MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZURE
MI G R ATIN G ENTERPRISEAPPLIC ATI O NS TO MICROSO F TA ZUREK EN T K I N G ERY
TAB LE O F CO NTENT SINTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3What Is an “Enterprise Application”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3An Example Application Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3THE MIGRATION APPROACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Phase 1: Assess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Phase 2: Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Phase 3: Prepare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Phase 4: Migrate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8CONCLUSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9ABOUT RACKSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102WHITE PAPER :: MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZURE
INTRODUCTIONMigrating applications is a subject that can strike fear into theheart of even the most seasoned IT professional. Stories of poorlyexecuted migrations abound, and they often cost businesses dearlyin terms of time and money. As organizations consider migratingapplications out of their own data centers and into the cloud, thelevel of anxiety can grow exponentially.GlobalCo is a typical Microsoft-based shop, using Internet Information Services (IIS) for the web front end and application servers, SQL Server fordatabase management, Active Directory for identity management, and Exchange for email. GlobalCo also uses two Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)providers for credit management and logistics. The entire environment is housed in GlobalCo’s on-premises data center in Minneapolis.We’ll use the following depiction to frame our discussion of migration scenarios.However, moving an enterprise application to the cloud doesn’thave to be a nerve-wracking experience. By following some simpleguidelines, you can easily determine the best strategy for migratingyour applications and taking maximum advantage of the cloud.This white paper examines the most common application migrationissues and offers guidance on how to manage them.CREDIT SERVICES(SaaS)PUBLIC INTERNETLOGISTICS(SaaS)WEB FARMWHAT IS AN “ENTERPRISE APPLICATION”?You’ve probably heard the ancient Indian parable about the blindmen and the elephant. Each man touches a different part of theelephant and finds that he disagrees with the others about itsidentity. Something similar can happen when organizations tryto define an “enterprise” application. Quite often, the factor thatdetermines whether an application is considered enterprise-classis simply size or perceived complexity. Factors such as scalability,business criticality, data management and security can also influencethe decision.For the purposes of this white paper, we’ll assume that an enterpriseapplication is an application of sufficient complexity and value toa business that if it becomes unavailable for an extended period oftime, the business will suffer operationally, and potentially financially.AN EX AMPLE APPLICATION LANDSCAPEThe following diagram represents a traditional multi-layerarchitecture for a series of enterprise applications. GlobalCo has builtout its enterprise application architecture over a period of years andhas a stable environment in which to deploy its systems.3WHITE PAPER :: MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZUREAPPLICATION SERVERSCMS & MEDIASUPPORTDATABASE &FILE SERVICESDIRECTORYSERVICES
THE MIGRATION APPROACHAlmost every enterprise application has unique attributes thatrequire special attention. Many variables are involved, from specialdata handling requirements to rules about security and compliance.However, most migration scenarios can be addressed by following asimple four-phase approach*:ASSESSPLANPREPAREMIGRATELet’s examine each of these phases.PHASE 1: ASSESSThere are a wide variety of methodologies for assessing anapplication’s current state. There are fewer for assessing theapplication’s cloud readiness. Although some automated tools exist,including Microsoft’s own Azure App Service Migration Assistant(see the Resources section at the end of this paper), every approachinvolves examining the application components for feasibilityand suitability.While the hardware you are using in an on-premises or colocationenvironment may not matter much in the cloud, you might beutilizing a specific operating system version that is required for yourapplication but not supported in the cloud. An example of such alimitation is Microsoft Windows Server 2003, which is not supportedon virtual machines in Azure.Another platform consideration is the application server technologybeing used. While many Microsoft-based enterprises (like GlobalCo)use IIS as the application server of choice, more and moreorganizations are employing other technologies, such as Node.js andNGINX. This diversity of technology presents even more variables toconsider during the assessment process.The main objective of assessing the platform is to understand thefunctionality being provided and the requirements it meets.DATAAlthough there are many non-technical characteristics to considerduring an application assessment, we will focus primarily on fourattributes: operating platform, data, connectivity, and securityand compliance.Very few applications exist without managing some sort of data.Large corporate data stores have traditionally been housed inrelational database management systems (RDBMS), such asMicrosoft SQL Server, Oracle and IBM’s DB2. However, enterprisesincreasingly use NoSQL data storage systems, such as Redis andMongoDB, to take advantage of more document-based storage. Thisis especially true in environments that are experiencing a mismatchbetween entity representation in the application and storage of thatentity in the persistence layer.PL ATFORMCONNECTIVIT YAn application’s operating platform is a collection of the varioustechnologies required to execute the application. Hardware,operating systems, application server subsystems and the actualcode for the application all combine to create the platform. And asyou consider moving an application to the cloud, the technologiesyou are using may limit your ability to migrate efficiently.It’s a given that no server exists as an island. The simple fact is thatusers (and other servers) need to gain access to resources across theenvironment. This means that connectivity planning is a must, evenin the simplest of application landscapes.This approach does not address the portfolio analysis required to determine which applications to move. For more insightinto this topic, see our white paper “Seven Steps to Get Started With Microsoft Azure.”