AWS Migration & Transfer Services

📋 AWS Application Discovery Service

Simple Real-World Example:

🏦 Trading Platform Migration
Problem: Bank with 500+ servers, unknown dependencies
Solution: Deployed ADS agents to discover infrastructure
Discovery: Trading system connected to 15 databases + 8 middleware
Result: Proper migration sequence, 40% cost savings identified
Timeline: 1 month assessment vs 6 months manual work

Integration Pattern:

ADS → Migration Hub → Cost Explorer → MGN/DMS

🚛 AWS Application Migration Service (MGN)

Simple Real-World Example:

🛒 E-commerce Platform Migration
Challenge: 200 VMs, Black Friday traffic, 99.95% uptime SLA
Process: Install agents → Continuous replication → Test → Cutover
Results: 
• 12 weeks total (vs 6 months traditional)
• 99.97% uptime achieved
• 40% cost reduction
• Zero data loss

Remember: MGN = Minimal downtime, Great testing, No modernization

💾 AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

Simple Real-World Example:

🏪 Retail Inventory Migration: Oracle → PostgreSQL
Challenge: 2TB database, 150 stores, zero downtime
Process: Schema conversion → DMS setup → Continuous replication → Cutover
Results:
• 45 minutes downtime (vs 3 hours planned)
• 62% cost reduction
• 15% performance improvement
• All 150 stores operational

🔧 AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)

Simple Conversion Example:

🏭 ERP Migration: SQL Server → PostgreSQL
Analysis: 500 tables, 150 procedures, 25 years of logic
SCT Results:
• 85% automatic conversion
• 15% manual review needed
• 5 weeks vs 6 months manual work
• $180K/year licensing savings

⚡ AWS DataSync

Simple Transfer Example:

🎬 Media Company: 50TB Video Library
Challenge: Transfer video content to AWS for global CDN
Process: Deploy agent → Configure transfer → Monitor progress
Results:
• 6 days vs 4 weeks traditional
• 83% cost reduction ($5,200 vs $31,000)
• Automated daily uploads (500GB/day)
• Global content delivery enabled

Decision Matrix:

📦 AWS Snow Family

Simple Transfer Example:

🧬 Genomics Lab: 200TB Research Data
Challenge: 15 years of DNA data, 2-month deadline, 100 Mbps connection
Solution: 3 × Snowball Edge devices
Process: Order → Load data → Ship → AWS import
Results:
• 8 weeks vs 8+ months network transfer
• $14,200 vs $85,000 traditional approach
• 83% cost reduction
• Zero research downtime

📁 AWS Transfer Family

Simple B2B Example:

🏦 Bank Partner File Exchange
Challenge: 200+ partner banks, 50,000 daily files, legacy SFTP servers
Solution: Transfer Family managed SFTP endpoints
Process: Configure endpoints → Migrate partners → Automate processing
Results:
• 93% cost reduction ($7,410 vs $100,000/month)
• 3x faster file transfers
• Partner onboarding: 5 days vs 30 days
• 24/7 automated operations

🎯 Service Selection Guide

📚 Summary Section

Key Migration Journey:

1. 📋 ASSESS: Use Application Discovery Service to understand current state
2. 🔄 CONVERT: Use Schema Conversion Tool for database schema changes
3. 🚛 MIGRATE: Use MGN for applications, DMS for databases
4. 📦 TRANSFER: Use DataSync for ongoing files, Snow for massive datasets
5. 🔗 INTEGRATE: Use Transfer Family for partner file exchanges

Critical Success Factors:

• Always assess before migrating - Don’t go in blind
• Test everything - Use MGN’s testing capabilities
• Plan for ongoing operations - Migration is just the beginning
• Choose the right tool for data size - Online vs offline transfer decisions
• Consider total cost - Not just migration, but ongoing operations

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

• ❌ Not testing network bandwidth before choosing online transfer
• ❌ Ignoring application dependencies discovered by ADS
• ❌ Forgetting about ongoing file transfer needs after migration
• ❌ Underestimating schema conversion complexity
• ❌ Not planning for post-migration optimization

Quick Reference Decision Tree:

What are you doing?
├── Don't know what you have → Application Discovery Service
├── Moving applications → Application Migration Service (MGN)
├── Moving databases → DMS + Schema Conversion Tool
├── Moving large files → DataSync (online) or Snow (offline) 
└── Ongoing file transfers → Transfer Family

Memory Aids:

• ADS = Assess Dependencies Systems
• MGN = Minimal downtime, Great testing, No modernization
• DMS = Database Migration Safely
• SCT = Schema Conversion Tool
• Snow = Send Now, Online Won’t work
• Transfer Family = Traditional File Transfer, Fully managed

🔗 Essential Resources for Further Study

Documentation Links:

• Application Discovery Service Guide
• Application Migration Service Guide
• Database Migration Service Guide
• DataSync User Guide
• Snow Family Guide
• Transfer Family Guide

Best Practices:

• AWS Migration Hub
• Well-Architected Migration Lens
• Migration Readiness Assessment

Study Tip: Review the Summary Section regularly and use the memory aids to reinforce learning. Practice with the Decision Tree until service selection becomes automatic.