Azure provides several options for migrating databases from an on-premises data center or other cloud providers.
If you are running a relational database, you can perform Azure migration automatically using the free Database Migration Service (DMS). For non-relational databases, typically the process will involve exporting your existing data and importing it to Azure’s managed NoSQL database service, Cosmos DB.
For SAP databases, you will need to use SAP’s migration capabilities, which are integrated with Azure. There are two primary options - classical migration using SAP Software Provisioning Manager (SWPM), and SAP Database Migration Option (DMO).
In this article, you will learn:
The Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) is an automated migration system that lets you move relational databases to destinations in Azure including:
DMS supports two types of migrations:
For both types of migrations, DMS has several prerequisites, including downloading the Data Migration Assistant to the machine running your database, creating a Virtual Network, configuring security groups and credentials on Azure, and provisioning your target database. Read more about these requirements in the Azure documentation.
Related content: read our guide to Azure migration tools
Step 1: Assess the on-premises database
Start the Data Migration Assistant, create an Assessment project, and select the source and target servers. Choose the database you want to migrate and generate an assessment. This will include recommendations, including compatibility issues you need to address before migration. Fix the issues and rerun the report to ensure all issues are addressed.
Step 2: Migrate database schema
With DMS, you migrate the database schema before migrating all the data. This creates an empty database structure in Azure that matches your on-premises database and validates connectivity before a full migration.
To do this, create a Migration project, select your on-premises database, and the target server on Azure. Under migration scope, select Schema Only, and choose which schema objects you want to migrate. DMS creates a migration script—click Deploy Schema to run the script. When schema migration completes, check the Azure database server to see it is configured correctly.
Image Source: Azure
Step 3: Migrate your Data with Database Migration Service
Previously, we used the Data Migration Assistant deployed locally on the on-premises server. To perform the full migration, create an instance of Azure Data Database Migration Service using the Azure portal, and indicate whether you need an online or offline migration (this affects pricing).
Create a new migration project, specify details of the source and target server, including authentication credentials. Map the relevant schema objects on the source server to the target server. Click the Run migration button and track the progress of your migration on the Migration Activity screen.
Once migration completes, make sure the target database on Azure is running and working properly, and decommission your on-premises database.
Related content: read our guide to Azure Database Migration Service (DMS)
Cosmos DB is Azure’s NoSQL database service. It provides several APIs compatible with popular NoSQL database engines. This lets you migrate existing NoSQL databases into CosmosDB with minimal changes:
Related content: read our guide to Azure NoSQL
Step 1: Create Cosmos DB Cassandra database
Create a new resource in the Azure portal, select a Cosmos DB account, and choose the Cassandra API. Create a new Azure Virtual Network or select an existing one, and set firewall rules to allow access.
Step 2: Create the required tables
This step involves the use of Azure Data Explorer. In your Cosmos DB account, click Data Explorer, then select New Table. Specify a schema name, table name, and list of columns matching the table in your existing database, and choose a required throughput for the table. Repeat for all tables you want to import.
Step 3: Export data from existing Cassandra database
This step relies on CQLSH, a command-line tool that runs Cassandra Query Language (CQL) commands. The Azure Cosmos DB Cassandra API supports CQLSH.
Run Azure Cloud Shell and connect to your local Cassandra database using SSH. Start CQLSH, providing the username and password for your database, and run these commands to export each of your Cassandra tables:
COPY <keyspace name>.<table name>
TO '<filename>.csv';
Step 4: Import the data to Cosmos DB
For each table you want to import, access your Cosmos DB account in the Azure portal. Select Settings > Connection String and copy your Primary Connection String. Use it to connect to your Cassandra database in Cosmos DB via CQLSH.
Now, for each table you want to import, use this command:
COPY <keyspace>.<table> FROM <table and data name>
There are two main options for migrating SAP databases to Azure:
Follow these steps to migrate a SAP HANA database to Azure and upgrade it to the latest version:
For the final stage, there are two options for transferring data:
NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP, the leading enterprise-grade storage management solution, delivers secure, proven storage management services on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Cloud Volumes ONTAP capacity can scale into the petabytes, and it supports various use cases such as file services, databases, DevOps or any other enterprise workload, with a strong set of features including high availability, data protection, storage efficiencies, Kubernetes integration, and more.
In particular, Cloud Volumes ONTAP assists with lift and shift cloud migration. NetApp’s data replication tools SnapMirror® and Cloud Sync service will get your data to the cloud.
Learn more about how Cloud Volumes ONTAP helps to address the challenges of cloud migration in these Cloud Migration Case Studies.