Migrating to Azure:

A resource guide for your

database migration
 2

Power your data and your business

with Azure
Microsoft Azure offers an ever-expanding set of cloud services
to help your organisation overcome challenges and create new
opportunities powered by the latest technology.

Azure gives you the freedom to build, manage and deploy

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and frameworks. Security and privacy are built directly into the
Azure platform to provide the highest levels of trust with the most
comprehensive set of compliance offerings of any cloud service.1

Use cloud computing to do today’s job better and build

a competitive advantage for tomorrow.

1
https://azure.microsoft.com/overview/trusted-cloud/compliance/
 Contents
Is this the right eBook for you? 1
The Microsoft Cloud
• Are you in charge of migrating
Adoption Framework 5
your databases to the cloud?
2
• Would you like to move your Plan
SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Make a case for database migration 7
Maria DB, NoSQL or Oracle Start with the end in mind 8
database to Azure?
3
• Do you need resources to help Ready
you choose a data migration Preparing your environment 10
strategy and create a plan? 4
Adopt
Get acquainted with Microsoft
migration tools 11
Assess your on-premises environment 13
Migrate your databases to Azure 15
Optimise your databases to maximise
your investment 17

5
Customer case studies 19

6
Take the next steps with your
Azure migration 25
 4

Are you ready There are two distinct parts to cloud migration – migrating the

for database application and migrating the database that runs it. It is important

migration? to make independent migration choices for each component in

order to fully optimise the workload.

This eBook provides a high-level overview of the process for

migrating databases to Azure.

On-premises Azure

Application tier Application tier

Apps SQL Server on Azure VMs

On-premises Azure

Data tier Data tier

Apps Azure SQL Managed Instance

Chapter 1 The Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework 5

1.
The Microsoft Cloud
Adoption Framework
Whether you’re planning to move a single database to the cloud
or you’re tackling a larger scale cloud migration, we encourage
you to refer to the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework
for Azure. Created based on our experience with customers,
the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework provides proven
guidance and best practices to support your cloud migration
process. The framework has a modular structure with six main
phases starting with the ‘define strategy’ phase all the way up to
ongoing ‘governance’ and ‘management’ of cloud operations.
It also includes tools and templates to accelerate your cloud
adoption. This eBook will mainly focus on the ‘adopt’ phase of
the framework, but for more information on the process please
visit the Cloud Adoption Framework website or explore the
Cloud Migration Simplified eBook.
Chapter 1 The Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework 6

Define strategy Plan Ready Adopt

Executive Discovery and assessment Technical skilling Migration
sponsorship TCO/ Business Case Landing zone execution
Stakeholder Migration plan
alignment
Partner engaged Migration waves

Govern Manage

Figure 1: Common migration path

While the Cloud Adoption Framework provides end-to-end

guidance for all types of migrations, we will also provide
guidance on specialised database migration tools that may be
different based on your scenario. You’ll see these tools referenced
throughout the eBook where they might come in handy.
Chapter 2 Plan 7

2.
Plan
Make a case for database migration
Create a business
case using the Migrating workloads to the cloud can be a big step forward for your
Azure TCO organisation. The cloud makes it easy to modernise your apps with
Calculator to innovative data technologies. It improves data management and
estimate savings security through integrated, managed services. And it helps you lower
your overall costs. By starting with a clear understanding of what you
want to achieve, you can track and monitor your plan’s success and
build on it as you go. Some popular goals for migration include:
238%
• Spend less time managing on-premises
ROI with Azure infrastructure and upgrades
SQL Managed • Reduce security risks through automatic security
Instance2 updates and patches
• Protect against threats posed by running
end-of-support software
• Eliminate large, upfront investments for hardware and software
40%
• Improve transparency into operational costs
• Decrease time to market and react quickly to market conditions
increase in DBA
• Reach customers quickly across the globe
productivity with
Azure SQL DB Work with your Microsoft representative or a certified Microsoft
Managed Instance2 partner to prioritise workloads to migrate and build a migration plan
that meets your desired goals.

The Total Economic Impact™ of Migration to Microsoft Azure SQL

2

Managed Databases, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester

Consulting. March 2020.
Chapter 2 Plan 8

Start with the end in mind

Microsoft Azure offers just-right cloud options to help you get
the most value from each individual database while ensuring
a consistent experience across your hybrid estate.

