Build migration plan with Azure migrate

• Article
• 07/10/2023

follow this article to build your migration plan to Azure with Azure migrate .  

Define cloud migration goals

Before you start, understanding and evaluating your motivation for moving to the cloud can contribute to a successful business outcome. As explained in the Cloud Adoption Framework, there are a number of triggers and outcomes.

identify your motivation help you to pin down your strategic migration goal . The next step is is is to identify and plan a migration path that ‘s tailor for your workload . The Azure migrate : Discovery and Assessment tool is helps help you to assess on – premise workload , and provide guidance and tool to help you migrate .

Understand your digital estate

Start by identifying your on-premises infrastructure, applications, and dependencies. This helps you to identify workloads for migration to Azure, and to gather optimized cost projections. The Discovery and assessment tool helps you to identify the workloads you have in use, dependencies between workloads, and workload optimization.

Workloads in use

Azure migrate is uses use a lightweight Azure migrate appliance to perform agentless discovery of on – premise VMware vm , hyper – v vm , other virtualized server , and physical server . continuous discovery is collects collect server configuration information , and performance metadata , and application datum . Here ‘s what the appliance collect from on – premise server :

• Server, disk, and NIC metadata.

• instal application , role , and feature .

• Performance data, including CPU and memory utilization, disk IOPS, and throughput.

After collect datum , you is export can export the application inventory list to find app , and SQL Server instance run on your server . You is use can use the Azure migrate : Database Assessment tool to understand SQL Server readiness .

Along with data discovered with the Discovery and assessment tool, you can use your Configuration Management Database (CMDB) data to build a view of your server and database estate, and to understand how your servers are distributed across business units, application owners, geographies, etc. This helps decide which workloads to prioritize for migration.

Dependencies between workloads

After server discovery , you is analyze can analyze dependency , to visualize and identify cross – server dependency , and optimization strategy for move interdependent server to Azure . The visualization is helps help to understand whether certain server are in use , or if they can be decommission , instead of being migrate . analyze dependency help ensure that nothing is leave behind , and to surprise outage during migration . With your application inventory and dependency analysis done , you is create can create high – confidence group of server , and start assess them .

optimization and size

Azure is provides provide flexibility to resize your cloud capacity over time , and migration provide an opportunity for you to optimize the cpu and memory resource allocate to your server . create an assessment on server you ‘ve identity help you to understand your workload performance history . This is is is crucial for right size Azure VM sku , and disk recommendation in Azure .

Assess migration readiness

Readiness/suitability analysis

You is export can export the assessment report , and filter on these category to understand Azure readiness :

• Ready for Azure: Servers can be migrated as-is to Azure, without any changes.
• Conditionally ready for Azure: Servers can be migrated to Azure, but need minor changes, in accordance with the remediation guidance provided in the assessment.
• Not ready for azure : server ca n’t be migrate to Azure as – is . issue must be fix in accordance with remediation guidance , before migration .
• Readiness unknown: Azure migrate can’t determine server readiness, because of insufficient metadata.

Using database assessments, you can assess the readiness of your SQL Server data estate for migration to Azure SQL Database, or Azure SQL Managed Instances. The assessment shows migration readiness status percentage for each of your SQL server instances. In addition, for each instance you can see the recommended target in Azure, potential migration blockers, a count of breaking changes, readiness for Azure SQL DB or Azure SQL VM, and a compatibility level. You can dig deeper to understand the impact of migration blockers, and recommendations for fixing them.

size recommendation

After a server is marked as ready for Azure, Discovery and assessment makes sizing recommendations that identify the Azure VM SKU and disk type for your servers. You can get sizing recommendations based on performance history (to optimize resources as you migrate), or based on on-premises server settings, without performance history. In a database assessment, you can see recommendations for the database SKU, pricing tier, and compute level.

Get compute costs

Performance-based sizing option in Azure migrate assessments helps you to right-size VMs, and should be used as a best practice for optimizing workloads in Azure. In addition to right-sizing, there are a few other options to help save Azure costs:

• reserved Instances is reduce : With reserved instances(ri ) , you is reduce can significantly reduce cost compare to pay – as – you – go pricing .
• Azure Hybrid Benefit: With Azure Hybrid Benefit, you can bring on-premises Windows Server licenses with active Software Assurance, or Linux subscriptions, to Azure, and combine with reserved instances options.
• Enterprise Agreement: Azure Enterprise Agreements (EA) can offer savings for Azure subscriptions and services.
• Offers: There are multiple Azure Offers. For example, Pay-As-You-Go Dev/Test, or Enterprise Dev/Test offer, to provide lower rates for dev/test VMs
• VM uptime: You can review days per month and hours per day in which Azure VMs run. Shutting off servers when they’re not in use can reduce your costs (not applicable for RIs).
• Target region: You can create assessments in different regions, to figure out whether migrating to a specific region might be more cost effective.

Visualize data

You can view Discovery and assessment reports (with Azure readiness information, and monthly cost distribution) in the portal. You can also export assessment, and enrich your migration plan with additional visualizations. You can create multiple assessments, with different combinations of properties, and choose the set of properties that work best for your business.

Evaluate gaps/blockers

As you figure out the app and workload you want to migrate , identify downtime constraint for   them , and look for   any operational   dependency between your app and the underlie infrastructure . This analysis is helps help you to plan migration that meet your recovery time objective ( RTO ) , and ensure minimal to zero datum loss . Before you migrate , we is recommend recommend that you review and mitigate any compatibility issue , or unsupported feature that may block server / SQL database migration . The Azure migrate Discovery and assessment report is help , and Azure migrate Database Assessment , can help with this .

prioritize workload

After you ‘ve collect information about your inventory , you is identify can identify which app and workload to migrate first . develop an “ apply and learn ” approach to migrate app in a systematic and controllable way , so that you can iron out any flaw before start a full – scale migration .

