Cloud exit and vendor lock-in: strategy and checklist
In short
A cloud exit strategy describes how a company can move data and applications to another provider or its own data centre within a reasonable time. It lowers vendor lock-in risk and is explicitly required by regulation such as DORA for financial companies.
01
Where lock-in comes from
Proprietary databases and serverless services, missing infrastructure as code, large data volumes with high egress fees and contracts without exit terms.
02
Checklist for your exit strategy
1. Rank applications by criticality and dependency. 2. Describe infrastructure fully as code. 3. Prefer open standards such as Kubernetes and PostgreSQL. 4. Test data export regularly. 5. Put exit clauses and deadlines in the contract. 6. Name a fallback target, such as a European cloud.
03
Rehearse an exit through to business acceptance
A successful data export does not prove that an application will be usable at the destination. Also check identities, certificates, integrations and the business completeness of the transferred data.
- 1Select a representative application and define acceptable downtime and data loss.
- 2Provision the target environment independently of the current provider.
- 3Transfer data and record differences in formats, permissions and interfaces.
- 4Test the application with representative business transactions.
- 5Document cutover, fallback and decision points, and measure the actual duration.
04
Assess effort across the entire transition
Target infrastructure is only part of exit costs. Include parallel operations, data transfer, application changes and the working time needed for validation and acceptance.
Compare proposals using the same transition scenario. Check contractual charges and possible exemptions specifically rather than assuming egress fees across the board.
| Driver | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Data changes | How will changes made during transfer be synchronised? |
| Service dependencies | Which functions must be replaced at the destination? |
| Parallel operations | How long must both environments remain available? |
| Contract termination | What assistance and deletion confirmation are agreed? |
05
Example: switch an order database in a controlled way
Example: An order application is first built at the destination using a full data copy, followed by ongoing change synchronisation. At cutover, writes are briefly paused and outstanding business transactions are reconciled.
After the target is approved, the source must not resume accepting writes without control. A fallback plan must therefore specify how changes already made at the destination will be handled.
06
How MAKONIS helps
MAKONIS assesses lock-in risks, plans exit scenarios and builds portable platforms on Kubernetes – in Azure, European clouds or hybrid.
Frequently asked questions
No. It is a safeguard. Most companies stay, but negotiate better with a credible alternative.
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