Migrate Applications from Heroku to Cloudflare
Proposal to migrate Heroku-hosted applications to Cloudflare platform
Summary
Proposal to migrate applications currently hosted on Heroku to Cloudflare’s edge computing platform (Workers, Pages, etc.).
Rationale
[To be filled in - reasons for migrating from Heroku to Cloudflare]
Key benefits expected:
- Edge computing with global low-latency performance
- Improved cost efficiency
- Automatic global distribution
- Built-in DDoS protection and security
- Reduced infrastructure complexity
- Better integration with Cloudflare ecosystem
- Zero cold starts (Workers)
Affected Applications
- flux-buying-pages-tour-caravan - Placeholder description
Impact
Services Affected
- All Heroku-hosted applications targeted for migration
- [List specific applications to be migrated]
Technical Considerations
- Application architecture adaptation for edge computing
- Cloudflare Workers runtime compatibility
- Request/response size limitations
- Execution time limits (CPU time constraints)
- Code bundling and module system
- API compatibility and framework support
- Stateless architecture requirements
Platform Considerations
- Cloudflare Workers vs Pages vs hybrid approach
- Database migration (D1, Durable Objects, or external)
- KV storage for caching and session data
- R2 for object storage needs
- Queue system for async processing
- Analytics and monitoring setup
- Custom domain configuration
Data Considerations
- Database compatibility and migration strategy
- Session storage and state management
- File/asset storage migration
- Data residency and compliance requirements
Implementation Plan
Phase 1: Assessment & Design
- Audit all Heroku applications and dependencies
- Evaluate application compatibility with Cloudflare platform
- Identify applications suitable for Workers vs Pages
- Design edge-native architecture
- Map Heroku add-ons to Cloudflare/external equivalents
- Assess code refactoring requirements
- Create cost analysis and comparison
- Define migration priority and sequence
Phase 2: Development Environment Setup
- Set up Cloudflare accounts and API tokens
- Configure Wrangler CLI and development tools
- Set up local development environment
- Create project structure and repositories
- Configure environment variables and secrets
- Set up Cloudflare bindings (KV, D1, R2, etc.)
Phase 3: Application Migration
- Refactor applications for edge compatibility
- Adapt middleware and frameworks to Workers runtime
- Implement database access patterns for D1/Durable Objects
- Configure KV storage for sessions/cache
- Set up R2 for file storage
- Implement logging and error handling
- Bundle and optimize application code
- Create deployment configurations
Phase 4: Data Migration
- Set up target databases (D1, external DB, or Durable Objects)
- Plan data migration strategy
- Migrate database content
- Migrate KV data
- Migrate static assets to R2 or Pages
- Validate data integrity
Phase 5: Testing & Validation
- Deploy to Cloudflare preview environments
- Integration testing
- Edge performance testing
- Geographic distribution validation
- Load testing with global traffic simulation
- Security review
- Test custom domains and SSL
Phase 6: Migration & Cutover
- Deploy to Cloudflare production
- Configure DNS and custom domains
- Gradual traffic migration via DNS/load balancing
- Monitor performance and error rates
- Validate functionality across regions
- Address any issues
- Decommission Heroku applications
- Cancel Heroku subscriptions
Risks & Mitigation
| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime compatibility issues | High | Thorough testing, identify incompatibilities early |
| CPU time limit exceeded | High | Optimize code, consider splitting workloads |
| Database performance on D1 | Medium | Evaluate alternative database solutions if needed |
| Cold start issues (if any) | Low | Workers have minimal cold starts, but monitor |
| Code refactoring complexity | High | Incremental migration, thorough testing |
| Loss of Heroku add-on functionality | Medium | Identify Cloudflare or external equivalents |
| Geographic data compliance | High | Understand Cloudflare’s data residency options |
| Vendor lock-in to Cloudflare | Medium | Abstract critical services where possible |
| Development workflow changes | Medium | Training and documentation for team |
Timeline
[To be determined]
Status
Current Status: Draft
History:
- 2025-12-22: Proposal created