Day: September 17, 2020

Posted in Azure, Migration, Windows

ON-PREMISE SERVER MIGRATION TO CLOUD

Posted on by Akhil

Requirements

  • A configuration server
  • A process server
  • A target server

Procedure

In the following scenario both the configuration and the process server is the same virtualized machine running on a VMWare. A configuration server does act as a communicator between the cloud (Azure) and the on-premise. While the process server act as the gateway for the data replication in the process of migration.

Setting up the configuration server

  • Download the Microsoft azure site-recovery configuration server file from here.
  • Import the downloaded configuration server onto the VMWare workstation.
  • Open the Azure site recovery configuration manager on the desktop and follow the onscreen commands starting with the server name.
  • Sign-in to the Azure account when popped up and restart the server for the changes to take affect.
  • On restart a setup wizard opens in the local browser of the configuration server.
  • Make sure the configuration server is connected to internet.
  • Configure the NIC by selecting the NIC to continue.
  • Create a recovery service vault in the azure account and note the details.
  • Sign in to the account and select the subscription along with the created recovery service vault.
  • Accept the third party license agreement and download and install the required third party pre-requisites.
  • Follow the on screen commands to configure vCentre server.
  • Add vCentre server and Add a virtual machine credentials manually as shown below and finalize the configuration.

Configuring configuration server

  • Dive back to the created recovery service vault in the azure account.
  • Recovery service vault > Site recovery > VMware machines to azure > prepare infrastructure > deployment planning (optional) > configuration server should automatically selected for the source configuration server. > Add a vCentre server > Define the target server as shown below > select the host account credentials that are given in the previous step > OK > next.
  • A good amount of time is taken by azure to contact the target server through configuration server.
  • Create a virtual network to ensure compatibility, under same subscription and region that of the recovery service vault.
  • Follow to the target settings where the created network should pop up under the subscription and the resource manager.
  • Create a new replication policy > define the policy name > change the values as shown below. These values can be changed as per the requirement, but will effect, how efficiently the storage is used.
  • Review the configuration and prepare the infrastructure.
  • Create a storage account in the same region that of the recovery vault for the server to get migrated and note the details.

Adding an on-premise server to migration

  • Recovery service vault > site recovery > enable replication (VMware machines to Azure​) > select the configuration server and the vCentre server > check the target environment is perfect > select the target server > select the credentials that are given during the initial configuration and select the created storage account > create the server name > select the replication policy > enable replication.
  • Make sure firewall is enabled in both the configuration server as well as the target server.
  • The process of replication takes a valid amount of time to get completed.
  • The status of the replication can be checked in recovery service vault > replicated items.
  • After a long time the server starts pushing data into the recovery service vault which can be confirmed by the status of synchronization.
  • Once the synchronization completed, run a test failover to validate the replication and disaster recovery strategy without any data loss and downtime.
  • Click on the replicated item (once the status changes to protected) > test failover > choose the latest recovery point and created vnet > OK.
  • The test failover automatically creates the virtual machine in azure and start the instance.
  • This can be confirmed by checking the virtual machines blade in azure.

Accessing vm in Azure

  • The migrated virtual machine still does not have a public ip, which should be assigned manually.
  • Search for public IP Addresses in the search tab > create a public IP in the same region.
  • Resource group (virtual machine) > search for network interface resource > ip configurations > click on the network interface > associate > choose the created ip in the drop out > save changes.
  • The public IP is assigned to the virtual machine but there are no security groups yet.
  • Search for network security groups in search tab and create a NSG for the virtual machine in the same region as of vm.
  • Open the created NSG resource > Network interfaces > Associate > select the Network interface of the virtual machine.
  • Open the required ports in the associated NSG, like RDP etc. to get access to the virtual machine.
  • A certain amount of time is taken by azure to allow access remotely. Get connected to the virtual machine with the same credentials.

Cleanup test failover

A simple process to delete the complete migration related resources including the migrated virtual machine.