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Application Refactoring for the Cloud: 3 Key Considerations

Decision-makers across all business sectors are weighing their options for moving vast quantities of data and applications into the cloud. According to Gartner, worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is likely to grow from 21.3% in 2024 from 2023, illustrating that the ongoing industry-wide cloud migration trend is still going strong.

For businesses considering application refactoring for the cloud as a way to leverage the latest technology, there are a few points to keep in mind before committing to this migration method.

Key Takeaways:

The benefits of application refactoring include improved performance, stronger security, and greater flexibility.
Refactoring comes with certain challenges, such as potential propriety, complex dependencies, and a significant cost of time and resources.
While application refactoring leads to cloud-native-level capabilities, alternatives such as replatforming and the tried-and-true “lift & shift” method may be preferable cloud migration methods in some cases.

What is application refactoring for the cloud?

Application refactoring for the cloud is the process of either partially or fully rewriting an app to take better advantage of cloud services. This is an example of both application modernization and cloud migration. In cloud-native applications, the code tends to be packaged as containers and the architecture exists as a collection of microservices.

Companies undertake cloud migration because of the flexibility and scalability of the cloud, as well as the power of choice that comes with adopting a hybrid multicloud operating model. At the same time, migration allows for the opportunity to integrate Kubernetes functionality into the refactored application. This grants capabilities exclusive to workloads that are native to the cloud.

Application refactoring offers notable benefits

Refactoring an app for the cloud often entails making the underlying code easier to work with going forward, allowing for continuous improvement over time. IT teams can incrementally iterate on a refactored application to steadily improve its performance, maintainability, and sustainability to potentially grant it a longer lifespan.

Extending the lifespan of an application is only one of several major benefits of refactoring. Other advantages are made possible through the centralized application upgrades, unified platform upgrades, and dependency management capabilities of a platform such as Nutanix Lifecycle Manager.

Application refactoring for the cloud brings improved performance and new functionality to affected apps. A refactored app can, for example, leverage the power and resources available in the cloud to see increased faster execution speeds for various program functions.

Strengthened security is another byproduct of refactoring. By migrating an app to the cloud and equipping it with cloud-native architecture, the app can take full advantage of the overall security posture present in the cloud.

The cloud is, of course, also highly flexible in its availability. This means a refactored application can even gain support for mobile platforms or receive mobile application management compatibility that further increases network resilience for organizations with a remote work strategy in place.

There are some limitations to application refactoring

Refactoring even a single application can take a significant amount of time, up to multiple years in certain cases. While the end result might be a noteworthy improvement, the amount of resources and risks involved may not be worthwhile.

There is also the possibility that an application refactored to work on a certain cloud may be incompatible with another cloud, raising issues if the enterprise decides to migrate again.

Another risk comes in the form of unforeseen dependencies. If application refactoring for the cloud uncovers or creates new dependencies between applications, there becomes a possibility of additional work requirements or outright failure.

However, the choice of cloud platform can circumvent many or most of these potential drawbacks of refactoring. For instance, a platform that guarantees fully portable licenses across clouds can give IT leaders peace of mind in knowing that they will not be subject to vendor lock-in even after a refactoring project.

Application refactoring is not always necessary

Refactoring is not the only cloud migration solution. Many organizations choose a simple “lift & shift” method when migrating applications to the cloud which entails making minimal changes to the app itself in exchange for limited functionality in the cloud.

Replatforming is another option that involves reworking the underlying platform more than an individual app. This method also has its own drawbacks in the form of propriety. It can be difficult or impossible to replatform an application for any cloud other than one provided by the original platform vendor.

Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) provides another solution that unifies the private and public cloud. In this way, the on-premises environment extends seamlessly to the public cloud and makes it possible to migrate applications between locations without refactoring or replatforming.

While application refactoring for the cloud can be a powerful choice for an organization’s most important workloads, the simplicity of other migration methods can bring a better return on investment in the long run. With NC2, it is possible to achieve fast low-risk app migrations while still ensuring effortless scalability and flexibility afterward.

Making the best decisions for application refactoring for the cloud

Decision-makers tasked with a cloud migration project can make the best, most informed decisions by understanding the benefits and limitations of application refactoring. It is also prudent to explore alternate cloud migration methods that might be the better choice.

Refactoring can be a great option when there is a need to improve the existing code of an application, particularly for those with a long expected lifespan. Refactoring can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, though, so it may be best to view it as a continuous effort rather than a one-and-done endeavor.

When making the ultimate decision of whether to implement application refactoring for the cloud or to choose a different migration method, perhaps the most important consideration is flexibility. There is a constant and growing demand for applications from every direction, so the ideal solution is often one that enables the deployment of data and apps anywhere.

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