8.3 Planning for Migrating Workloads to Amazon Web Services

Target AWS Cloud

• Supports the following targets platforms:

  • AWS China

  • AWS Global

  • AWS Government

AWS Subscription

• PlateSpin supports only Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).

PlateSpin Server Host

• Ensure that the PlateSpin Server host displays the correct time for the time zone it is in. If the time on the PlateSpin Server host is incorrect, the cutover process fails with a 403 forbidden access error.

OS License for Target Workload

• You select the OS licensing model on the target workload when you configure migration for the workload. See License Type.

• For cutover of workloads to AWS, PlateSpin Migrate selects an AMI based on the target workload OS licensing model that you configure in the migration job. See Section 8.7, Understanding PlateSpin AMIs Used for Replication and Cutover of Workloads.

Target Workload

Consider the following guidelines before you use the PlateSpin Migrate Web Interface to migrate workloads to AWS:

• Migrate Web Interface

  You can use only the PlateSpin Migrate Web Interface to migrate the workloads to AWS. The PlateSpin Migrate Client does not support migration of workloads to AWS.

• UEFI Source Workloads

  Windows and Linux UEFI workloads are migrated as BIOS workloads.

• Multiple NICs

  Migration of workloads with multiple NICs to AWS is supported for Windows workloads up to the number of NICs supported by the AWS Instance size.

  NOTE:When you configure migration for a workload, PlateSpin Migrate lets you specify four IP addresses per NIC on the Windows workload by default. However, you can configure the number of IP addresses that you want to specify per NIC on the workload. See Section 5.7, Configuring Multiple IP Addresses for the Network Interface on Windows Workloads.

• Maximum Number of Data Disks

  PlateSpin Migrate supports AWS target instances with up to 26 disks (EBS volumes) for Windows and 40 disks (EBS volumes) for Linux with each disk not exceeding 15 file system volumes.

• Disk Size on the Target VM

  The size of the disk created on the AWS instance is the size of the source disk partition plus about 1 GB.

• About AWS Instance Types and Sizes

  • Migrate recommends an AWS instance size that meets or exceeds the source workload's settings for cores, memory, volumes, and NICs. However, you can choose a smaller or larger instance size based on your requirements for the target workload, as limited by the maximum instance sizes available in the AWS region.

  • Migrate neither discovers or migrates ephemeral disks.

  • Migrate supports AWS instance types based on x86 and x86_64 processor architectures.

  • AWS requires a minimum of Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 for migration of Windows workloads to Nitro System based VM instances. To use Nitro System based instances, ensure that .NET 4.5 Framework or later is installed on the source Windows workload prior to Migrate discovery.

  • Migration of Windows Domain Controller servers to AWS requires Nitro System based instance types such as c5, m5, r5, t3, c5d, m5d, and z1d. Ensure that you select a Nitro System based instance when you configure the migration.

    NOTE:Nitro System based Instance types support Windows Server 2008 R2 and later. Therefore, migration of Windows Domain Controller servers to AWS is supported only for Windows Server 2008 R2 and later.

  • For each release, PlateSpin Migrate adds support for new cloud instances and instance families that AWS has released up to a stipulated date prior to the PlateSpin Migrate release. After that date, any new AWS instances are not available by default in the Cloud Instance Size list. You can add definitions to the PlateSpin Server for new AWS Nitro Based instances and instance families to make the instances available in the AWS Cloud Instance Sizes list. See Recent AWS Nitro System Based Cloud Instance Sizes Are Not Available for Selection.