If you like to test the new features of Windows 10 and give feedback to the Microsoft product team, then the Windows Insiders Program is the place to Join. Here you can become a Windows Insider
I’m a Windows Insider since 2014 and a Windows Insider MVP since July 2019 and I love the collaboration with the Community and with the Microsoft Product Team to make a better product like Windows 10 together.
On my windows Insiders Build version 19613, I like to have my tools and Apps installed like :
I’m in the Microsoft Windows Insiders FAST Ring, and I want to test everything like Windows 10 operating system but my Tools must also be working on every new Windows Insiders Build.
Installing WSL 2 and Windows Terminal on Windows Insider Build version
When both dism commands are successfully completed, you have to restart your machine.
wsl –set-default-version 2
Now you have set WSL 2 version in the basic, but you have to install a Linux distro where you can find here in the Microsoft Store
I installed Kali Linux distro from the Microsoft Store.
Enter a New User name and password.
Kali Linux distro is now running on WSL 2 on my Windows Insiders Build.
One of the Cool features in Windows Insiders Build version 19613 is that you can use your File explorer for Kali Linux 😉
Linux in Windows Insider Explorer.
Exploring Kali Linux
And of course updating the Kali Linux distro with
Sudo apt-get update
And at last…….
sudo apt-get upgrade
The Next tool is Windows Terminal (Preview) from the Microsoft Store
Just Click on Get ( in the Microsoft Store)
Click on Launch
This Windows Terminal Preview version on Windows Insiders can run :
Command Prompt
Powershell
Kali Linux distro (WSL 2)
Azure CloudShell
From here I can Manage and Install Microsoft Azure Cloud Services with Cloud Shell running on my Windows Insiders Build
for testing all the new features and this goes really easy :
Click next to PowerShell in the pulldown bar on Azure Cloud Shell and copy the Code
into the next URL https://microsoft.com/devicelogin
Enter here your Code from Windows Terminal.
Done you are logged-In Azure via Windows Terminal on Windows Insiders Build.
Azure Cloud Shell in Windows Terminal 😉
Conclusion
The Windows Insiders Program is Awesome to join when you like to test the Newest features of Windows 10 but also the Tools and applications running on the newest Windows Insiders Build version are Cool. When you work with Fast ring releases and Preview versions of tools you can hit a bug, or something is not working. That’s the moment you give feedback in the Windows Insider Feedback HUB to support the Microsoft Windows Insiders Product Team to fix the Bug.
Together we are building for the future of Windows 10 !
Windows Insider Program Feedback Hub.
And as a Windows Insider you can earn Badges for your Support 😉
This blogpost is about the Microsoft Azure Migrate tool in the Cloud doing Azure Migrate assessments to see if your on-premises Datacenter is ready for Azure Cloud Services. Before you migrate your workloads with Azure Migrate to the Microsoft Azure Cloud, you want to know the costs before the migration and what your options are in the transition. For example when you have hardware in your on-premises Datacenter which is too high qua hardware specs like Memory, CPU and storage and you can do with less Compute power, then the performance assessments are really interesting. From here you see a step-by-step guide for VMWare workload assessment(s) to Azure Cloud.
Azure Migrate preparation for VMware workload
When you search for ‘Azure Migrate’in your Azure Subscription and click on the services you will see the Azure Migrate Overview screen. When you don’t have a Microsoft Azure subscription yet, you can get one here
Click on Assess and Migrate Servers.
Before we go further with the server migration assessments for VMware, there are more Azure Migration tools available to do assessments and migrations like the following goals :
For Databases Microsoft Azure Migrate uses the Data Migration Assistant for the Assessment and the Data migration to Azure SQL Cloud.
The Data Migration Assistant (DMA) helps you upgrade to a modern data platform by detecting compatibility issues that can impact database functionality in your new version of SQL Server or Azure SQL Database. DMA recommends performance and reliability improvements for your target environment and allows you to move your schema, data, and uncontained objects from your source server to your target server.
To identify the right Azure SQL Database / Managed Instance SKU for your on-premises Database you can use the CLI with a Script :
When you have a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure on-premises and you want to migrate to Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) you can use this Azure Migrate tool :
ISV Lakeside with SysTrack
You can vote for the tools or scenarios that you would like to be integrated with Azure Migrate via this Online form
When you are in the beginning of your Cloud Transition journey, what will go first to the Cloud?
