A Step by Step Guide on How to Migrate from AWS to Azure

The most popular cloud computing platforms in 2024 are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. These three leaders combined currently have a market share of approximately 65% as of Q1 2024. These platforms are a fundamental part of any organization that seeks to scale up its infrastructure.

Cloud technology is what gives businesses the tools to drive innovation and stay competitive. When it comes to choosing a cloud provider, the decision often depends on your organization’s specific needs. AWS, for instance, is a cost-effective choice when used with proper cloud optimization techniques. On the other hand, if your business heavily relies on Microsoft’s ecosystem, Azure is a natural fit.

Whether you’re migrating to AWS or out of, or even just moving from one Cloud provider to the other, migration always needs careful consideration. If your organization is dealing with a significant volume of data, it becomes very important to map out a proper migration plan that will facilitate the move while at the same time ensuring minimal downtime.

In this post, we’ll be discussing the process of moving from AWS to Azure, what tools or steps organizations are supposed to undertake to ensure that the migration is successful. In this article, you will learn:

• How to effectively migrate from AWS to Azure
• Tools and services to migrate from AWS to Azure
• Instructions for a successful migration
• A handful of tips for a smooth transition

Step #1. Asses Your AWS Environment

Assess your AWS environment. This will help you build a detailed roadmap for your journey. Catalog every EC2 instance, database, storage volume, and network configuration. The best approach is to identify and document every resource in your AWS environment. Though this list is not exhausting, let’s take a look at what you can include.

Virtual Machines (VMs): List instance types, AMI IDs, associated VPCs, subnets, and security groups.

Storage Solutions: Include details about S3 buckets, EBS volumes, and Glacier archives-covering storage classes, replication settings, and lifecycle rules.

Networking Components: Map out VPCs, subnets, route tables, gateways, and VPN connections, ensuring every IP and ACL rule is accounted for.

Databases and Services: Capture RDS, DynamoDB, Redshift specs, as well as other services like Lambda functions and API Gateways.

Dependency Mapping: Identify workflows and how different services interact, such as EC2 instances triggering Lambda functions or VMs accessing databases.

AWS provides tools like AWS CloudWatch to collect metrics on CPU, memory, network traffic, and storage patterns.

Step #2. Map AWS Services to Azure for a Smooth Migration

Assess the compatibility of your existing workloads with Azure services. For example, EC2 instances can typically be migrated to Azure Virtual Machines, while AWS S3 can be transitioned to Azure Blob Storage.

In some cases, minor adjustments may be needed to optimize your workloads for Azure’s environment. Mapping helps you understand what goes where and what modifications might be needed to make everything fit perfectly in your new environment.

Microsoft does provide various resources and guides to help with the migration from AWS to Azure, including cheat sheets and mapping tools. These resources can help you understand the equivalent services and features in Azure that correspond to those in AWS. You can find a detailed comparison between AWS and Azure services.

Step #3. Setup Azure Environment

You will need to set up Azure environment. Go to the Azure Sign Up Page. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you’ll need to create one (this can be a personal or work email). Here, you have to setup necessary accounts, define service limits, billing, and access control. Choose the right subscription type and then configure Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) to assign roles and permissions to team members.

Step #4. Network Configuration and Connectivity Setup

Once it is done, you will have to configure virtual networks and subnets. This is where you establish the foundational infrastructure in Azure to support your workloads. Within each VNet, define subnets that align with the structure in AWS. Ensure subnet sizes and IP address ranges are appropriate for your Azure environment, mimicking the previous architecture. Azure uses NSGs to control inbound and outbound traffic to resources in your subnets. Create and configure NSGs to mirror the security policies implemented in AWS, ensuring the same level of protection and access control.

Just like in AWS, you’ll need to configure routing tables for each subnet. Set up the appropriate route rules to ensure traffic flows correctly between subnets and services, reflecting your AWS routing configuration.

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