You can accelerate your migration using proven strategies that

support legacy database systems – SQL Server, as well as open
source databases like Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB or NoSQL – and
competitive databases, such as Oracle or IBM.

After you’ve taken stock of your data estate using Azure Migrate
and determined which apps and corresponding databases you
want to move, you’ll need to know where they’re going. Use the
table on the next page to match your existing on-premises
database with your target cloud database.

Still need to assess your app?

To begin the discovery phase of your cloud migration, visit the

Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery pages.
Chapter 2 Plan 9

Azure SQL DB SQL Server SQL Data Azure DB for Azure DB Azure
& SQL DB MI on Azure VMs Warehouse PostgreSQL for MySQL Cosmos DB

Figure 2: Suggested migration paths for existing databases.

Note: Our tools also support upgrade of on-premises databases.

Chapter 3 Ready 10

3.
Ready
Preparing your environment
To ensure a seamless migration, consider setting up a landing
environment in Azure which supports agility and innovation
and at the same time provides protection through proper
governance, management and operations. Azure landing zones
help build a cloud environment aligned to the optimal technology
operations specific to your needs in the cloud. They provide
a clear architecture, reference implementations and code samples
to create the initial cloud environment. Review the different
implementation options available with Azure landing zones to
best suit your specific cloud adoption needs. To learn more about
Azure landing zones, check out the Ready section of the Cloud
Adoption Framework.

As you set out to prepare your environment, reference the

Azure set-up guide overview for guidance on managing access,
planning governance and compliance and balancing cost and
billing considerations.
Chapter 4 Adopt 11

4.
Adopt
Once you have done the preliminary work to plan and prepare
for cloud adoption, it’s time to move into the core part of your
migration. In this section, we’ll share guidance specific to moving
your database to the cloud.

Get acquainted with

Microsoft migration tools
Microsoft offers free tools to help simplify your database
migration – many of which provide more than one service.
Below is a list of the key tools that will be mentioned throughout
the rest of this guide.

To stay up to date with the latest tools available and receive

guidance on how to use them, visit: https://datamigration.
microsoft.com/.
Chapter 4 Adopt 12

Use case Tool(s) Description

For discovery and Azure Migrate Azure Migrate helps you migrate on-premises
inventory of data virtual machines to Azure. It performs
assets across your a complete data environment assessment,
entire IT environment provides migration recommendations and
and assessment offers migration guidance.
of SQL Server
migration readiness. Take advantage of Data Migration Assistant
(DMA), which can be installed from Azure
Migrate. It helps you identify the optimal
Azure migration target and size and detects
compatibility issues that can impact database
functionality in Azure SQL.

For assessing Microsoft SQL SSMA helps with assessment of existing

readiness and Server Migration databases and automates schema conversion
migrating Assistant (SSMA) from Microsoft Access, DB2, MySQL, Oracle
between different and SAP ASE (Sybase) to SQL Server or Azure
database platforms. SQL Database.

Data Access The Data Access Migration toolkit provides

Migration toolkit tools to help migrate application source
code from one database platform to another.
Discover and extract SQL queries from files
using APIs.

For validating Database DEA evaluates a targeted version of SQL Server

workload Experimentation for a specific workload. It provides useful data
performance on your Assistant (DEA) metrics such as queries with compatibility
migration target. errors and degraded queries and query plans
to help you make the best choice.

For performing Azure Database DMS offers a fully managed, end-to-end

near-zero downtime Migration migration service with near-zero downtime.
migration to Azure. Service (DMS) DMS provides rich orchestration capabilities to
group together multiple database migrations.
It supports PowerShell commandlets and REST
APIs to automate the migrations at scale.
Chapter 4 Adopt 13

Assess your current

on-premises environment
Discover, evaluate and map your data estate to build an
informed migration plan.

Perform an assessment of your entire data environment and plan

your migration to Azure using Azure Migrate to create a holistic
view of your on-premises IT infrastructure. Azure Migrate can
Discover and assess on-premises VMware VMs, Hyper-V VMs
and physical servers in preparation for migration to Azure. Azure
Migrate also gives you access to tools for application and database
assessments, including Data Migration Assistant (DMA).

Choose your database migration path and plan to

mitigate issues.

