Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) serves as a foundational service for workload migrations in AWS, providing scalable virtual computing capacity that enables organizations to lift-and-shift existing applications to the cloud efficiently.
For migration scenarios, EC2 offers several key advantages.ā¦Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) serves as a foundational service for workload migrations in AWS, providing scalable virtual computing capacity that enables organizations to lift-and-shift existing applications to the cloud efficiently.
For migration scenarios, EC2 offers several key advantages. First, it supports a wide variety of instance types optimized for different workloads, including compute-intensive, memory-intensive, and storage-intensive applications. This flexibility allows architects to match on-premises server configurations closely, minimizing application changes during migration.
EC2 integrates seamlessly with AWS Migration Hub and AWS Application Migration Service (MGN), which automate the replication of source servers to EC2 instances. MGN performs continuous block-level replication, ensuring minimal cutover windows and reducing business disruption during migrations.
When planning EC2-based migrations, architects should consider instance family selection based on workload requirements, placement groups for high-performance computing needs, and dedicated hosts or instances for licensing compliance. EC2 supports both Windows and Linux operating systems, accommodating diverse enterprise environments.
For modernization efforts, EC2 provides a stepping stone approach. Organizations can initially migrate using a lift-and-shift strategy, then gradually optimize by right-sizing instances, implementing auto-scaling groups, and leveraging spot instances for cost optimization. This phased approach reduces risk while enabling continuous improvement.
EC2 also supports hybrid architectures through integration with AWS Outposts and VMware Cloud on AWS, allowing organizations to maintain consistent infrastructure management across on-premises and cloud environments during extended migration periods.
Key considerations include networking configuration through VPC placement, security group definitions, IAM role assignments for instance permissions, and storage options including EBS volumes and instance store. Architects should also plan for high availability by distributing instances across multiple Availability Zones and implementing Elastic Load Balancing for traffic distribution.
EC2 remains central to migration strategies, offering the flexibility and compatibility needed for successful cloud transitions.
Amazon EC2 Migrations - AWS Solutions Architect Professional Guide
Why Amazon EC2 Migrations Are Important
Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) serves as a foundational service for workload migration strategies in AWS. Understanding EC2 migrations is critical because most organizations begin their cloud journey by lifting and shifting existing workloads to EC2 instances. This approach minimizes initial refactoring while providing immediate benefits such as elasticity, cost optimization, and global reach. For Solutions Architects, mastering EC2 migration patterns is essential for designing resilient, cost-effective migration strategies.
What Are Amazon EC2 Migrations?
Amazon EC2 migrations involve moving virtual machines, physical servers, or workloads from on-premises data centers or other cloud environments to EC2 instances. This encompasses several migration strategies:
- Rehosting (Lift and Shift): Moving applications to EC2 with minimal changes - Replatforming: Making minor optimizations during migration - VM Import/Export: Converting existing virtual machine images to Amazon Machine Images (AMIs)
How EC2 Migrations Work
AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) AWS MGN is the primary service for lift-and-shift migrations. It works by: 1. Installing a replication agent on source servers 2. Continuously replicating data to AWS staging area 3. Performing non-disruptive testing 4. Executing cutover with minimal downtime
VM Import/Export This feature allows you to import virtual machine images from your existing environment and convert them to EC2 AMIs. Supported formats include VMDK, VHD, and OVA.
AWS Server Migration Service (SMS) - Legacy Note that SMS has been superseded by AWS MGN but may still appear in exam scenarios involving legacy migrations.
Key Migration Components
- Replication Agent: Installed on source servers for continuous block-level replication - Staging Area: Lightweight EC2 instances and EBS volumes holding replicated data - Launch Templates: Define target EC2 instance configurations - Cutover: Final migration step where production traffic switches to AWS
Migration Best Practices
1. Right-sizing: Analyze source workloads to select appropriate EC2 instance types 2. Network Planning: Establish VPN or AWS Direct Connect before migration 3. Testing: Conduct multiple test migrations before production cutover 4. Security Groups: Pre-configure security groups matching on-premises firewall rules 5. Licensing: Consider BYOL (Bring Your Own License) versus license-included options
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Amazon EC2 for Migrations
Tip 1: Know When to Use AWS MGN vs Other Services AWS MGN is the recommended choice for lift-and-shift migrations. If a question mentions continuous replication, minimal downtime, or large-scale server migrations, AWS MGN is likely the answer.
Tip 2: Understand Cutover Windows Questions about minimizing downtime during migration typically point toward AWS MGN with its continuous replication capability, allowing for cutover windows measured in minutes rather than hours.
Tip 3: Recognize VM Import Scenarios When questions mention converting existing VMware, Hyper-V, or other hypervisor images to AMIs, VM Import/Export is the appropriate solution.
Tip 4: Consider Hybrid Scenarios Many exam questions involve hybrid architectures. Look for answers that combine EC2 migrations with services like AWS Direct Connect for network connectivity or AWS DataSync for data transfer.
Tip 5: Watch for Cost Optimization Hints If questions emphasize cost efficiency during migration, consider answers involving right-sizing analysis, Reserved Instances for post-migration steady-state, or Spot Instances for testing phases.
Tip 6: Remember the Migration Phases Exam scenarios often test knowledge of the migration lifecycle: Discovery, Planning, Migration, and Optimization. Match solutions to the appropriate phase.
Tip 7: Database Migrations Are Different If a question involves database workloads, AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is typically preferred over EC2 migration tools, even when the target might be a database on EC2.
Tip 8: Licensing Considerations Questions mentioning Windows Server, SQL Server, or other licensed software should trigger consideration of Dedicated Hosts or Dedicated Instances for license compliance.