*4For example, lack of adequate bandwidth can be a major concern,especially if you’re considering a hybrid scenario where applicationsare in the cloud but data is kept on-premises or in a private cloudenvironment. Depending on how much information you’re movingWHITE PAPER :: MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZUREbetween on-premises and cloud, you may need to budget forincreased bandwidth.Inconsistent network performance can hamper users’ ability toconnect to applications or prevent applications themselves fromaccessing critical data stores or identity systems. Network issues thatmight not adversely affect users who are only emailing or accessingthe web might prove disastrous for business application stabilityand continuity.Because of the dependence on external network connectivity inmany cloud scenarios, ensuring that your network provider hasadequate service level agreements (SLAs) in place is a critical part ofany cloud migration strategy.SECURIT Y AND COMPLIANCEMany organizations still believe the cloud is inherently insecure. Thisperception persists despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.The major cloud providers devote more resources to securing theirdata centers and infrastructure than many organizations combined,and they can often attract and retain staff with greater expertise.Given the number of high-profile data breaches in corporate datacenters, it should be obvious that cloud security is not a functionof control of the data itself. Rather, safeguards like identitymanagement, access control and managed security offerings are thekey to securing cloud environments.However, it is possible that poorly designed and implementedapplications that are less vulnerable behind a corporate firewallare more prone to compromise in the public cloud. This is a keyreason that security assessment of the application itself is critical tocloud success.Where compliance is concerned, the issues are potentially greater.It is entirely possible that moving your enterprise application to thecloud will hamper or prevent compliance with standards such as SOX,HIPAA or PCI. For example, while Microsoft’s Azure environmentis in compliance with PCI-DSS v3.1, it’s entirely possible that your
company’s policies and procedures are not adequate to protect datain a public cloud environment.shift move may be even easier.As with security, consistent and continual risk assessment is criticalto operating in the public cloud with a high degree of security andcompliance capability. For more information regarding Azure’ssecurity and compliance posture, visit the Microsoft Trust Centerlisted in the Resources section.CREDIT SERVICES(SaaS)PUBLIC INTERNETMICROSOFTAZURELOGISTICS(SaaS)PHASE 2: PLANThe effectiveness of an application migration plan depends heavilyon the quality of the application assessment. If the assessment isperformed with reasonable depth and attention, planning should bea fairly straightforward task. That’s not to say that planning will besimple or quick — often, migration planning for the public cloud cantake much longer than the assessment itself.WEB FARMWhen planning for application migration, there are three distinctoptions to consider, and each has numerous permutations influencedby a wide range of factors. The three options are: lift and shift,application evolution (partial refactor), and application rearchitecting(complete refactor).APPLICATION SERVERSCMS & MEDIADATABASE & FILE SERVICESDIRECTORYSERVICESSUPPORTLIFT AND SHIFTThe term “lift and shift” refers to duplicating the existing onpremises environment as precisely as possible in the public cloud. Inour example environment above, this would mean creating a onefor-one version of each server and a duplicate network layout.Assuming that each of the servers shown in our diagram is a physicalmachine, a one-for-one migration might include: Designing the same networking environment (including IP ranges,subnets, security controls, etc.) Creating virtual machine (VM) images from each server Enabling connectivity to and from the various VMs in a manneralmost identical to the physical environmentIf the servers are already virtualized on-premises, then the lift and5As shown in the diagram, not much has changed in the environment’s overall design. In actual implementation, the firewalls are replacedby Azure network security groups (NSGs) within the virtual network. But this is a one-for-one, server-to-VM scenario that minimizesWHITE PAPER :: MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZURE
application code changes and presents a familiar, albeit remote,operating environment.CREDIT SERVICES(SaaS)PUBLIC INTERNETAPPLICATION EVOLUTIONEvolving an application to the cloud involves identifying applicationareas that can be refactored easily to use cloud capabilities andtechnologies. In our example application, this might mean movingdatabases from Microsoft SQL Server to Azure SQL Database,the Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) offering within the Azureenvironment. It might also mean moving email to Office 365 oridentity management to Azure Active Directory.MICROSOFTAZURELOGISTICS(SaaS)WEB FARMThis evolutionary method allows for a phased approach to adoptingnew cloud technologies, without the overhead of a completerevolution in the application architecture.We’ve replaced some of the VMs with Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)components. Most notably, we’re now using Azure SQL Database,Azure Cache and Azure Blob Storage for database and file services.We’re also using Azure Active Directory to handle the identitymanagement functions and Office 365 to replace our Exchangeservers (while providing significantly more enablement features).We’re still running our applications on IIS in VMs, but we will need todo some minor configuration changes to point the applications atthe new database and file service locations. In the unlikely event thatGlobalCo is using features of SQL Server that do not exist in AzureSQL Database, we may need to retain the SQL Server VMs for aperiod of time.APPLICATION REARCHITECTINGTo take full advantage of the public cloud, applications often must becompletely rearchitected. While this can be a complex undertaking,the long-term gains usually far outweigh the short-term pains. Andpublic cloud capabilities have matured to the point where completelyrefactoring an application to be “cloud-first” is not quite thechallenge it used to be.6WHITE PAPER :: MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZUREAPPLICATION SERVERSCMS & MEDIASUPPORTDATABASE & FILE SERVICESAZURE ICESAZUREACTIVEDIRECTORY
