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AEM On-Prem vs. Cloud Service: The Complete Migration Guide

The digital experience landscape is shifting rapidly. For years, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) On-Premise and Managed Services (AMS) have been the gold standard for enterprise content management. However, the introduction of AEM as a Cloud Service (AEMaaCS) has fundamentally changed how businesses deliver content—moving from static infrastructure to dynamic, cloud-native agility.

At Associative, we understand that migration is not just a technical lift; it is a strategic transformation. As an Adobe Bronze Solution Partner, we are uniquely positioned to guide you through this complex landscape.

The Core Differences: On-Premise vs. Cloud Service

Before planning a migration, it is critical to understand what you are moving toward. AEM as a Cloud Service is not simply a hosted version of AEM; it is a re-architected platform designed for speed and scale.

1. Architecture and Infrastructure

On-Prem/AMS: You are responsible for sizing your infrastructure (author and publish instances) based on peak load estimates. Scaling requires manual intervention or pre-provisioning.
Cloud Service: Fully containerized and uses a dynamic architecture. It scales vertically and horizontally automatically based on actual traffic, ensuring consistent performance without paying for idle capacity.

2. Upgrades and Maintenance

On-Prem/AMS: Version upgrades are major projects (e.g., migrating from 6.4 to 6.5) that require months of planning, code freezes, and regression testing.
Cloud Service: Always on the latest version. Adobe pushes updates daily or weekly. This "version-less" approach eliminates the concept of upgrade projects, keeping your security and feature sets current automatically.

3. Development and Deployment (CI/CD)

On-Prem/AMS: Deployment pipelines are often custom-built (Jenkins, TeamCity) and vary between organizations.
Cloud Service: deeply integrated with Adobe Cloud Manager. It enforces a standardized CI/CD pipeline with mandatory quality gates (code scanning, security testing, and performance testing) before any code reaches production.

4. Asset Management

On-Prem/AMS: Asset processing (rendition generation) happens on the AEM instance, often causing performance spikes on the Author server.
Cloud Service: Uses "Asset Compute Service," a serverless microservices architecture that offloads heavy processing from the core AEM instance, ensuring the Authoring experience remains fast.

Strategic Migration Roadmap

Migrating to the cloud requires a methodical approach to ensure data integrity and minimal downtime.

Phase 1: Assessment and Readiness

The first step is running the Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) on your current instance. This tool generates a report identifying unsupported features, deprecated code, and areas that require refactoring (such as removing access to the underlying OSGi console or immutable file systems).

Phase 2: Code Refactoring

AEM as a Cloud Service enforces strict separation between code (immutable) and content (mutable).

Backend: Refactor Java code to remove stateful dependencies. Our team at Associative utilizes deep expertise in Java (Spring Boot, Jakarta EE) and OSGi to modernize your backend logic.
Frontend: Ensure your frontend builds are compatible with the Cloud Manager pipeline. We specialize in React, Angular, Vue.js, and Next.js, ensuring your Single Page Applications (SPAs) transition smoothly.

Phase 3: Content Transfer

Adobe provides the Content Transfer Tool (CTT) to move existing content from On-Premise to the Cloud. This includes a "User Mapping" phase to align your local permissions with Adobe IMS (Identity Management System).

Phase 4: Validation and Cutover

Rigorous testing is non-negotiable. We validate functionality, run performance benchmarks, and execute a "top-up" extraction to sync the final data changes before switching DNS to the new environment.

Why Choose Associative for Your Migration?

We are more than just developers; we are your strategic partners in digital transformation. Headquartered in Pune, India, Associative is a dedicated team of innovators operating with unyielding transparency.

1. Certified Expertise

As an Adobe Bronze Solution Partner, we have validated technical expertise in the Adobe ecosystem. We do not guess; we follow Adobe’s proven patterns and practices.

2. Comprehensive Tech Stack

AEM migration often involves integrating with other systems. Our vast expertise ensures no part of your ecosystem is left behind:

Commerce Integration: We handle integrations with Adobe Commerce (Magento), Shopify, and BigCommerce.
Cloud Native: Our proficiency with AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, along with Docker and Kubernetes, ensures we understand the cloud-native environment AEM now inhabits.
Search & Data: We optimize integrations with Solr, Elasticsearch, and external databases like PostgreSQL and MongoDB.

3. Operational Transparency & IP Ownership

We operate differently from traditional agencies:

100% Transparency: We are registered with the Registrar of Firms (ROF), Pune. You receive daily or weekly invoices based on a strict time-and-materials model.
Full Ownership: You keep what you pay for. Upon project completion, you receive 100% ownership of the source code and Intellectual Property (IP). We do not retain rights to your work.
Direct Communication: We prioritize open communication and honesty. No hidden fees, no locked-in vendor contracts.

4. Flexible Engagement

Whether you need a full migration team or specialized support for your internal team, our model is flexible. We work Monday through Saturday, offering engagement models from 3 to 9 hours per day to suit your project velocity.

Ready to Modernize Your Digital Experience?

Transitioning to AEM as a Cloud Service unlocks the true potential of your content strategy. Let Associative guide you through a compliant, efficient, and transparent migration.

Contact Us Today

Address: Khandve Complex, Yojana Nagar, Lohegaon - Wagholi Road, Lohegaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India – 411047
Phone/WhatsApp: +91 9028850524
Email: info@associative.in
Website:https://associative.in
Office Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (IST)