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What is the Cloud Adoption Framework?

The Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) helps decision makers make better decisions, faster. It provides proven guidance to reduce risk, accelerate adoption, and create a foundation that supports current and future workloads. It helps leaders create the conditions for workload teams to succeed.

Diagram overview of the Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure showing seven core adoption phases: Strategy, Plan, Ready, Adopt, Govern, Secure, and Manage. These adoption phases flow sequentially. Operational phases run in parallel during operations.

How the Cloud Adoption Framework works

The Cloud Adoption Framework provides a roadmap for cloud adoption. It organizes guidance into building blocks that help decision makers establish an Azure foundation and create the standards needed to support workloads over time.

Azure adoption is the foundation of the Cloud Adoption Framework. It helps decision makers answer key questions about why they are adopting Azure, how they will prepare their organization, and how they will operate Azure over time. The outcome is an Azure landing zone and operational standards that support all Azure workloads.

Azure adoption phases Key decision
🚀 1. Strategy What should our Azure adoption look like?
📝 2. Plan How will we prepare for Azure adoption?
🛠️ 3. Ready How will we build our Azure landing zone?
🌐 4. Adopt How will we migrate, modernize, and build workloads?
🛡️ 5. Govern How will we control our Azure environment?
🔒 6. Secure How will we protect our Azure environment?
⚙️ 7. Manage How will we operate and optimize Azure over time?

Other Cloud Adoption Framework scenarios build on this foundation. They plug into Azure adoption and provide guidance for specific business needs and technologies. See available scenarios.

Who the Cloud Adoption Framework is for

The Cloud Adoption Framework is designed for decision makers responsible for Azure adoption. It helps leaders make decisions about cloud strategy, operating models, governance, security, and cloud investments.

Role How CAF helps
Business leaders Align cloud investments to business outcomes and organizational goals
Technology leaders Define cloud strategy, operating models, and platform direction
Platform teams Establish Azure landing zones and shared services
Security and governance teams Define organizational standards, compliance requirements, and risk management approaches

Cloud Adoption Framework scenarios

Azure adoption is the primary Cloud Adoption Framework scenario. It provides the guidance needed to establish an Azure foundation. Other scenarios build on that foundation and provide guidance for specific technologies and business needs.

CAF Scenario Purpose
Azure adoption How to adopt Azure (foundational)
Data platform How to prepare your data for AI and analytics
AI adoption How to adopt AI (generative and nongenerative) workloads
AI agents How and when to adopt AI agents
Azure VMware Solution How to adopt Azure VMware Solution