Use the Data Migration Assistant (DMA), accessed from the Azure
Migrate tool, to evaluate your database, get recommendations
for the Azure target and size of the migration environment and
surface new features that might benefit your data post-migration.
The Database Experimentation Assistant (DEA) shows you exactly
Chapter 4 Adopt 14

how your workload will perform in the new target location, so you
Not sure which can decide the best way to move it. DEA captures the workload and
is the best replays it on your targeted cloud environment, providing you with
tool to use for specific insights.
your database
conversion?
Check the
Assess other database management systems to ensure
Data Migration
compatibility.
Guide.
Migrate from other relational database management systems such
as Oracle, Sybase and IBM DB2 to SQL Server in a VM using the
Microsoft SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA). To migrate from
Cassandra to Azure Cosmos DB, follow the documentation on using
the Cassandra API.
Chapter 4 Adopt 15

Migrate your databases to Azure

After assessing your database, the next step is to migrate your
Interested in database using one of the two most popular database migration
scaling and strategies, rehosting (‘lift and shift’) or refactoring. Azure offers
optimising your migration tools designed to help you get to the cloud faster and
application for more intelligently.
the cloud using
rearchitecting Migrate your databases by rehosting or refactoring.
and rebuilding
Migrate multiple database sources to Azure data platforms with
migration
minimal downtime using the fully managed Database Migration
strategies?
Service (DMS) for rehosting or refactoring. Database Migration
Read up on
Service supports multiple, simultaneous migrations at scale.
them here.

Rehosting sample path

On-premises Azure
Also called the
Data tier Data tier
‘lift and shift’
migration path, SQL Server SQL Server on Azure VMs

rehosting allows
you to migrate
your existing
database as-is Ideal for:
without any
• App and database requiring OS-level access
code changes.
• Databases that have requirements best met by SQL Server on
Azure Virtual Machines
• Apps architected to leverage the scalability of Azure IaaS
(Infrastructure-as-a-Service)
Chapter 4 Adopt 16

Refactoring sample path

Refactoring
involves making On-premises Azure

some change Data tier Data tier

to the database Azure AQL
SQL Server
and application Managed Instance
design, but
no wholesale
changes to
its code. Ideal for:

• Modernising apps quickly with services such as

Azure App Service and Azure SQL Database or
Azure SQL Managed Instance
• Addressing code portability concerns that necessitate
using the existing codebase and development skills
• Using DevOps and containers to help drive continuous
innovation
• Use in conjunction with the App Service Migration Assistant tool
for migration to Azure App Service
Chapter 4 Adopt 17

Optimise your databases

to maximise your investment
Optimise the performance of your migrated databases using Azure
tools and services. Long after migration, you can continue to use
these services to improve the ongoing value and performance
of your cloud databases.

Complete the migration process with database optimisation

Welcome to
• Run functional and performance tests immediately post
Azure! Let’s migration (User Acceptance Testing).
make your
• Use Intelligent Insights to monitor and troubleshoot
database hum. database performance with customised recommendations for
Azure SQL Database and Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
• Assess what new features may be available on the target
platform via a few clicks in the Azure Portal.
Chapter 4 Adopt 18

Continue to optimise your cloud investment

• Monitor your cloud spend with Azure Cost Management.

• Lower out-of-pocket expenses through the

• Azure Hybrid Benefit.

• Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances and SQL Database

and Cosmos DB reserved capacity.

• Identify security threats using Azure Security Centre with

Advanced Threat Protection.
• Avoid costly business disruptions and errors with
Azure Backup.
• Ensure business continuity during outages with
Azure Site Recovery.
• Track the health and performance of your cloud services with
Azure Monitor.
Chapter 5 Customer case studies 19

5.
Customer case studies

Willis Towers Watson achieves scalability and savings in the cloud,

enabling them to serve more customers

Innovative Systems unites its far-flung databases in the cloud to

stay a step ahead of money launderers

Komatsu achieves performance gains and savings using

Azure SQL Database Managed Instance

H&R Block delivers scalable, multichannel tax preparation services

with Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on Azure VM

Epos Now switches to Azure to deliver higher quality capabilities

and offer new reporting solution for its customers
Chapter 5 Customer case studies 20

Willis Towers Watson achieves scalability

and savings in the cloud, enabling them
to serve more customers
Willis Towers Watson helps insurers calculate reserves and prices
through their ICT line of business. To handle peak loads, they had
to procure massive amounts of compute and storage capacity
although they typically only ran 20 to 30% of it. By migrating to
Microsoft Azure SQL Database, Willis Towers Watson was able to
scale seamlessly to meet changes in demand, save money on their
infrastructure and offer services to a wider audience at a lower cost.

