1.3 PlateSpin Migration Factory

PlateSpin Migration Factory combines PlateSpin Transformation Manager and PlateSpin Migrate Connector with one or more PlateSpin Migrate servers to plan and execute automated migrations for supported source workloads and target platforms. You can also track the status in PTM for manual migrations performed on the Migrate servers.

PlateSpin Migrate Connector integrates activities between PTM and Migrate servers. It load-balances the migration jobs across multiple PlateSpin Migrate servers in the project. Migrate Connector listens for migration events from PTM and delivers them to the appropriate Migrate servers. Migrate Connector listens for migration status events from the various PlateSpin Migrate servers and delivers events only to the appropriate project and workload transformation plans.

For automated migrations, the transformation workflow and schedule determine when migration tasks are executed for each workload. PTM can pause automation to allow a Migration Specialist to manually perform some tasks. Migration Specialists can monitor the workload migration and respond to exceptions, which enables them to handle more migrations in less time.

For manual migrations with tracking, Migrate Connector identifies workloads on Migrate Servers that have also been imported for a project. PTM receives information and displays it in the workload’s transformation plan. Migration Specialists can add notes about the workload migration using the Transformation History. Statistics are rolled up to the dashboard for project monitoring.

Figure 1-1 illustrates the deployment environment for automated PlateSpin migration. See Table 1-1 for a description of how automated migration works in a PlateSpin Migration Factory environment.

Figure 1-1 PlateSpin Migration Factory Environment

Table 1-1 How Automated Migration Works in a PlateSpin Migration Factory Environment

PlateSpin Migration Factory Environment	Description
PlateSpin Transformation Manager Appliance	The Appliance VM hosts the PTM Server and an instance of the Migrate Connector.
PlateSpin Transformation Manager Server (PTM Server)	Your PTM Server supports multitenancy. Projects are isolated from each other. Role-based privileges determine what actions users can perform and the data they can access. Multiple Migrate Connector instances connect with a single PTM Server.
PlateSpin Migrate Connector on the PTM Appliance	The Migrate Connector instance on the Appliance is preconfigured to work with the PTM Server. You can use this instance to discover source workloads in the same network as the PTM Appliance, and track migrations for them. By default, the Connector works with all projects. You can configure it to work with a specific project instead of all projects.
PlateSpin Migrate Connector deployed in other networks	Deploy a Migrate Connector instance on a Linux server in the same network as the source workloads to be migrated. You might choose to deploy multiple Connector instances in the same network if you need to improve performance for handling migrations of large numbers of workloads in that network. Each Connector instance handles migrations for the source workloads it discovers. Migrate Connector is used to discover target VMware vCenter platforms and their resources. If the target vCenter platforms are not in the source network where you have already deployed a Migrate Connector, you must deploy a Migrate Connector instance in the target network.
Transformation projects	A user with Administrator privileges creates organizations and projects, then assigns appropriate users to the Project Manager role for each project. Each project can be served by one or multiple Connector instances. If a Connector supports all projects, it honors the privacy and security of each project’s data.
PlateSpin Transformation Manager Subscriber	Each Connector instance has one PTM Subscriber. The subscriber listens for events pushed from its assigned PTM Server. If the Connector instance is assigned to a specific project, the subscriber forwards events only for its assigned project.
PlateSpin Transformation Manager Poller	Each Connector instance has one PTM Poller. The poller periodically polls its assigned PTM Server to check that it has received all events since the last poll. If the Connector instance is assigned to a specific project, the poller forwards events only for its assigned project.
PlateSpin Migrate Subscriber	Each Connector instance uses a separate Migrate Subscriber for each Migrate server assigned to the Connector. Each subscriber listens for relevant events pushed dynamically from its Migrate server. Relevant events include migration state changes for workloads known to the Connector for its assigned project. Each Migrate server is dedicated to a single Connector instance for a single project.
PlateSpin Migrate Poller	Each Connector instance uses a separate Migrate Poller for each Migrate server assigned to the Connector. Each poller periodically polls its Migrate server to check that it has received all relevant events since the last poll. Each Migrate server is dedicated to a single Connector instance for a single project.
PlateSpin Migrate servers	For a project, you create a Migration Server resource for each PlateSpin Migrate server that you will use to execute workload migrations. You associate each Migration Server resource with a single appropriate Connector instance for a single project. A single Connector can be associated with multiple Migrate servers. When migration jobs begin, the Connector initiates a subscriber and poller for the specified Migrate server and starts listening and polling for migration state events. For automated migrations, you can manually assign a specific Migration Server resource to a source workload, or you can allow the Connector to automatically assign a Migration Server resource. Auto-assignment ensures that workload migrations are load-balanced across all of the assigned Migrate servers. After you submit a workload, the migration workflow progresses according to the workload’s transformation plan through its assigned Migrate server.
Source workloads	For a project, you provide minimal connection information and logon credentials for the source workloads that you plan to migrate. An automated discovery process adds the details, or inventory, for each workload. Each workload’s transformation plan defines the proposed workload, target workload, and target platform. You organize the workload migrations into waves and batches, and schedule them according to your business needs.
Target platforms in different sites	In this example, you plan to migrate workloads to multiple sites in the same or different network. Workloads in a batch might have the same destination site. The Migration Specialist at each site manages the migrations to the site.
Multiple target platforms in the same site	In this example, you plan to migrate workloads to different VMware clusters in a data center.
Target platforms in the cloud	In this example, you plan to migrate workloads to the Microsoft Azure Cloud. You can migrate workloads to your accounts in the Azure Global Cloud or Azure sovereign clouds, such as Azure China, Azure Germany, and Azure U.S. Government.
Migrate Connector heartbeat	A lost connection to a Connector can impact discovery, automated migration, and migration tracking. Each Connector instance sends a heartbeat regularly to the PTM Server. PTM Server monitors the health of the connection and reports the status in a Connectors list for PTM Server users with Administrator privileges.
Source workload discovery	When you import source workloads to a project, a Connector instance in the source network connects to the workload, discovers details about it, and returns the information to the project. The Connector instance that discovers the source workload is responsible later for executing automated migration and tracking migration events for that workload.