Kubernetes Migration Strategy: Moving to the Cloud Without Downtime

Migration to Kubernetes may actually be a challenging task. For example, it can cost you a lengthy downtime that disrupts your operations. Or there may be a minor bug that makes all the things within your system fail. Finally, you may consume too many resources, which will result in a very high cost of migration. 

If you want to migrate to Kubernetes the right way, keep reading this detailed guide with expert tips and suggestions.

The first question to ask is: “Why migrate to Kubernetes?” The point is that such a migration can help you leverage several benefits. If the advantages from the list below appeal to you, consider such a migration. 

With Kubernetes, you can easily adjust your app to growing data loads, as the platform provides powerful scaling features available across different environments.

It provides a wide space for configuration and even experimentation, allowing you to build custom and very flexible architectural patterns tailored to business needs. This flexibility is, probably, the key factor in the OpenShift vs. Kubernetes comparison. 

Kubernetes live migration can help you make software more secure. First, you can use tools like Prometheus or Grafana to ensure efficient monitoring of your Kubernetes software.

In addition, the platform ensures efficient security and policy control. In particular, it includes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Finally, you get complete control over containerized resources with a Kubernetes dashboard. 

Kubernetes has capabilities for smart scheduling of workloads. As a result, the platform can automatically maximize hardware efficiency and minimize costs. In addition, it seamlessly integrates with varying CI/CD pipelines to ensure efficient automation for software delivery. 

Migrating to Kubernetes is like rebuilding your platform on a foundation that can shift and expand with the landscape around it. Your system is not anchored to one piece of land. Instead, it transforms into a fleet of ships that can sail to any cloud or data center.

This design is very flexible and future-ready, as it ensures that you will upgrade your app gradually with excellent efficiency. 

Meanwhile, there are certain challenges you should consider before you embark on Kubernetes cloud migration. 

Kubernetes might not be the most convenient tool when it comes to building clusters, networks, and storages. It may also require specific configurations for migrating databases and persistent workloads. Therefore, migrating to Kubernetes without relevant expertise might not be the best idea. 

During the migration, there are many situations where things can go wrong. In fact, failure to configure RBAC properly can expose your sensitive data. You will also need to spend time establishing proper metrics and configuring security alerts to detect issues in distributed Kubernetes environments. 

Integrating your containerized workflows with legacy CI/CD pipelines might be a challenging task. It will require some modernization, which, in turn, leads to growing costs. 

Straight to the point, here is a general guide that will fit most Kubernetes migrations.

Before the migration, you should research the following: 

• All existing applications, services, and dependencies.
• Which workloads are stateless (ideal first candidates) and which are stateful (require data strategies).
• Networking, security, and storage dependencies.

For example, a fintech company may start with containerized APIs before tackling database migrations. You need to run tools like Helm, Kompose, or KubeScore to identify the workloads that are ready or not ready for Kubernetes. 

To track the outcomes of your migration initiative, you need to set measurable success metrics. For example, focus on: 

• Intended migration uptime
• Target response times or latency
• Deployment frequency improvements
• Cost efficiency benchmarks

This will help you align migration expectations between technical and business teams. 

Select the right cluster for your Kubernetes project. Possible options include managed services:

• EKS (AWS)
• AKS (Azure)
• GKE (Google Cloud)
• DigitalOcean Kubernetes, and on-premises

Or, in case you opt for hybrid deployments, rely on:

• OpenShift
• Rancher. 

We suggest using a hybrid approach if you need to store sensitive data in a dedicated on-premises data storage. Even though the cloud offers great security, on-premises deployments still offer you greater levels of control, especially necessary in terms of monitoring. 

Before taking on this step, make sure to understand the difference between Kubernetes and Docker (which is often somewhat blurred) and take the most appropriate steps. Containerization may be a tricky task that requires you to do the following: 

• Write Dockerfiles with minimal base images
• Use ConfigMaps or environment variables to externalize configurations
• Manage secrets with Kubernetes Secrets or tools like Vault.

Don’t forget about continuous integration and deployment. In our practice at AppRecode we use Kuberenetes to do the following:  

• Integrate tools and services like GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or GitLab CI/CD
• Configure automation for builds, container scans, and Helm chart deployments
• Use ArgoCD or Flux for GitOps-style deployments.