On-premises mail to Microsoft Office 365
File Server Clusters to Office 365 into Teams, Onedrive for Business
From Apps On-premises to SaaS or Paas solutions
From On-premises Websites to Azure Cloud Solutions like Azure Web App.
From SQL Clusters On-Premises to Azure SQL Managed Instances in the Cloud
And at last Migrate Servers to Azure IaaS
Of course there are much more scenarios like Lift and Shift or modernize your workload in the Cloud like moving to Azure Kubernetes Servicesfor example instead of IaaS Virtual Machines.
So when you want to start moving your On-premises Website(s) or WebApp, Microsoft Azure Migrate Services has a tool for that too :
At last when you have to move a big enterprise On-premises Datacenter to the Azure Cloud with a lot of Servers for example 10.000, you can use Azure Data Box Migration The Microsoft Azure Data Box cloud solution lets you send terabytes of data into Azure in a quick, inexpensive, and reliable way. The secure data transfer is accelerated by shipping you a proprietary Data Box storage device. Each storage device has a maximum usable storage capacity of 80 TB and is transported to your datacenter through a regional carrier. The device has a rugged casing to protect and secure data during the transit.
Microsoft Azure Migrate assessment for VMware platform
First we make the Azure Migrate Project ready in the Microsoft Azure Portal.
Select the right Azure Subscription and Resource group to collect the metadata reported by your On-premises environment. Give your Migrate project a name and select the geography.
Here you can select from different Assessment Tools Select Azure Migrate Server Assessment
Here you can select from different Migration Tools Select Azure Migrate Server Migration
Add your Tools in the Azure Portal.
Here you see both Microsoft Azure Migrate tools for the Assessment and the Migration as well.
We are going for the Assessment quick start, so click on discover
From here we select with VMware vShere Hypervisor, so you can download the Azure Migrate Appliance for VMware ( 12GB Ova file).
You can also work with an Import CSV file but that’s Preview.
When you have installed the Microsoft Azure Migrate Virtual Appliance for VMware successfully in your environment and has access to all the Virtual Machines then you can run the setup in the Appliance to make connectivity with your Azure subscription.
This will check all the prerequisites and get the updates.
Getting access to vCenter Server with the right permissions.
Now when your Azure Migrate Virtual Appliance for VMware is ready and collecting metadata, we see in the Microsoft Azure Portal the discovery running :
Discovery is in Progress.
After a view minutes we have discovered the Servers running on VMware platform On-premises.
Discovered Servers
Now we have the Servers in our metadata, we can do the Assessment(s) to get all the information we want for preparing to migrate to Azure Cloud Services. Click on Assess.
From here you give the Assessment a name and then you go to the properties of the assessment by clicking on View All
Here you can set the parameters for the assessment for example based on :
Reserved instances
Storage types
Sizing criterion like Performance-Based
Percentile Utilization
Azure VM series to use
Discount
VM Uptime
Offer pricing like Enterprise Agreement Support or Pay-As-You-Go
Hybrid Benefit offer.
Here I made different Azure Migrate Assessment groups with different parameters to see the difference in Costs.
Here you see for example Migrate As Is On-Premises and Performance-Based, but also an Azure Migrate Assessment without SQL Cluster Nodes. In this way you can make your own Azure Migrate Assessment with all your Servers or just a view Servers of your On-premises solution which you want to Migrate to Azure Cloud Services.
Overview of your Azure Migrate Assessment
Server is ready for migration
Server Ready but with conditions
Microsoft Azure Migrate gives you all the information to make the right decisions to migrate you workload from VMware to Microsoft Azure Cloud. When the Azure Migrate Assessment(s) are ready you can make a CSV export file to check the information before you migrate.
Overview of the Azure Migrate Assessment
Azure Migrate Assessment based on Performance for the VM
and there is a separated tab for Storage.
When your assessment is done, you can do the migration by replicating them to Microsoft Azure.
Microsoft Azure Migrate gives you insight information about your own On-Premises Datacenter by doing assessments to get the right migration information to move to Microsoft Azure Cloud. It gives you Azure Cloud costs before you do any migration at all, based on Total Cost of Owner (TCO) ship you can calculate if your solution in the Microsoft Azure Cloud is cheaper or not. Realize that’s it is not always about the money but also :
Innovations
Time to market
New Features
Flexibility
Scalability
Availability
Not owning hardware anymore
Less management (Hardware)
Hope this blog post helps you by your transition journey to Microsoft Azure Cloud