Read more >

“The database instances were moved overnight or over a weekend,

depending on the size. Our users were able to pick up where we left
off like nothing had changed.”

Greg Matuskovic, Director of Global Solutions Architecture,

Insurance Consulting and Technology
Chapter 5 Customer case studies 21

Innovative Systems unites its far-flung

databases in the cloud to stay a step
ahead of money launderers
With the help of Microsoft partner 10th Magnitude, Innovative
Systems used the Database Migration Service to move its
on-premises databases to Microsoft Azure SQL Database.
In doing so, they consolidated 25 virtual servers into just 10,
reducing the burden of management on IT and cutting operating
costs 30%. Innovative Systems is maximising its migration
to Azure by exploring the new markets and capabilities now
available to them.

Read more >

“With Azure database services, we start every day seeing the art
of the possible – how we can continue to improve our operations
and provide better services to our customers.”

Brandon Ekberg, Senior Vice President of Global Operations

Chapter 5 Customer case studies 22

Komatsu achieves performance

gains and savings using Azure SQL
Managed Instance
Komatsu, the heavy machinery manufacturer, consolidated their
mainframes into a single system to create a single source of truth
for all their data that’s accessible to their different teams and to
enable new services such as advanced analytics data. By moving
to Microsoft Azure SQL Managed Instance, Komatsu Australia
improved performance, reduced costs by half and provided
employees and customers with the data they need, when they
need it.

Read more >

“We determined Azure SQL Database Managed Instance was the

best choice for us in terms of scalability, cost and performance.…
We’ve seen a 49% cost reduction and 25 to 30% performance
gains.”

Nipun Sharma, Analytics Architect, Business Technology and

Systems Komatsu Australia
Chapter 5 Customer case studies 23

H&R Block delivers scalable,

multichannel tax preparation services
with Azure SQL Managed Instance and
SQL Server on Azure VM
H&R Block wanted to unify its disparate data sources so the
company could deliver more seamless multichannel experiences
and provide better service for its customers. By moving various
workloads to Microsoft SQL Server 2017 and Microsoft Azure
and using Azure data services, the tax provider has been able to
enhance service delivery, scale to meet its peaks in demand and
accelerate innovation. Starting with SQL Server on Azure Virtual
Machines and later adding Azure SQL Managed Instance, H&R
Block improved application performance and reduced roadblocks
to innovation. Now it can meet the future head on – and deliver
smart, powerful multichannel experiences that keep customers
coming back.

Read more >

“All of our data experts are now working in SQL Server and Azure,
so they can work together in a common domain and reduce the
roadblocks to delivering smart, powerful solutions.”

Sameer Agarwal, Manager, Enterprise Data Analytics

Chapter 5 Customer case studies 24

Epos Now switches to Azure to deliver

higher quality capabilities and offer new
reporting solutions for its customers
Epos Now, creator of point-of-sale software for a wide range of
business customers, wanted to offer additional reporting and
data visualisation capabilities but was limited by its current data
ecosystem. The company worked closely with Microsoft FastTrack
for Azure to migrate its data from SQL Server on a competing
cloud provider to Microsoft Azure SQL Database. The solution also
uses Azure Blob storage, Azure SQL Database managed instance
and Azure Data Factory for a connected data pipeline. Epos Now
developed a data as a service offering with robust reporting. The
company reduces costs by running in Azure, while also providing a
valuable service for customers of all kinds to gain data insights and
make smarter business decisions.

Read more >

“Using Azure for our data solution will give tens of thousands of
our customers the latest technology to save time and provide the
real-time insights they need to compete and thrive.”

Andrew Morris, Chief Product Officer

 25

6.
Start your Azure
migration today
Ready to take advantage of the benefits of the cloud?

Sign up for an Azure free account – USD 200 credit for 30 days,
12 months of free services.

Learn about the application migration process at the

Azure Migration and Modernisation Centre.

Find step-by-step guidance in the Azure Data Migration Guide.

Read answers to common questions on the

Database Migration Service FAQ page.

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