Azure to AWS
Migrating from Azure to AWS requires careful planning, understanding service equivalencies, and adapting your infrastructure and processes. This guide provides step-by-step instructions, real-life examples, and best practices for a successful migration.
Quick Comparison: Azure vs AWS Services
Virtual Machines (VMs)
EC2
VM types and images differ
Blob Storage
S3
APIs and access models vary
Azure Active Directory
IAM
RBAC and identity federation differ
Azure SQL Database
RDS
Migration tools available
Azure Functions
Lambda
Triggers and bindings differ
ARM Templates/Bicep
CloudFormation
Syntax and capabilities differ
Azure Monitor
CloudWatch
Metrics and logging integration varies
Virtual Network (VNet)
VPC
Subnet and peering models differ
AKS (Azure Kubernetes)
EKS
Cluster management differs
Azure DNS
Route 53
Record types and automation differ
Pre-Migration Checklist
Inventory Your Azure Resources
Use Azure CLI or Azure Resource Graph to export resources:
az resource list --output json > azure-inventory.json
Map Services to AWS Equivalents
Document each Azure service and its AWS counterpart.
Assess Application Dependencies
Identify hardcoded endpoints, region-specific services, and OS dependencies.
Plan Identity and Access Migration
Prepare to migrate Azure AD users/groups to AWS IAM or federate with AWS SSO.
Network Planning
Design AWS VPCs to match (or improve) your Azure VNet topology.
Migration Checklist
Migration Steps (with Examples)
1. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Translation
Example: Convert ARM/Bicep templates to AWS CloudFormation or Terraform.
Use Azure Resource Manager Template Converter or manually map resources.
Example Terraform snippet for AWS EC2:
resource "aws_instance" "example" { ami = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0" instance_type = "t2.micro" # ... }
2. Data Migration
Example: Migrate Azure Blob Storage to S3 using AWS CLI S3 sync:
aws s3 sync "https://<account>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>" s3://mybucket --recursive
3. Identity Migration
Example: Sync Azure AD users to AWS IAM using AWS SSO or SAML federation.
4. Application Refactoring
Update code/configs to use AWS SDKs and endpoints.
Replace Azure Function triggers with Lambda event sources.
5. Testing and Validation
Use CloudWatch and X-Ray for post-migration validation.
Post-Migration Tasks
Update DNS: Point domains to AWS endpoints (e.g., Route 53).
Monitor and Optimize: Use AWS Cost Explorer and Trusted Advisor.
Decommission Azure Resources: Ensure all data is migrated and backups are complete before deleting.
Documentation: Update runbooks and architecture diagrams.
Best Practices & Common Pitfalls
Start with Non-Production Workloads: Validate migration steps before moving critical systems.
Automate Everything: Use Terraform/Ansible for repeatable deployments.
Watch for Service Limits: AWS and Azure have different quotas.
Security Review: Reassess security groups, NACLs, and IAM/RBAC policies.
Cloud Hopping Humor
Why did the cloud architect take a compass on their Azure to AWS migration?
To make sure they didn’t get lost in the clouds!
References
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