Q: How do I get started with Amazon Server Migration Service?
Use the wizard in the Amazon Server Migration Service dashboard of the Amazon Management Console. Visit the Getting Started Guide for more details, including how to replicate a server.
Q: What is the output of Amazon Server Migration Service?
Each server volume replicated is saved as a new Amazon Machine Image (AMI), which can be launched as an EC2 instance (virtual machine) in the Amazon Web Services cloud.
Q: What operating systems does Amazon Server Migration Service support?
Amazon Server Migration Service supports migrating Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, and 2016, and Windows 7, 8, and 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE/SLES, CentOS, Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, Fedora, and Debian Linux operating systems. Learn more.
Q: How long can I replicate my server volumes from on-premises to Amazon Web Services?
You can replicate your on-premises servers to Amazon Web Services for up to 90 days (per server). Usage time is calculated from the time a server replication begins until you terminate the replication job. After 90 days, your replication job will be automatically terminated. If you want to increase this limit, please discuss your use case with the Amazon Web Services Support team.
Q: What is the difference between EC2 VM Import and Amazon Server Migration Service?
Amazon Server Migration Service is a significant enhancement of EC2 VM Import. The Amazon Server Migration Service provides automated, live incremental server replication and Amazon Web Services Console support. For customers using EC2 VM Import for migration, we recommend using Amazon Server Migration Service.
Q: Are the 80/8080/443 ports required for Amazon Server Migration Service?
To use Amazon Server Migration Service, the 80/8080/443 ports to you accounts need to be opened, which requires you to complete the ICP recordal process or ICP exception process. Please contact your account manager or log a case with customer support to initiate the ICP recordal process or ICP exception process.
Q: What is the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector?
The connector appliance is a pre-configured FreeBSD virtual machine (in OVA format). To set up Amazon Server Migration Service, you need to first deploy the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector virtual appliance on your on-premises VMware vCenter environment.
Q: What permissions does the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector require from VMware vCenter?
At minimum, the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector requires the ability to create and delete snapshots on VMs that need to be migrated to Amazon Web Services. Learn more.
Q: What data does the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector capture from VMware vCenter?
The Amazon Server Migration Service Connector captures VM inventory information from VMware vCenter and replicates server volumes to Amazon Web Services.
Q: Is it secure to deploy the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector on my virtualization environment?
Yes, the Amazon Server Migration Service Connector only captures basic VM inventory information and snapshots of server volumes from VMware vCenter and does not gather any sensitive information.
Q: What are the key benefits of using Amazon Server Migration Service for migrating on premise Hyper-V VMs?
By automating an incremental replication of live server volumes to the Amazon Web Services cloud as AMIs, SMS allows customers to speed up migration process and reduce manual labor of migration significantly. SMS orchestrates server migrations by allowing customers to schedule replications and track the progress of a group of servers, alleviating the logistical burden of coordinating large-scale server migrations. With the support of incremental replication, customers are able to test server migrations easily. With the support of Amazon Web Services console-based GUI, customers are able to start and manage migration and track progress easily.
Q: Who can benefit from Amazon Server Migration Service for Hyper-V?
Any customer who is looking to migrate their Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines managed by SCVMM or standalone Hyper-Vs to Amazon Web Services will benefit from Hyper-V support in SMS. This may include enterprise customers, System integrators, and IT consulting firms who help enterprise customers migrate Hyper-V workloads to Amazon Web Services.
Q: What components does Amazon Server Migration Service have for Hyper-V VM migration?
SMS has an on-premises appliance, the SMS Connector, which talks to the service in Amazon Web Services. The Connector incrementally transfers volumes of running Hyper-V VMs to the SMS service, and the service creates the AMI incrementally from the transferred volume.
Q: What permissions are required in System Center to deploy SMS Connector and start migration?
The SMS connector securely communicates with the SCVMM server using Windows remote management protocol (WinRM). Connector requires a non-admin AD user that is added to “Remote Management Users” group on the SCVMM host, has limited permissions on the CMIV2 and SCVMM WMI objects and is a part of the “Delegated administrator” group within SCVMM. A firewall port needs to be opened on the SCVMM server to allow for secure transfer of remote commands from Connector deployed on a private network within your datacenter. The AD user also needs read permissions on the VM data store on the Hyper-V machine. For additional security, customers may configure WinRM to allow only encrypted traffic over SSL using self-signed certificate and limit access to Connector IP/hostname alone.For more details, please refer to the SMS technical documentation.
Q: How do I set up Amazon Server Migration Service for Hyper-V?
Amazon Web Services console will walk you through a wizard that help you download and install the SMS Connector. You will need to work with your system administrators to create an active directory user for Hyper-V VM migration use. Amazon Web Services SMS provides an interactive PowerShell script, to be executed with administrative privileges on your Hyper-V host, that automates the permissions setup/configuration. You will provide the AD user credentials and networking/proxy settings as necessary in the SMS Connector. For more details, please refer to the SMS technical documentation.
Q: What operating systems does Amazon Server Migration Service support?
Amazon Server Migration Service supports migrating Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, and 2016, and Windows 7, 8, and 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE/SLES, CentOS, Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, Fedora, and Debian Linux operating systems.
Q: How can I view my on-premises Hyper-V VM inventory in Amazon Web Services console?
After configuring the SMS Connector, customers can import their on-premises Hyper-V inventory by clicking on the "Import server catalog" button in "Amazon Web Services Console --> Server Migration --> Servers" tab.
Q: I’m going to migrate Hyper-V and VMware VMs simultaneously. Can I view the inventory of Hyper-V and VMware VMs together in a single pane of glass in Amazon Web Services console?
Yes. SMS enables you to view the VM inventory of both Microsoft’s Hyper-V and VMware environments in a single pane of glass. After you import your on-premises Hyper-V VM inventory by clicking on the "Import server catalog" button in Amazon Web Services SMS console, SMS automatically collects the VM inventory from all the SMS Connectors, deployed across Hyper-V and VMware environments, as a default.
Q: Can I see the VM inventory of Hyper-V and VMware environments separately?
Yes, on the ‘servers’ page on the Amazon Web Services SMS console, you can filter by VM manager in the search bar to show only the VMs imported from Hyper-V or VMware environments.
Q: How can I distinguish Hyper-V VMs from VMware VMs during migration?
Yes, on the ‘replication jobs’ page on the Amazon Web Services SMS console, you can filter by VM manager in the search bar to show only the progress of SMS replication jobs for VMs from Hyper-V or VMware environments.
Q: Can I track the progress of Hyper-V and VMware VMs migration simultaneously?
Yes. Customers can track the progress of Hyper-V and VMware VM migration in a single pane of glass under the ‘Replication Jobs’ page on the Amazon Web Services SMS console.
