AWS to Azure Migration: A No-Nonsense Guide
Moving your entire cloud infrastructure is a big deal. For years, AWS has been the default choice for many. But as the cloud landscape evolves, more businesses are looking to alternatives such as Microsoft Azure. A cloud migration isn’t just about switching providers, it’s a strategic move that can unlock new capabilities, optimise costs, and align your IT with future business goals.
But let’s be honest. It’s also a complex project with plenty of potential pitfalls. If you’re considering the move, you need a clear, realistic strategy. This guide provides a no-nonsense look at how to migrate from AWS to Azure, covering the benefits, challenges, and a step-by-step checklist to get you there successfully.
Why migrate from AWS to Azure?
Switching cloud providers isn’t a quick decision. It’s driven by tangible business needs and strategic advantages. While both platforms are leaders in cloud, there are compelling reasons why an AWS to Azure migration makes sense for many organisations.
- Cost optimisation opportunities: Azure can deliver major cost savings, especially for businesses already using Microsoft tools. With Azure Hybrid Benefit, you can apply your existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses to Azure, cutting operational costs. Microsoft’s Adaptive Cloud, featuring Azure Local via Macquarie Flex, amplifies these savings, delivering up to 30% lower IaaS costs compared to AWS through a smarter, hybrid-first Azure platform strategy.
- Scalability and performance: Azure operates the largest global cloud footprint, spanning more regions than any other provider. That means high availability, low latency, and the ability to scale without limits. As your business expands, Azure’s infrastructure flexes with you, delivering the performance and reliability your customers expect, wherever they are.
- Seamless Microsoft integration: Already using Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, or Active Directory? Azure connects it all. With deep, native integration, you get a unified environment that simplifies identity management, streamlines collaboration, and enables effortless data sharing across your entire stack.
- Compliance and security advantages: Microsoft invests over a billion dollars annually in cybersecurity research and development, putting world-class protection at the core of Azure. With one of the most extensive portfolios of compliance certifications, Azure is built for organisations where security and regulation aren’t optional such as finance, healthcare, government.
AWS to Azure Migration Challenges
The advantages of Azure may be compelling, but the shift from AWS isn’t without complexity. From architecture differences to workload dependencies, the move brings hurdles that can’t be ignored. Addressing these challenges early means you can plan with confidence, avoid costly surprises, and keep your migration on track. Common challenges we see include:
- Data transfer and compatibility: Moving large volumes of data between clouds can be slow and expensive. Add to that the challenge of database mismatches like transitioning from Amazon RDS to Azure SQL Database, and the effort multiplies.
- Application dependencies and refactoring: Modern applications are rarely standalone. They rely on a web of interconnected services and APIs. Identifying and mapping these dependencies is critical. Some applications may need significant refactoring or re-architecting to function optimally in the Azure environment.
- Security and compliance aps: Security configurations don’t migrate automatically. The Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles in AWS need to be mapped to Azure Active Directory roles and compliance controls revalidated. Without this, you risk exposure and regulatory gaps mid-migration.
- Skill gaps and raining: Your team may be AWS experts, but Azure brings a new playbook, tools, and mindset. Closing that skills gap through training is non-negotiable if you want long-term stability and success.
Migration tools and strategies
You don’t have to tackle this migration manually. There’s a wide ecosystem of tools designed to make the process faster and less disruptive. The real question is: which ones are right for your environment?
- Azure Migrate: Microsoft’s central hub for AWS-to-Azure migrations, giving you discovery, assessment, cost modelling, and replication in one place. It’s a powerful foundation for most cloud-to-cloud moves.
- Specialist tools: Solutions like Zerto, CloudEndure, and UnifyCloud bring additional capabilities for disaster recovery, workload mobility, and deep cost analysis.
Tools alone don’t guarantee success. It’s the strategy behind them that makes the difference. By partnering with an expert MSP like Macquarie Cloud Services, you can cut through the complexity, combining Azure-native capabilities with specialist third-party solutions where needed. This will help your migration run smoother, risk free and help you focus on outcomes rather than obstacles.
