift Migration to Cloud Service Type

AZ-900 By islever Editorial Last updated

Describe cloud service types

Short answer

A Migrate to infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to support lift-and-shift by providing virtualized compute resources that allow direct rehosting of on-premises servers with minimal changes.

Question

You need to migrate an on-premises server by using a lift-and-shift migration. To which type of cloud service should you migrate?
  1. infrastructure as a service (IaaS) Correct Answer
  2. software as a service (SaaS)
  3. platform as a service (PaaS)

Key Takeaways

The question tests the mapping between migration strategies and cloud service models; the common trap is confusing IaaS with PaaS, assuming platform services are needed when full infrastructure control is required.

This question addresses the appropriate cloud service model for a lift-and-shift migration strategy. It establishes that Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the correct choice because it allows for direct rehosting of on-premises servers with minimal changes.

Common mistake: Users might incorrectly choose Platform as a Service (PaaS), thinking it offers more management features, but PaaS requires application refactoring which contradicts the 'lift-and-shift' requirement of little or no changes.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Lift-and-shift, also known as rehosting, involves moving applications and data from on-premises to the cloud with minimal modifications. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing you to migrate existing server images directly to Azure Virtual Machines. This matches the requirement to move the server with 'little or no changes,' making IaaS the ideal fit.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Software as a Service (SaaS) delivers fully managed applications where the user cannot control the underlying infrastructure or install custom operating systems, so you cannot migrate an on-premises server into a SaaS offering. Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a environment for developing, running, and managing applications without dealing with infrastructure, but it often requires code changes or refactoring to leverage platform-specific features, violating the lift-and-shift constraint.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus strongly supports IaaS, with multiple users confirming this was a valid exam question. One user noted that lift-and-shift is a top advertised feature of IaaS, referencing official Microsoft documentation. Another comment explained that rehosting involves copying resources with little to no changes, aligning perfectly with the definition of IaaS.

Official Reference

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/cloud-computing-dictionary/what-is-iaas

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When encountering migration strategy questions, map the level of change required to the cloud service model. If the goal is 'rehosting' or 'minimal changes', choose IaaS. If the goal is 'refactoring' or 'optimizing', consider PaaS. If the goal is 'using a managed app', choose SaaS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is PaaS not suitable for lift-and-shift?

PaaS often requires application refactoring to leverage platform services, whereas lift-and-shift aims to move workloads with minimal to no code changes.

What does lift-and-shift mean in cloud migration?

It means moving existing on-premises servers or applications to the cloud with little or no modification, typically using IaaS virtual machines.

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Community Votes

A
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 5 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 5

  1. Mikalai271 👍 4
    This question was in my exam on July 3, 2024.
  2. Super63 👍 3
    1) In the lift-and-shift approach to cloud migration, applications, systems, workloads, and data are moved from on-premises to the cloud with little or no changes. Resources hosted in the data center are copied and "lifted" from the on-premises infrastructure. 2) Lift-and-shift – also known as rehosting – is a migration strategy that involves moving data and applications from an on-premises location to Azure-based virtual machines in the cloud. It's a popular approach, mainly because it is relatively quick and painless. Since it involves Virtual Machines, they need to be lifted-and-shifted to IaaS
  3. TestTaker09876 👍 2
    Lift and shift is one of top advertised features of infrastructure as service https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/cloud-computing-dictionary/what-is-iaas
  4. jambroba 👍 1 Answered A
    ✅ A. infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
  5. Payu1994 👍 1
    A it is.

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