---
title: Operate
description: Operate establishes steady-state service run for migrated workloads on STACKIT with reliability, security, and efficiency controls.
sidebar:
  label: Overview
  order: 0
source_url: "https://framework.stackit.cloud/migration/run/operate/overview/"
source_file: "docs/migration/run/operate/overview.mdx"
---

## Understanding the Operate module

Operate is the long-term operating state after migration and handover.
It governs reliability, security, observability, cost behavior, and controlled change in daily cloud operations.

This module is where "Runs on STACKIT" becomes a measurable service reality.

## Core operating capabilities

- **Reliability management**: SLO tracking, incident prevention, and recovery readiness.
- **Observability completeness**: Metrics, logs, traces, dashboards, and alert quality for all critical paths.
- **Security operations**: Vulnerability handling, hardening cadence, and evidence for compliance controls.
- **Change and release discipline**: Controlled production changes with rollback and post-change verification.
- **Cost and capacity governance**: Forecasting, rightsizing continuity, and run-cost transparency.

## Run cycle

<Steps>

1. Operate services against defined SLO and support model commitments.
2. Detect and resolve incidents with documented runbooks and escalation paths.
3. Execute planned changes and maintenance with controlled risk windows.
4. Review service quality, risk, and cost in recurring governance cadences.
5. Feed findings into improvement backlog and implementation cycles.

</Steps>

## Typical outputs

<CardGrid>
  <Card title="Stable service baseline">
    Predictable service quality with measurable reliability and recovery performance.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Operational transparency">
    Complete monitoring and reporting for performance, incidents, and cost behavior.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Continuous improvement pipeline">
    Prioritized backlog for reliability, security, and efficiency enhancements.
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

## Boundary to adjacent modules

- Immediate post-cutover stabilization is handled in [Hypercare](/migration/run/hypercare/overview/).
- Responsibility and governance activation is handled in [Operating Model Handover](/migration/migrate/operating-model-handover/overview/).
- Support ownership and request model are defined in [Support](/migration/run/support/overview/).