AWS MGN Specialized2021年〜
An automated service for lift-and-shift migration of on-premises servers to AWS
What It Does
AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) is a lift-and-shift service that automatically migrates servers running in on-premises or other cloud environments to AWS. Simply install an agent on the source server, and it continuously replicates the OS, applications, and data at the block level. At cutover time, servers launch on AWS with minimal downtime. It supports a wide range of sources including physical servers, virtual machines, and cloud instances.
Use Cases
Used for large-scale server migrations due to data center closures or lease expirations, building disaster recovery (DR) environments, migrating from other clouds to AWS, cloud-lifting Windows Server and Linux servers, and phased cloud migration of legacy applications.
Everyday Analogy
Think of it like a copy machine. It continuously copies the original (on-premises server) to the destination (AWS) in real time. When ready, just press the 'print' button (cutover) and an identical server launches on AWS. Since changes to the original are always copied to the latest state, data loss at switchover is virtually zero.
What Is AWS MGN?
AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) is AWS's automated server migration service. Built on the technology of its predecessor CloudEndure Migration, it has been available as a native AWS service since 2021. Agent-based block-level replication enables server migration to AWS without any application changes.
How Migration Works
The AWS MGN migration process consists of three phases. First, install the AWS Replication Agent on the source server to begin continuous data replication. During replication, all disks on the source server are copied to AWS at the block level, with only differences synced continuously. Next, run a test launch to verify the server operates correctly on AWS. Finally, execute the cutover to switch production traffic to the server on AWS.
Key Features
AWS MGN is free to use - you only pay for the destination EC2 instances and storage. It handles migrations from a single server to thousands at scale, with migration progress managed through a unified dashboard. It supports Windows Server 2003 and later, major Linux distributions, physical servers, VMware, Hyper-V, and more. After migration, servers launch as EC2 instances and integrate seamlessly with existing AWS services. For practical tips on leveraging the key features, related books on Amazon are also a helpful resource.
Getting Started
To get started with AWS MGN, initialize MGN in the AWS Management Console and configure the replication template. Install the AWS Replication Agent on the source server, and data replication begins automatically. Once replication is complete, run a test launch to verify operation, then execute the cutover if everything looks good. For large-scale migrations, using AWS Migration Hub for overall migration management is recommended.
Things to Watch Out For
- The MGN service itself is free, but charges apply for the staging area (EBS volumes) used for replication and the destination EC2 instances
- Source server network bandwidth can bottleneck replication speed, so verifying bandwidth in advance is important for large-scale migrations
- After cutover, don't forget to update DNS and load balancer settings for the source servers
