Factors to consider when shifting from MS Azure to AWS.
Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, commonly referred to as AWS, are undoubtedly two of the main cloud platforms available in the market. Each has their pros and cons, and have a number of similarities and differences. In this blog post we’ll be delving into the main factors to consider when shifting from MS Azure to AWS.
Cost Element
AWS offers a number of pricing models, such as, pay-as-you-go, reserved instances, and spot instances. Base your decision on the usage (or forecasted usage) and workload requirements of your suite of applications, to determine which pricing model is the most cost-effective for your scenario.
AWS also offers cost management tools such as AWS Budgets and Usage Reports that can help you monitor your spending and optimise your usage, on the go. This is a strong tool since it helps you curb overspending on services you do not actually need
Range of Services
Albeit similar, one has to consider the workload and requirements of the shift. The workload will determine which services are must-haves for your needs. AWS offers a wide range of services, including compute, storage, networking, database, and analytics. They also offer emerging technology services such as the highly acclaimed AI and machine learning services, IoT services, and security and compliance services.
Migration Strategy
The migration process from MS Azure to AWS is not simple and straightforward. It can be complex. It is never recommended to shift in an ad hoc manner. One should have a well-defined migration strategy in place spanning the tools, processes, and resources required to migrate your applications and data to AWS.
The most commonly used migration tools and services, offered by AWS, including AWS Database Migration Service, Application Discovery Service, the AWS Migration Acceleration Program and AWS Server Migration Service. At 56 Bit we will help your team evaluate these tools and services to determine which ones are most appropriate for your migration project needs.
Rate of Evolution and Availability of Support
Finally, you should consider the level of support provided by AWS when shifting from MS Azure. AWS offers a range of support options, including basic support, developer support, business support, and enterprise support. You should evaluate your support requirements to determine which level of support is appropriate for your needs. In addition, having a proficient partner is key to the success of such migrations.
AWS also offers a range of training and certification programs to help you and your team become proficient in using their services. Make sure you take advantage of these programs to ensure that you can effectively use AWS to meet your business needs.
In general, AWS provides greater open source community interoperability through the likes of Jenkins, GitHub and Linux, whereas on the other hand MS Azure is easy to use and integrated frictionlessly with Microsoft’s tools and technologies.
AWS has more than 1 million customers worldwide and has over 13 years experience. It offers top notch services that can help scale and grow your business including compute, storage and delivery. Three core benefits of AWS are: that it is one of the longest standing global cloud solutions, it is an easy to use application hosting and one can utilise Amazon’s identity and security services.
AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN)
With customers running Microsoft workloads on AWS for more than 12 years, AWS have the most experience with Microsoft applications in the cloud and can deliver performance, security, reliability, and cost savings.
AWS Windows Migration Accelerator, also known as AWS MGN, helps organisations minimise the cost of migration when you accelerate the migration of Windows servers utilising AWS MGN. Until end of year (31-12-2023), clients using Application Migration Service to migrate a minimum of 40 servers to AWS in one month (including a minimum of 15 Windows servers) may be eligible to receive $200 AWS promotional credit per Windows Server. In case, you migrate upward of 80 servers (including 25 Windows servers) in one calendar month, the discount will be increased to $250 AWS promotional credit for each Windows Server that is migrated to AWS using AWS MGN.
Discover more on how we can lift and shift your applications from MS Azure to AWS without business disruption. Set an exploratory meeting with us today!