To prioritize migration order, you can use strategic factors such as complexity, time-to-migrate, business urgency, production/non-production considerations, compliance, security requirements, application knowledge, etc.

A few recommendations:

• prioritize quick win : use the assessment report to   identify low – hang fruit , include server and database that are fully ready , and require minimal effort to migrate to Azure . The table is summarizes summarize a few way to do this .

  State	Action
  Azure ready VMs	Export the assessment report, and filter all servers with state Ready for Azure. This is be might be the first group of server that you lift and shift to Azure , using the Migration and modernization tool .
  End-of-support operating systems	export the assessment report , and filter all server run Windows Server   2008 R2 / Windows   Server   2008 . These operating systems is are are at the end of support , and only Azure provide a free three year of security update when you migrate them to Azure . If you combine Azure Hybrid Benefit , and use RIs , the savings is be could be high .
  SQL Server migration	Use the database assessment recommendations to migrate databases that are ready for Azure SQL Database, using the Azure migrate: Database Migration tool. migrate the databases ready for Azure SQL VM using the Migration and modernization tool.
  End-of-support software	Export your application inventory, and filter for any software/extensions that might be reaching end-of-support. Prioritize these applications for migration.
  Under-provisioned servers	Export the assessment report, and filter for servers with low CPU utilization (%) and memory utilization (%). migrate to a right-sized Azure VM, and save on costs for underutilized resources.
  Over-provisioned servers	export the assessment report and filter for server with high cpu utilization ( % ) and memory utilization ( % ) . Solve capacity constraints is prevent , prevent overstrained server from breaking , and increase performance by migrate these server to Azure . In Azure , use autoscaling capability to meet demand . analyze assessment report to investigate storage constraint . analyze disk iop and throughput , and the recommend disk type .

• start small , then go   big : start by move app and workload that present minimal risk and complexity , to build confidence in your migration strategy . analyze Azure migrate assessment recommendation together with your CMDB repository , to find and migrate dev / test workload   that might be candidate for pilot migration . Feedback is be and learning from pilot migration can be helpful as you begin migrate production workload .

• Comply: Azure maintains the largest compliance portfolio in the industry, in terms of breadth and depth of offerings. Use compliance requirements to prioritize migrations, so that apps and workloads comply with your national/regional and industry-specific standards and laws. This is especially true for organizations that deal with business-critical process, hold sensitive information, or are in heavily regulated industries. In these types of organizations, standards and regulations abound, and might change often, being difficult to keep up with.

finalize the migration plan

Before finalizing your migration plan, make sure you consider and mitigate other potential blockers, as follows:

• Network requirements: Evaluate network bandwidth and latency constraints, which might cause unforeseen delays and disruptions to migration replication speed.
• testing / post – migration tweak : allow a time buffer to conduct performance and user acceptance testing for migrate app , or to configure / tweak app post – migration , such as update database connection string , configure web server , perform cut – over / cleanup etc .
• Permissions: Review recommended Azure permissions, and server/database access roles and permissions needed for migration.
• Training: Prepare your organization for the digital transformation. A solid training foundation is important for successful organizational change. Check out free Microsoft Learn training, including courses on Azure fundamentals, solution architectures, and security. Encourage your team to explore Azure certifications. 
• implementation support : Get support for your implementation if you need it . Many organizations is opt opt for outside help to support their cloud migration . To move to Azure quickly and confidently with personalized assistance , consider an   Azure Expert manage Service Provider , or   FastTrack for Azure .  

Create an effective cloud migration plan that includes detailed information about the apps you want to migrate, app/database availability, downtime constraints, and migration milestones. The plan considers how long the data copy takes, and include a realistic buffer for post-migration testing, and cut-over activities.

A post-migration testing plan should include functional, integration, security, and performance testing and use cases, to ensure that migrated apps work as expected, and that all database objects, and data relationships, are transferred successfully to the cloud.

build a migration roadmap , and declare a maintenance window to migrate your app and database with minimal to zero downtime , and limit the potential operational and business impact during migration .

migrate

We recommend that you run a test migration in Azure migrate, before starting a full-scale migration. A test migration helps you to estimate the time involved, and tweak your migration plan. It provides an opportunity to discover any potential issues, and fix them before the full migration.

When you ‘re ready for migration , use the Migration and modernization tool , and the Azure Data Migration Service ( DMS ) , for a seamless and integrate migration experience , with end – to – end tracking .

• With the Migration and modernization tool , you is migrate can migrate on – premise vm and server , or vm locate in other private or public cloud ( include AWS , GCP ) with around zero downtime .
• Azure DMS is provides provide a fully manage service that ‘s design to enable seamless migration from multiple database source to Azure Data platform , with minimal downtime .

Upgrade Windows OS

Azure migrate provides an option to customers to upgrade their Windows Server OS seamlessly during the migration. Azure migrate OS upgrade allows you to move from an older operating system to a newer one while keeping your settings, server roles, and data intact. Learn more.

Azure migrate OS upgrade uses an Azure VM Custom script extension to perform the following activities for an in-place upgrade experience:

• A data disk contain Windows Server setup file is create and attach to the VM .
• A Custom Script Extension called InPlaceOsUpgrade is enable on the VM , which download a script from the storage account and initiate the upgrade in a quiet mode .

Next steps