In Microsoft Azure, the availability of the Azure Service Fabricand Azure Functions for creating micro-service architectures is acompelling argument for refactoring. Coupled with Azure ContainerService and features such as App Services, the Azure landscape haschanged dramatically in terms of its ability to support the creation offorward-looking application architectures.CREDIT SERVICES(SaaS)PUBLIC INTERNETMICROSOFTAZURELOGISTICS(SaaS)Now we’ve replaced our application server VMs with Azure Functionsto take advantage of the power of “serverless computing.” We’realso using Azure Web Apps as the front end, which provides somesignificant advantages for deployment, testing, etc. And finally, we’reusing the Azure Content Delivery Network to replace our older mediaservers.We’re still using a VM for our CMS since we’ve highly customizedit, and we still have some VMs for support functions such asmanagement tooling. But overall, we’ve made significant stridesin improving our cloud environment, and we’ve gained some realbenefits along the way.PROS AND CONSThere are obviously pros and cons to these approaches. In aDecember 2015 article in The Doppler (see the Resources sectionbelow), author and cloud expert David Linthicum presents a tablesummarizing the pros and cons of these three paths to the cloud:PROSLIFT-AND-SHIFT7 Minimal work required tomove application Faster migration anddeploymentCONS Typically does not takeadvantage of nativefeatures of the cloudplatform May cost more to operatein a cloudPARTIAL REFACTOR Only parts of theapplication are modified Faster migration anddeployment than completerefactoring Only takes advantage ofsome features of the cloud May cost more to operatein a cloudCOMPLETE REFACTOR Applications typically offerhigher performance Applications can beoptimized to operate atlower costs Much higher cost sincemuch of the applicationmust change Slower time to deploymentWHITE PAPER :: MIGRATING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS TO MICROSOFT AZUREWEB FARMAPPLICATION SERVERSCMS & NDATABASE & FILE SERVICESAZURE TORYSERVICESAZUREACTIVEDIRECTORY
A Note on Organizational Readiness*: Although the subject oforganizational readiness for the cloud is beyond the scope of thiswhite paper, it bears mentioning because a lack of readiness canspell certain disaster for any migration effort. Moving an applicationto the cloud without adequate people and processes in place tomanage it is both risky and unwise.PHASE 3: PREPAREPreparation for migrating an application to Azure involves two keytasks: proof of concept and pilot.PROOF OF CONCEPTAll too often, organizations assume that everything they have heardand read about the cloud is 100% accurate and applicable to theirsituation. Proof of concept (POC) is a targeted, low-risk method forensuring that the selected migration approach (one of the threeoptions previously discussed) is appropriate for the application beingmoved. Conducting a POC can provide valuable lessons that mayreduce complexity and save time and money.The key to an effective POC is having a solid consensus amongstakeholders about what is being proven. An example might beproving the connectivity between Azure regions and the home officeif resources are to be shared across network connectivity (in the caseof a hybrid application). Or you may be interested in understandingand estimating application performance by moving a portion of anapplication workload into Azure to test a subsystem’s operationalcharacteristics using various tiers of service.If the POC adequately confirms the application’s ability to operate inthe cloud, you can move to the next stage of preparation.may not necessarily be a performance indicator, because cost ortime constraints may not allow the entire application environment tobe replicated. In our example, this might mean a single web server,a single application server and a single database instance, and noexternal connectivity to SaaS applications. The goal is to have endusers interact with the application to determine usage characteristicsand identify any potential barriers to success.A pilot is usually more complicated and time-consuming than a POC,since it involves operating the application as intended. Activitieslike setting up proper test data and creating cloud identities play arole in ensuring a successful pilot. And as with a POC, it’s critical todetermine the success factors prior to pursuing the pilot.PHASE 4: MIGRATEDuring this phase, the migration is undertaken. If the preparationin the previous phase was adequate, you will likely have developedautomation capabilities (tools, templates and processes) that easethe actual work of migrating the application.Microsoft Azure offers Azure Resource Template technology, whichallows you to define your infrastructure and services in a reusableformat that can be deployed and redeployed at will. This type ofautomation (and many others) provides a consistent, repeatablemeans of creating environments within the cloud.As mentioned, Microsoft offers automation tools to simplify themigration, but numerous providers offer migration services tocompletely manage the process using expertise and tools developedover numerous migration projects with customers. RackspaceProfessional Services offers such capabilities, along with assessmentand readiness offerings.PILOTA pilot ge
databases from Microsoft SQL Server to Azure SQL Database, the Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) offering within the Azure environment. It might also mean moving email to Office 365 or identity management to Azure Active Directory. This evolutionary method allows for a phased approach to adopting
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