AWS to Azure migration checklist: Step-by-Step Guide
A successful migration isn’t luck – it’s planning, strategy, and execution. We’ve seen first-hand that the most successful moves follow a structured path. Here’s a practical framework to keep your migration on track.
1. Assessment and Planning
- Define Your Strategy: Will you rehost (lift-and-shift), refactor, re-architect, or rebuild your applications?
- Discover and Inventory: Use tools like Azure Migrate to capture a complete inventory of your AWS resources, including EC2 instances, S3 buckets, RDS databases, and network configurations.
- Map Dependencies: Identify all application and service dependencies to avoid surprises during migration.
- Build the Business Case: Model your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to understand spend, validate ROI, and set expectations.
- Build the Plan: Create a detailed migration plan with clear timelines, milestones, and responsibilities.
2. Assessment and Planning
- Choose a Method: Select the right data transfer method based on volume and required speed. Options include online transfer over the internet, Azure ExpressRoute for a private connection, or offline transfer using devices like Azure Data Box.
- Migrate Databases: Use services like Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate your databases (e.g., from Amazon RDS to Azure SQL) with minimal downtime.
3. Application Migration
- Pilot Migration: Start with a low-risk, non-critical workload to build confidence and refine your process.
- Group by priority: Migrate applications in waves based on business criticality and interdependencies.
- Use the right tools: Leverage Azure Migrate or third-party tools to automate the replication of virtual machines and servers.
- Refactor Where Necessary: For applications that require modification, allocate development resources to refactor the code to use Azure-native services (e.g., switching from S3 to Azure Blob Storage).
4. Testing and Validation
- Functionality Testing: Once migrated, thoroughly test every application to ensure it functions as expected.
- Performance Testing: Conduct load testing to verify that performance meets or exceeds the pre-migration benchmarks.
- Security Testing: Perform vulnerability scans and penetration tests to ensure the new environment is secure.
5. Optimisation and Monitoring
Migration isn’t the end of the journey.
- Monitor Proactively: Use Azure Monitor and Azure Sentinel to gain deep visibility into the health, performance, and security of your new environment.
- Cost Management: Use Azure Cost Management + Billing to track spending, set budgets, and identify opportunities for optimisation.
- Governance: Implement Azure Policy and Blueprints to enforce organisational standards and ensure your environment remains compliant.
An AWS to Azure migration is a significant undertaking, but with the right strategy and partners, it can deliver powerful results. Done well, it’s an opportunity to modernise infrastructure, enhance security, and unlock cost efficiencies that drive growth.
By recognising the challenges, selecting the right tools, and approaching the process with a clear strategy, organisations can navigate complexity with confidence and set themselves up for long-term success in the cloud.
Hybrid Flexibility. Microsoft Funding. Proven Results.
As an Azure partner, Macquarie Cloud Services brings Microsoft’s Adaptive Cloud vision to life via Macquarie Flex, a hybrid-first platform designed to maximise performance, compliance, and cost efficiency. We help organisations modernise infrastructure, optimise workloads, and simplify the journey from AWS to Azure with zero upfront migration costs.
And because Microsoft has a strong focus on AWS-to-Azure transformation, we work closely with the Microsoft ‘Win Room’ to secure substantial funding for eligible projects. That funding is passed directly to you, helping you modernise with confidence – backed by a team fully invested in your success. In one recent migration, we helped a customer unlock seven-figure Microsoft funding, alongside 30% IaaS savings through Macquarie Flex zero migration costs.
Ready to take the next step?
Whether you’re looking to reduce costs, boost performance, or gain more control over your cloud environment, Macquarie Cloud Services can help you make the move with confidence. Our team of experts provide customised strategies, enterprise-grade support, and proven methodologies to ensure a seamless, secure, and cost-effective transition.
Contact us to start your AWS-to-Azure transformation today.