Cloud-Native Application Refactoring Using Azure and OpenShift: A Comparative Study

The shift from monolithic systems to cloud-native architectures has become a critical priority for modern enterprises seeking greater scalability, agility, and operational efficiency. Cloud-native principles emphasize re-architecting legacy applications to align them with contemporary infrastructure standards, incorporating container orchestration, microservice-based designs, and modern deployment practices. The paper provides a thorough comparative analysis of two prominent platforms, Microsoft Azure and Red Hat OpenShift, and how they are effective in enabling cloud-native refactoring programs. It interrogates their architectural designs, service platform, DevOps implementation, security, cost platform, and scalability. Azure has the advantages of managed services and extensive integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, whereas open-source OpenStack has more control, flexibility of deployment to be hybrid, and is well-aligned with open-source technologies. The results are summed up with strategic recommendations on which platform organizations should choose in order to meet the needs of cloud-native modernization and address their long-term objectives.