AWS Migration: The Essence
Your business runs on infrastructure that either works for you — or against you. AWS migration moves your databases, applications, data warehouses, virtual desktops, and workloads into Amazon’s cloud environment so your team stops managing servers and starts focusing on growth.
When done right, migration to AWS brings down your infrastructure costs, improves performance across the board, and gives you the flexibility to scale up or down without calling anyone.
- Project duration: ~5 months (scope-dependent)
- Migration cost: starts at $2,000 for lift-and-shift; $8,000–$40,000 for re-architected solutions. AWS infrastructure runs ~$38,000/year.
- Core migration steps: scope definition, strategy selection, project planning, workload migration, environment optimization.
- Team you’ll need: project manager, cloud architect, software developer, IT security specialist, database engineer, QA engineer, DevOps engineer.
5 Steps of AWS Migration
Every infrastructure is different. The number of dependencies, your current tech stack, your timeline, your budget — all of it shapes how your migration unfolds. After 68 projects and a track record of software delivery, our team at INNERLUXES has refined a process that works every time.
Step 1 — Defining the Scope (1–2 weeks)
Building a complete inventory of everything being migrated — databases, apps, data warehouses, virtual desktops, or a mix. Mapping all dependencies before a single byte moves. Flagging legacy components that may need special handling.
Step 2 — Migration Strategy & Model (3–4 weeks)
Choosing between rehosting, replatforming, repurchasing, and refactoring. Designing target AWS architecture. Sizing compute and storage needs including peak-load scenarios. Selecting the right migration toolkit for your specific situation.
Step 3 — Planning the Project (1–2 weeks)
Creating a full project plan covering resources, timelines, costs, and risk mitigation. Defining a RACI matrix. Establishing KPIs that actually matter — service availability, memory usage, network latency, error rates. Locking in go/no-go criteria before migration begins.
Step 4 — Migrating to AWS (10–12 weeks)
Spinning up your AWS production environment. Setting up DevOps tooling and CI/CD pipelines. Migrating all workloads and data to the target AWS architecture. Running ongoing validation checks at every stage. For complex migrations, we run a pilot phase first.
Step 5 — Testing & Optimization (3–4 weeks)
Performance testing all migrated solutions. Conducting compliance assessments — HIPAA, GDPR, and others. Running penetration testing and technical audits. Configuring monitoring via Amazon CloudWatch and AWS X-Ray. Handing over a fully documented, optimized environment.
AWS Migration Services by INNERLUXES
Our 132 professionals have been building and migrating AWS-based infrastructures for years. You get real expertise — not a junior team reading documentation for the first time.
AWS Migration Consulting
Full audit of your current infrastructure. Tailored AWS migration scope and strategy. ROI and TCO projections. A detailed migration project plan you can act on immediately. Guidance on the optimal sourcing model for your team — with hands-on support throughout.
AWS Migration Outsourcing
Hand it over entirely. INNERLUXES handles migration strategy, AWS architecture design, database and data migration, functional and performance testing, data validation, post-migration optimization, and full environment handover.
Database Migration
We migrate databases of every kind — PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL, and more — using AWS Database Migration Service to keep your source fully live during continuous replication to the target environment.
Workload & Application Migration
From virtual machines and on-premises servers to existing cloud workloads, we migrate your applications to run natively on AWS — rehosted, replatformed, or fully refactored based on what delivers the most value.
Data & Warehouse Migration
We migrate data warehouses, large datasets, and file transfer workflows to AWS storage services. Every transfer is validated for correctness, integrity, and completeness — nothing arrives dirty or incomplete.
Post-Migration Support & Optimization
Migration doesn’t end at cutover. We tune cloud performance, configure AWS monitoring tools, conduct security and compliance audits, and document everything so your team can own the environment with confidence.
Batool
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
at INNERLUXES
“For high-confidence AWS migrations, we never move dirty data and we never skip the pilot phase on complex projects. Real production-equivalent data tested in a beta environment first — that’s how you catch problems before they ever touch live systems.
Selected AWS Projects by InnerLuxes
The Costs of AWS Migration
AWS migration costs range from $2,000 to $40,000, depending on the scope and complexity of your project. Your actual number depends on infrastructure complexity, data volume, migration strategy, and testing requirements.