You may need extra caution to run stateful migrations. We suggest applying the following steps: 

• Use Persistent Volumes (PVs) and Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs)
• Consider data replication or snapshot-based migration using tools like Velero
• For databases, leverage managed DB services (e.g., RDS, Cloud SQL) for minimal downtime.

Once workloads are live, do the following:

• Deploy Prometheus + Grafana for metrics visualization.
• Use ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) or Loki for log aggregation.
• Enable Kubernetes Dashboard and OpenTelemetry for full visibility.

Conduct performance, load, and failover tests:

• Use k6, Locust, or JMeter to stress-test your cluster.
• Validate scaling behavior under simulated production traffic.

Avoid the “big bang” release. Instead:

• Start with canary deployments or blue-green deployments
• Route small percentages of traffic to the new cluster
• Gradually increase traffic while monitoring for issues.

Migration is not the end. You should continuously right-size workloads and use monitoring tools to stay on top of your containerized Kubernetes architecture components. 

Even if you follow the steps mentioned above, there is always a way to maximize the efficiency of your Kubernetes migration. As a company with a massive experience in applying Kubernetes for different customers and industries, we certainly have a lot to share in this regard. 

“By migrating to Kubernetes, you modernize your core software operations. Therefore, you should pay attention to the alignment of your containerized architecture and your business workflows. Proper documentation and cross-department collaboration are the keys to handling this challenge properly.”

Volodymyr Shynkar, Founder at AppRecode

LinkedIn

We also strongly recommend starting the Kubernetes migration from non-critical workloads. This will help you learn and optimize your migration process without taking significant risks. You can also use best practices for tracking deployment consistency.

For example, make sure to use Helm charts. Additional security measures include using robust backup and rollback strategies and continuously educating your teams to adapt to the peculiarities of Kubernetes as a living ecosystem. 

Now, let’s explore the best tools for Kubernetes migration. The table below provides a detailed overview of this topic. 

Overall, zero downtime during Kubernetes migrations is possible. However, the key point here is to ensure meticulous planning. Here are some techniques that may be relevant:

• Blue-green deployments, where you run two identical environments. The key point is to switch traffic once the new version is stable. 
• Canary releases, where you gradually direct traffic to new pods. Once an anomaly appears, you can instantly roll everything back. 
• Load balancer failover. Another common practice includes using ingress controllers, such as NGINX or Traefik, to route traffic intelligently. 

Meanwhile, it may be much more challenging to achieve zero downtime for stateful workloads. The point is that it may be challenging to ensure data consistency. For such purposes, consider replication-based migration or dual-write strategies. Another option is using managed database services. 

We at AppRecode have many years of experience with Kubernetes, and we certainly know all the crucial “ins and outs” of Kubernetes cloud migration. We are ready to apply our deep knowledge of different technologies to provide you with a smooth transition strategy. 

While approaching the migration, we evaluate your environment and create a detailed migration roadmap. Our DevOps specialists put a strong emphasis on deploying effective CI/CD pipelines and configuring system observability. We also help you with continuous optimization after the migration.

Our portfolio includes numerous successful cases of major migrations to Kubernetes. In particular, we helped a provider of cloud-native customer experience platforms migrate from EC2 instances to a Kubernetes-based microservices architecture. This migration boosted the customer’s flexibility and made their system more cost-efficient. 

Kubernetes migration requires expertise. That’s why you should rely on an experienced Kubernetes consultant when taking on such a goal. Only with the right expertise and a dedicated approach can you maximize the efficiency of Kubernetes migration. 

AppRecode, a company with significant experience with Kubernetes and the most efficient DevOps practices, can help you achieve such operational excellence. You may check out our Clutch review for more details. Contact us to see how we can help you leverage the benefits of Kubernetes. 

We suggest starting with workflows that are less critical. An excellent idea is using a phased migration approach. You can use Velero for automated backups and stage rollouts, such as canary or blue-green deployments, for additional safety. 

The time frames for such a project may vary dramatically depending on app complexity and specific requirements. However, it can typically be completed within 2-6 months.

In this case, you will need to maintain data integrity with:

• Replication-based techniques
• Snapshot-based techniques.

Best practices include:

• Blue-green and canary deployments
• Load balancer failover
• Canary releases.

AppRecode has deep expertise from several successful Kubernetes migrations. We know certain challenges and apply best practices to run efficient migrations while minimizing costs and downtime. 

You may need to pay $25.000-$150.000 for such a project. The difference is so big because prices may depend on a wide range of factors.