# Assess whether an application is ready to migrate to the cloud

A readiness assessment and migration approach for one application, with dependencies, risks, effort, and the questions to answer first.

- Topic: Software Development
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/assess-whether-an-application-is-ready-to-migrate-to-the-cloud

## Prompt

```text
Help me assess whether an application is ready to move to the cloud and how to migrate it.

**Application:** [WHAT IT DOES, users, business criticality]
**Current environment:** [on-premises / colocation / another cloud; OS, runtime, database, middleware]
**Target cloud and any tools under consideration:** [e.g. "AWS, considering an automated modernization service", "Azure", "undecided"]
**Architecture and dependencies:** [integrations, batch jobs, file shares, licensing, hard-coded IPs]
**Data:** [SIZE, growth, sensitivity, residency requirements]
**Constraints:** [downtime tolerance, deadline, budget, compliance, team skills]
**Why migrate:** [cost, scalability, data center exit, modernization]

Give me:
1. Migration strategy options using the "7 Rs" (retire, retain, rehost, relocate, replatform, repurchase, refactor), the best fit for this app, and why.
2. Readiness assessment across the cloud provider's well-architected pillars (operational excellence, security, reliability, performance, cost, sustainability): a table of Area | Current state | Gap | Severity | Action.
3. Discovery checklist: what to inventory before committing (dependencies, ports, scheduled jobs, licenses, data flows).
4. If I named a migration or modernization tool: what to verify about it (supported source languages and platforms, what it outputs, reports it produces, what still needs human review), marked [CONFIRM IN VENDOR DOCS]. Do not state features you are unsure of.
5. Cutover plan: data migration approach, testing, rollback, and a before/after comparison of operating costs and responsibilities using [ADD] placeholders.
6. Top risks and the decision I should make first.
```

## What to fill in

- WHAT IT DOES, users, business criticality
- SIZE, growth, sensitivity, residency requirements
- downtime tolerance, deadline, budget, compliance, team skills
- cost, scalability, data center exit, modernization
- CONFIRM IN VENDOR DOCS
- ADD

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