Lift-and-shift rehosting migration — fastest path to AWS with minimal code changes.
Re-architected or re-platformed AWS migration for moderate to complex environments.
Typical ongoing AWS infrastructure costs for a fully cloud-native solution.
Main AWS Migration Cost Factors
- Complexity of your current infrastructure — database size, schema count, interdependencies
- Total volume of data being migrated
- Your chosen migration strategy — rehosting is most efficient; refactoring requires the most effort
- How migration-ready your existing infrastructure actually is
- Level of automation used and associated software licensing costs
- Testing coverage required to meet your quality and compliance standards
AWS Migration Software INNERLUXES Recommends
In our AWS migration projects, we select tools based on your specific scenario — not a generic checklist. Here are the key AWS services we work with most.
AWS Database Migration Service
Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and more. Keeps your source database fully live during migration through continuous replication. Best for heterogeneous migrations and analytical workloads.
AWS Application Migration Service
Automatically converts physical, virtual, or existing cloud servers to run natively on AWS. Continuous replication with no performance disruption. Best for lift-and-shift migrations.
AWS Migration Hub
Unified dashboard with real-time visibility into migration status across all applications. Includes Refactor Spaces for incremental migration toward microservices. Best for large multi-app migrations.
AWS DataSync
Transfers data and metadata between on-premises and AWS with built-in encryption and validation at every step. Purpose-built for large-scale data movement. Best for migrations with strict security requirements.
AWS Transfer Family
Supports Microsoft Active Directory and LDAP authentication. Stores transferred data natively in AWS Storage for immediate use. Best for migrating file transfer workflows without disrupting existing processes.
Not Sure Which Tool Fits?
Our experienced cloud team will cut through the options and tell you exactly what fits your situation — no upselling, no generic advice. Just the right tools for your specific migration scenario.
AWS Migration Sourcing Models & Team
How you structure your migration team matters. Here are the three models we see in practice — and the team roles that make each one work.
Model 1 — Full Internal Team
Pros: Maximum control over every decision and step.
Cons: High risk of delayed start — you need people with deep AWS knowledge and hands-on migration experience ready to go.
Model 2 — Internal Mgmt + Outsourced Resources
Pros: Fast project kickoff. Flexibility to scale. Access to expertise your team may lack.
Cons: Internal leadership must be capable of managing external professionals effectively.
Model 3 — Sponsor + Full Outsource
Pros: Full benefit of a specialist team’s experience. Simple oversight through clear KPIs.
Cons: Choosing the wrong partner is a real risk — which is why choosing the right one matters.
Typical Roles in Our AWS Migration Projects
Project Manager
Keeps migration on track against agreed milestones, budget, and timelines. Owns stakeholder communication and escalation paths.
Cloud Architect
Designs the AWS migration strategy from the ground up. Builds the target architecture in AWS for every workload being moved.
Software Developer
Adapts and modifies workloads to fit the target AWS architecture. Resolves workload issues that surface during and after migration.
Database Engineer
Configures target databases and data warehouses in AWS. Executes data migration, implements backup and recovery, tunes performance.
DevOps Engineer
Implements infrastructure-as-code and deploys CI/CD automation. Configures monitoring and alerting systems proactively.
IT Security Specialist
Defines security requirements for data transfer and server access. Ensures all migrated workloads meet security and compliance requirements.
QA Engineer
Builds the testing strategy and plan. Verifies data migration success — no loss, no corruption. Validates functionality and performance of every migrated workload.
AWS Migration – Q&A
A typical AWS migration takes around 5 months end to end — covering scope definition (1–2 weeks), strategy selection (3–4 weeks), project planning (1–2 weeks), workload migration (10–12 weeks), and optimization (3–4 weeks). Timelines vary based on infrastructure complexity and the migration strategy chosen.
AWS migration costs start at $2,000 for a basic lift-and-shift and range up to $40,000 for fully re-architected solutions. Ongoing AWS infrastructure typically costs around $38,000 per year. The exact figure depends on infrastructure scope, data volume, chosen strategy, and testing requirements.
Yes. We use AWS Database Migration Service for continuous replication, keeping your source database fully operational while the target is populated in parallel. For complex migrations, we run a pilot phase first — real production-equivalent data tested in a beta environment — so problems are found and fixed before they ever touch live systems.