Cloud deployment archetypes are strategic frameworks for moving and managing applications in cloud environments, originating from AWS's migration strategies and now adopted industry-wide across all major cloud providers. These archetypes guide critical decisions about how to handle legacy applications, new developments, and infrastructure transitions — including the growing 2026 trend of selective cloud repatriation — directly impacting timelines, costs, and business outcomes. Understanding these patterns is essential because choosing the wrong archetype can result in wasted migration effort, cost overruns, or systems that fail to leverage cloud benefits — while the right choice accelerates modernization and maximizes ROI.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This topic spans 12 focused tables and 94 indexed concepts. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.
Table 1: The 7R Migration Strategies
The 7Rs framework provides a standardized vocabulary for classifying how each workload in a portfolio will be handled during cloud migration. Choosing the right R for each application is the first and most consequential decision in any migration program — typical portfolio analyses reveal 10–15% retire, 5–10% retain, 60–70% rehost/replatform, and 10–15% refactor.
| Strategy | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
VM → IaaS instance(no code changes) | • Moves applications to cloud without modifications — fastest migration but forgoes cloud-native benefits • ideal for rapid datacenter exits or time-sensitive moves. | |
SQL Server on VM → Azure SQL Database | • Applies minor cloud optimizations (managed databases, load balancers) without rearchitecting the core application • balances speed with moderate cloud benefits. | |
Custom CRM → Salesforce SaaS | • Replaces legacy applications with SaaS or marketplace solutions • eliminates custom maintenance and leverages vendor innovation, but may require process changes. | |
Monolith → microservices + containers | • Redesigns application architecture to be cloud-native (microservices, serverless, event-driven) • highest effort but maximizes scalability, resilience, and cost efficiency. |