Get started with the Cloud Adoption Framework

The Cloud Adoption Framework can help you get started with several different getting started guides. This article groups the guides to help you find the one that best aligns with your current challenges.


Each of the following links takes you to questions that are typically asked when an organization is trying to accomplish a certain goal during their cloud adoption journey.

Cloud adoption scenarios

Your organization's cloud adoption effort should support long-term strategic goals for your cloud journey. We have cloud adoption guidance for different scenarios including hybrid and multicloud, modern application platforms, SAP, retail, defense, and more.

Cloud adoption antipatterns

You might encounter missteps with design, planning, or implementation when migrating to the cloud. We have updated detailed guidance on antipatterns that can block innovation and prevent businesses from adopting and realizing goals.

Align foundation

Your company's cloud adoption journey is guided with foundational decisions that affect the outcomes of your cloud adoption journey. The following information can help you make core decisions, and record them as a reference to be used during the cloud adoption lifecycle.

Accelerate adoption

Cloud adoption requires technical change, but to digitally transform with the cloud, it requires more than just IT. Use these guides to start aligning various teams to accelerate migration and innovation efforts.

Guide Description
We want to migrate existing workloads to the cloud. This guide is a great starting point if your primary focus is migrating on-premises workloads to the cloud.
We want to build new products and services in the cloud. This guide can help you prepare to deploy innovative solutions to the cloud.
We're blocked by environment design and configuration. This guide provides a quick approach to designing and configuring your environment.

Improve controls

As your cloud adoption journey progresses, a solid operating model can help ensure that wise decisions are made. You'll also want to consider organizational change. These guides help you align people and improve operations to develop your cloud operating model.

Guide Description
How do we deliver operational excellence during cloud transformation? The steps in this guide can help the strategy team lead the organizational change management required to consistently ensure operational excellence.
How do we manage enterprise costs? This guide can help you start optimizing enterprise costs and manage cost across the environment.
How do we consistently secure the enterprise cloud environment? This guide helps apply security controls across the enterprise to minimize vulnerabilities and accelerate incident response.
How do we apply the right controls to improve reliability? This guide helps minimize disruptions related to inconsistencies in configuration, resource organization, security baselines, or resource protection policies.
How do we ensure performance across the enterprise? This guide can help you establish processes for maintaining performance across the enterprise.

Establish teams

Depending on your adoption strategy and operating model, you might need to establish a few teams. This section helps you get those new teams started.

Guide Description
How do we align our organization? This guide can help you establish an appropriately staffed organizational structure.
Do I need a cloud strategy team? This team ensures that cloud adoption efforts progress in alignment with business outcomes.
What does a cloud adoption team do? This team implements technical solutions outlined in the plan, and in accordance with governance requirements.
How do I build a cloud governance team? This team ensures that risks and risk tolerance are properly evaluated and managed.
How does a cloud operations team work? This team focuses on monitoring, repairing, and the remediation of issues related to traditional IT operations and assets.