In today’s digital-first world, enterprises are racing to modernize their IT infrastructure. Among the most straightforward paths to the cloud is the “Lift and Shift” migration. It is a strategy that involves moving applications and workloads from on-premises to the cloud with minimal modification. For many organizations, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has become a preferred destination due to its cost-efficiency, scalability, and enterprise-grade capabilities.
We recently executed a migration for a mid-sized manufacturing firm. It led to a 30% reduction in infrastructure costs. This was achieved without refactoring a single line of code. Here’s how we made it happen.
🚚 What Is Lift and Shift?
Lift and Shift is moving workloads from on-premises servers to the cloud “as-is”. This process does not require major changes to the application architecture. It’s the fastest way to reap the benefits of the cloud:
- Lower CapEx
- Faster deployment
- Better scalability
- Disaster recovery and backup capabilities
GCP’s robust IaaS offering was perfect for this customer. It allowed them to mirror their existing environment with ease.
🏭 Customer Background: A Legacy-Heavy Manufacturing Enterprise
Our client was running a combination of Windows and Linux workloads on aging on-prem hardware. Challenges included:
- Rising hardware maintenance costs
- Limited scalability during seasonal demand
- Manual backup and disaster recovery processes
- Growing pressure from leadership to “move to cloud”
They were not ready for a full app modernization effort. A Lift and Shift to GCP offered a practical middle path.
🧭 The Migration Strategy
1. Assessment and Discovery
- Used Google’s StratoZone tool to assess workload suitability and right-size VMs
- Identified idle/underutilized workloads and recommended consolidation
2. Design and Planning
- Mapped on-prem resources to GCP equivalents (Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, VPCs)
- Designed for High Availability with zonal redundancy
3. Migration Execution
- Leveraged Migrate for Compute Engine to move VMs with zero downtime
- Integrated Cloud Monitoring and Operations Suite for real-time insights
💰 The Result: 30% Reduction in Infra Costs
| Category | On-Prem Cost | GCP Cost | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compute | ₹11,00,000/year | ₹7,50,000/year | ~32% |
| Storage | ₹4,00,000/year | ₹2,80,000/year | ~30% |
| Backup & DR | ₹2,50,000/year | ₹1,00,000/year | ~60% |
| Total | ₹17,50,000/year | ₹11,30,000/year | ~35% |
🛠️ Tools & Services Used
- Migrate for Compute Engine
- Google Cloud’s Operations Suite
- Cloud VPN for hybrid connectivity
- Cloud IAM for secure access
- Storage Nearline & Coldline for backups
📈 Beyond Cost Savings: Strategic Wins
- 99.99% uptime with built-in redundancy
- Faster provisioning—VMs deployed in minutes, not days
- Improved security posture with Google-managed encryption
- Foundation for future modernization (containerization, AI/ML)
🚀 Final Thoughts: Lift Off with Lift and Shift
While Lift and Shift isn’t the end of a cloud journey, it’s a powerful first step. Companies seeking to move fast gain from Google Cloud Platform. It helps reduce costs and build a cloud-ready foundation, offering unmatched value.
Whether you’re in manufacturing, retail, BFSI, or logistics, it’s time to assess your infrastructure. Don’t let your legacy systems hold you back. Now’s the time to explore your options.
Ready to reduce your infra costs by 30% or more? Let’s talk.
💡 FAQs About GCP Lift and Shift
What is a Lift and Shift migration to GCP?
It involves moving on-prem workloads to Google Cloud Platform with minimal changes to application code or architecture.
How does Lift and Shift help reduce costs?
Through right-sizing, discount models, storage class optimization, and eliminating hardware maintenance.
How long does a typical GCP migration take?
Most Lift and Shift projects complete in 4–12 weeks depending on complexity.