This is the multi-page printable view of this section. .
Lock-in catalog
A mechanism-first catalog of technical, economic, contractual, identity, and operational lock-in.
Note
Taxonomy ready; named examples require evidence review before publication.
Mechanism classes
| Class | Typical symptom | Exit test |
|---|---|---|
| Data gravity | Transfer time or charge dominates the move | Export full data and price elapsed transfer |
| Proprietary semantics | A compatible API loses required behavior | Replay the critical operation set elsewhere |
| Identity coupling | Accounts, policies, or keys cannot be reconstructed | Rebuild authorization from exported declarations |
| Control-plane dependence | Operations require provider-only orchestration | Execute recovery without the original control plane |
| Commitment lock | Unused spend or credits become stranded | Price exit at multiple dates |
| Organizational dependency | Skills and procedures exist only inside the provider path | Run an independent recovery drill |
Records name the mechanism before the vendor. The same provider can reduce one kind of lock-in while increasing another, and the same service can behave differently by feature or plan.