There are several tools that can be used to migrate data on-premises, depending on the specific needs of the migration. Some of the most common tools include:
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Robocopy: Robocopy is a command-line tool that is built into Windows and can be used to copy files and directories from one location to another. It is a powerful tool that can be used to migrate data between servers or storage systems.
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rsync: rsync is a command-line tool that is similar to Robocopy and can be used to copy files and directories from one location to another. It is commonly used on Linux and Unix systems, and can also be used to migrate data between servers or storage systems.
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Storage Replication Adapters (SRAs): SRAs are specialized software that enables replication between storage arrays of the same vendor. It allows you to replicate data between the arrays, creating an exact copy of the data.
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Backup and restore software: Backup and restore software can be used to create a copy of the data on the old storage system and then restore it to the new storage system. This can include software such as Veeam, Commvault, Veritas and others.
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Cloud-based migration tools: Some vendors provide cloud-based migration tools that can be used to migrate data to their cloud storage services. For example, AWS DataSync, Azure Data Box, GCP Storage Transfer Service.
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Some other commercial tools like:
- Dell EMC Storage Migration
- NetApp Storage Migration
- HPE Storage Migration
It’s important to note that the specific tool used will depend on the storage systems and network infrastructure involved, as well as the specific requirements of the migration.
Symmetrix SRDF (Symmetrix Remote Data Facility) is a data replication solution provided by Dell EMC for their Symmetrix storage systems. It is used to replicate data between Symmetrix storage systems in order to provide disaster recovery, data availability, and data migration capabilities.
SRDF provides several modes of replication, including:
- Synchronous replication: This mode replicates data in real-time, ensuring that data is always up-to-date between the primary and secondary storage systems.
- Asynchronous replication: This mode replicates data at a specified interval, which may result in a slight lag between the primary and secondary storage systems.
- Adaptive replication: This mode allows you to choose between synchronous and asynchronous replication depending on the type of data and the level of protection required.
SRDF supports several modes of operation, including:
- Active-Active: This mode allows both the primary and secondary storage systems to be active and accessible to hosts, providing high availability and disaster recovery.
- Active-Passive: This mode allows only the primary storage system to be active and accessible to hosts, and the secondary storage system is used for disaster recovery.
- Metro: This mode allows you to replicate data between Symmetrix storage systems that are located in different geographical locations, providing disaster recovery and data migration capabilities.
SRDF can be used for various purposes such as:
- Data migration: SRDF can be used to migrate data between Symmetrix storage systems without any disruption to the hosts.
- Disaster recovery: SRDF can be used to replicate data between Symmetrix storage systems in order to provide disaster recovery capabilities.
- Data availability: SRDF can be used to replicate data between Symmetrix storage systems in order to provide high availability.
It’s important to note that SRDF is a solution exclusively for Dell EMC Symmetrix storage systems and it’s not compatible with other vendors’ storage systems. It’s also important to check the vendor’s documentation and best practices for the specific storage systems and versions in use, as the process and configuration can vary depending on the version and release.
NetApp 7-Mode Transition Tool (7MTT) is a tool provided by NetApp for migrating data from their older 7-Mode storage systems to their newer ONTAP storage systems. 7-Mode is the previous version of the ONTAP operating system used by NetApp’s storage systems, and 7MTT is used to migrate data from these systems to the current version of ONTAP.
7MTT provides a way to migrate data from a 7-Mode storage system to an ONTAP storage system without any disruption to the hosts. This is done by creating a mirror of the data on the 7-Mode storage system and then moving the data to the ONTAP storage system. The migration can be done in two ways:
- In-place migration: The data is migrated directly to the ONTAP storage system, which allows you to use the same storage capacity for both the 7-Mode and ONTAP storage systems.
- Capacity migration: The data is migrated to a new ONTAP storage system, which allows you to use a larger storage capacity for the ONTAP storage system.
7MTT supports several features such as:
- Data migration: 7MTT can be used to migrate data from 7-Mode storage systems to ONTAP storage systems.
- Snapshot-based migration: 7MTT can be used to create snapshots of the data on the 7-Mode storage system and then replicate the snapshots to the ONTAP storage system.
- FlexClone-based migration: 7MTT can be used to create FlexClone copies of the data on the 7-Mode storage system and then replicate the FlexClones to the ONTAP storage system.
It’s important to note that 7MTT is a solution exclusively for NetApp storage systems and it’s not compatible with other vendors’ storage systems. It’s also important to check the vendor’s documentation and best practices for the specific storage systems and versions in use, as the process and configuration can vary depending on the version and release.
VMware Storage vMotion is a feature of VMware vSphere, which allows you to move a virtual machine’s disk files from one storage location to another, while the virtual machine is still running. This allows you to perform storage maintenance, balance storage resources, and migrate virtual machines to new storage systems without any downtime.
Some of the main benefits of Storage vMotion are:
- Non-disruptive migration: You can move virtual machines from one storage location to another without any interruption to the virtual machine’s operation.
- Improved storage utilization: You can balance storage resources by moving virtual machines to different storage locations, based on the available capacity and performance.
- Increased virtual machine availability: You can perform storage maintenance, such as adding or replacing storage devices, without any interruption to the virtual machines.
Storage vMotion is a process that consists of several steps:
- First, it creates a copy of the virtual machine’s disk files on the destination storage location, while the original files remain on the source storage location.
- Then it updates the virtual machine’s configuration to point to the new disk files on the destination storage location.
- Finally, it deletes the original disk files on the source storage location.
It’s important to note that Storage vMotion requires that both source and destination storage locations support the vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) and be accessible by the vCenter server. Also, the destination storage system should have enough free space to accommodate the virtual machine’s disk files.
There are several ways to migrate VMware virtual machines to Azure, depending on the specific requirements of the migration. Some common methods include:
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Azure Site Recovery (ASR): This is a disaster recovery solution provided by Azure that can be used to replicate VMware virtual machines to Azure. ASR can be used to perform a one-time migration or to establish ongoing replication.
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Azure Migrate: This is a migration assessment and planning tool provided by Azure that can be used to discover, assess, and migrate VMware virtual machines to Azure. Azure Migrate can be used to perform a one-time migration, or to establish ongoing replication.
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VMware vCenter Converter: This is a standalone tool provided by VMware that can be used to convert VMware virtual machines to Hyper-V or to the Azure Virtual Machine format.
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Azure VMware Solution: This is a solution that allows you to run VMware virtual machines natively on Azure. This solution can be used to migrate VMware virtual machines to Azure without making any changes to the virtual machines.
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Azure Arc enabled servers: This solution allows you to move your on-premises virtual machines to azure as a managed instance, enables you to use Azure management and services for your on-premises virtual machines.
It’s important to note that each of these methods have their own pros and cons, and the specific method used will depend on the specific requirements of the migration, and the current infrastructure. It’s always advisable to test the migration in a lab environment before doing it in production.
Data migration can consist of several steps, including:
- Planning: Identifying the data that needs to be migrated, the target storage system, and the migration schedule.
- Assessment: Assessing the current storage environment and the target storage environment, including the data format, data size, and network infrastructure.
- Preparation: Configuring the target storage system and preparing the data for migration.
- Execution: Copying the data from the source storage system to the target storage system, and updating any references to the data in the applications or systems that use it.
- Validation: Verifying that the data has been successfully migrated and that it is accessible and usable by the applications or systems that use it.
- Cutover: Making the target storage system the primary storage system, and decommissioning the source storage system.
Data migration can be complex and time-consuming, and it is important to have a well-planned and well-executed migration strategy to ensure that the data is migrated successfully and that there is minimal impact on the business.