What “Migrating to Monk” Means
Migrating to Monk doesn’t mean moving your existing infrastructure. Instead, it means rebuilding your application deployment with Monk — and fortunately, Monk does all the work.Monk Doesn’t Touch Your Existing Infrastructure
Your current setup stays exactly as it is:- Existing Kubernetes clusters keep running
- Current cloud resources remain untouched
- Production traffic continues flowing
- No disruption to your live services
How Migration Actually Works
Monk analyzes your codebase and existing configurations, then autonomously rebuilds your application in a new deployment managed by Monk:- Code analysis — Monk reads your source code to understand your stack
- Config understanding — Uses your existing Dockerfiles, docker-compose.yml, Helm charts, or Terraform files
- Autonomous rebuild — Creates a fresh deployment with all components properly configured
- Your infrastructure — Everything runs on cloud accounts you control (BYOI)
Think of it like this: Monk reads your recipe (code + configs), understands
what you’re cooking (application architecture), and prepares a fresh dish (new
deployment) — without touching your current meal.
Why Migrate to Monk?
Eliminate DevOps Complexity
Current pain points Monk solves:- No more YAML engineering — Stop writing Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts, and Terraform files
- No Kubernetes expertise needed — Monk uses its own orchestrator, not K8s
- No manual configuration — Monk auto-generates configs from your code
- No infrastructure-as-code — Describe what you want in chat, Monk handles it
Faster Deployments
- Minutes, not hours — Deploy complex applications in 15-30 minutes
- Autonomous operations — No manual infrastructure setup or debugging
- One-command deploys —
deploy this appin chat is all you need
Multi-Cloud Freedom
- No vendor lock-in — Deploy to any cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean, etc.)
- Easy cloud switching — Migrate between providers with one command
- Cost optimization — Save 30-60% by choosing the best provider for each workload
Better Developer Experience
- Natural language interface — Chat with Monk instead of memorizing CLI commands
- IDE-native — Everything in VS Code, Cursor, or Windsurf
- Autonomous troubleshooting — Monk debugs and fixes issues automatically
- Real-time cost tracking — Know exactly what you’re spending
What Monk Uses from Your Existing Setup
Monk is smart about leveraging your existing work:Existing Configurations Monk Understands
| Configuration Type | What Monk Does |
|---|---|
| Dockerfiles | Uses them directly or optimizes/fixes them |
| docker-compose.yml | Reads service definitions and relationships |
| Helm charts | Understands Kubernetes configurations |
| Terraform files | Identifies infrastructure requirements |
| CI/CD configs | Learns build and deployment steps |
| READMEs | Reads setup instructions and architecture notes |
What Gets Analyzed
Monk examines:- Source code — Detects languages, frameworks, dependencies
- Package files — package.json, requirements.txt, go.mod, Cargo.toml, pom.xml, etc.
- Environment variables — Discovers what configs your app needs
- Service dependencies — Identifies databases, caches, queues, APIs
- Entry points — Finds how to start each service
- Port bindings — Detects network requirements
Migration Process Overview
Install Monk in Your IDE
Install the Monk extension for VS Code, Cursor, or Windsurf.→ Installation Guide
Monk Analyzes Your App
Monk reads your code, detects components, identifies dependencies, and asks
clarifying questions if needed.
Provide Cloud Credentials
Give Monk credentials to provision resources in your cloud account. These stay
on your machine, never sent to Monk servers. → Security
Monk Builds & Deploys
Monk autonomously: - Containerizes your services (or uses your Dockerfiles) -
Provisions cloud infrastructure - Configures networking and security - Deploys
all components - Wires everything together
Test the New Deployment
Monk gives you URLs to access your application. Test thoroughly while your old
system continues running.
Common Migration Scenarios
From Streamlined Hosting Platforms
Migrating from Heroku, Render, Fly.io, Railway, or similar? → Migrating from Streamlined HostingFrom Kubernetes or DIY Cloud
Migrating from Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, or custom cloud setups? → Migrating from Kubernetes & Cloud Setups
What You Get After Migration
Modern DevOps without the complexity:- ✅ Autonomous deployment — No manual DevOps work
- ✅ Multi-cloud support — Deploy anywhere, switch anytime
- ✅ Natural language operations — Manage infrastructure via chat
- ✅ Automatic scaling — Resources adjust to demand
- ✅ Built-in monitoring — Logs, metrics, cost tracking from your IDE
- ✅ Zero configuration — No YAML, no IaC, no Kubernetes
- ✅ Your infrastructure — Everything on clouds you control
Migration Safety
Monk’s migration is zero-risk:- No downtime required — Test new deployment while old one runs
- No data loss — Your databases and storage stay untouched
- Rollback anytime — Keep old infrastructure until confident
- Parallel testing — Run both deployments simultaneously
- Gradual cutover — Switch traffic at your own pace
Limitations to Know
Database data migration: Monk currently doesn’t migrate database data automatically. You’ll need to:
- Keep databases on original infrastructure initially
- Use manual export/import for data migration
- Or use managed database services that persist across deployments
Need Help?
Talk to Monk directly:- Ask in the chat (
Cmd+Shift+M): “How do I migrate my application?” - Monk understands your specific setup and provides tailored guidance
- First Deployment — Step-by-step guide
- Autonomous Operations — How Monk works
- Prompting Cookbook — Common tasks
- Getting Help — All support channels