Embrace the unknown and

reap the benefits of migrating

SQL Server to Azure
Change can be a scary thing. It can be especially daunting if you are moving
into unknown territory and don’t have a clear understanding of what lies
ahead. This is a common fear and one that can prevent businesses and
staff from making the best decision for their organisation.

Migrating SQL Server to Azure is one such case. Azure is a platform that
has evolved quickly since its release and as such, many solution architects
and database administrators are yet to fully understand the capability and
benefits of Azure. This lack of insight means that the concept of
migrating SQL Server to Azure has gained a somewhat mythical
reputation as being very difficult. The result of this is that migration
plans end up in the too hard basket.

However, when driven by subject matter experts, a migration is not

complicated. It should not create more work or affect business as usual.
In actual fact, migrating your SQL Server to Azure will benefit your
business thanks to the advanced capabilities and intelligence of the
platform.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be hard to identify the good subject

matter experts from the bad. To avoid making the wrong decision, it
is important to have a general understanding of the migration process.

Incorrectly configured migration plans can also result in bill shock. Yet
again, this can be avoided by ensuring you have the right partner on your
side. Migration plans should go beyond the initial ‘Lift and Shift’ and have
the ability to scale up and down as needed.

This eBook provides an overview of the stages of migration and why

they are important. It also highlights the benefits of migrating your SQL
Server to Azure.

Published February 2020

Migrating SQL Server to Azure

WHERE TO START

There is no ‘start here’ when it comes to a migration, as every business will be in

a different stage of migration maturity. However, the steps to progress are all the
same regardless of the work undertaken to date.

Step 1: Assess your inhouse capabilities and identify a partner with the skills and
experience needed to drive the migration.

Step 2: Work with your partner to plan out all the phases of the migration. Have
you migrated any workloads already? Will you move all workloads in one go (not
often recommended) or will you stagger the approach to allow for a smoother
transition?

Step 3: Work through the six ‘R’s of migration to identify which workloads should
be retired, retained, re-hosted, re-platformed, re-purchased or re-formatted.
Note the details of the workloads and outline which will be transferred first and
which might wait for a second phase of migration.

Step 4: Set up your core Azure services (authentication, networking, security,

monitoring) in advance. It may sound obvious, but this is a commonly missed
step and one that can result in major headaches if not done correctly at the right
time.

Step 5: Create a roadmap outlining all your planned activity and stages of
migration to ensure you stay on track. The roadmap will also provide a clear
timeline of the project.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A STAGGERED APPROACH

Whilst all the above steps are key to a successful migration, Step 2 is particularly
significant when it comes to change management and adoption. In a nutshell,
adoption and success will be far greater if you stagger the migration.

A good partner will recommend moving small, non-business critical workloads

like development or test databases first. The purpose of this is to demonstrate
the process and eliminate any residual migration fears amongst business leaders.

In addition to providing proof of a sound migration plan, a staggered approach

and small start allows staff to continue with business as usual. The migration
should not impact their ability to deliver core business.

Once testing is complete and small workloads have been migrated you can then
begin to move more critical workloads and applications.
Migrating SQL Server to Azure

By staggering the approach, it allows for staff to develop an understanding of

Azure and avoids IT operations from being overwhelming which can hinder
productivity and lead to bad adoption rates. Additionally, by taking small steps,
staff become more self-sufficient and require less training throughout the
migration process.

