What it means
An exit may be triggered by strategy, cost, acquisition, service failure, provider change, regulation, contract dispute, or workload retirement.
Why it matters
Portability is not free. Provider-specific architecture can create value, but the resulting dependency should be understood and governed rather than denied.
Practical focus
- Identify critical provider dependencies and data formats
- Define export, deletion, and evidence requirements in contracts
- Maintain skills and access needed during transition
- Test recovery or migration for the most important services
Common mistakes
- Waiting until contract termination to design the exit
- Assuming containers make a workload portable
- Leaving encryption keys, logs, or backups behind
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge:
Authoritative sources
- NIST SP 800-146 — Cloud Computing Synopsis and Recommendations
- Cloud Security Alliance Security Guidance
- Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure
- NIST SP 800-161 Rev. 1 — Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management
- AWS Cloud Adoption Framework
- Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure
- Google Cloud Adoption Framework