The benefits of migrating SQL Server to Azure

OPERATIONAL EXPENSES MINIMISE OPERATIONAL

VERSUS CAPITAL EXPENSES REQUIREMENTS WITH
INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS

NO NEED TO PAY FOR EASIER TO SCALE UP

INFRASTRUCTURE AND DOWN AS BUSINESS
REQUIRES IT

INCREASE SERVICES
AVAILABLE
Migrating SQL Server to Azure

Spinal Life Australia exceed HOW LONG DOES A MIGRATION TAKE?

business continuity expectation in
their transition to Cloud Every migration timeline will vary depending on the scope of the project in
question. Factors affecting the timeline can include the size and complexity of an
Spinal Life Australia, one of Queensland’s organisation, the incumbent technology, any migration work done to date and
leading providers of support services for the amount of re-development or remediation that needs to be done.
people with spinal cord damage, needed to
update IT infrastructure before the NDIS WARDY IT Solutions have assisted with hundreds of migration projects. In many
Queensland rollout. cases the timeline has been a matter of weeks whilst at the other end of the
spectrum, there have been projects that have taken months.
WARDY IT Solutions were contracted to
manage the migration from SQL Server 2008 Identifying a timeline is key to managing expectation and providing a realistic
to SQL Server 2014 in the Cloud, as part of the plan. Working with an experienced partner who understands the requirements
wider project of moving to an Infrastructure- of your business will allow you to have a good understanding of the migration
as-a-service (IaaS) environment. WARDY IT timeframe.
Solutions installed and configured the new
servers in two separate data centres before The early stages of a migration journey are generally the shortest. For example,
rolling out their award winning Virtual DBA assessing what needs to be done and providing a roadmap and architecture
service. should take a couple of weeks. Standing up Azure services can be done in a
matter of hours.
The migration project delivered an improved
user experience for staff, regardless It is when it comes to the build phase that timelines have the greatest variance.
of location, providing efficiency and Migration phase timings can take several months depending on scope.
productivity gains across the organisation.
With a migration timeframe, the most important element is planning. By mapping
The project also presented new economies
out your approach and the work required you will be able to estimate how long
of scale for Spinal Life Australia.
each phase will take and create a reliable timeline.

READ THE FULL CASE STUDY NOW

 SQL Server licensing in review

About WARDY IT Solutions WHY PARTNER WITH WARDY IT SOLUTIONS?

• 65 employees Identifying an experienced partner can be hard, but it is important to find

someone who understands Azure and the benefits for SQL Server. WARDY
• Information Technology
IT Solutions have been assisting businesses to migrate their SQL Server
• Australia & USA for years. In 2019, WARDY IT Solutions supported dozens of organisations
• www.wardyit.com with their migrations.

Before the launch of Azure, WARDY IT Solutions assisted thousands of

businesses migrate between different physical and virtual on-
premises SQL Server. With the evolution of Cloud technology, this
WARDY IT Solutions was founded in 2004 process has changed.
by Microsoft Valued Professional (MVP),
Peter Ward. Today, WARDY IT Solutions is Understanding Azure and the benefits it offers for SQL Server is our core
recognised as Australia’s leading provider business. It is a subject area we work on daily and is anything but unknown
of Microsoft Data Platform consultants, territory.
trainers and Data Analytics specialists. We are experienced and trusted. SQL Server migrations require a variety
of specialised skills and multiple resources. We have specialists across
all required skill sets and disciplines who we call on as needed for each
migration.
Our clients benefit from our deep
knowledge in this area and provide support
across a range of services including.

• Licensing reviews – assistance with

understanding and navigating CONTACT WARDY IT SOLUTIONS AND START YOUR
MIGRATION TODAY
• Migrating SQL Server – so it
is seamless and stress-free If you would like to understand how a migration would work for
your organisation and how you can benefit from transferring your SQL
• Performance optimisation – to Server to Azure, contact WARDY IT Solutions today.
ensure you are getting the very
best out of your platforms

• SQL Server Database Healthcheck

– so you know what you need

• Cost clarity and control – to eliminate

surprises and provide predictability

• Accelerate your journey to Azure

– in a supported, timely way

• Virtual DBA CONTACT ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL

• Data Platform Services 1300 927 394 164 Wharf Street PH: +61 7 3054 5300 Facebook
• Data Analytics Services [email protected] Spring Hill UK: 0-800-098-8432 Twitter
• Training www.wardyit.com QLD 4000 US: 1-800-290-6831 LinkedIn