Speakers:
- Rob Hindman, Microsoft
- Elden Christensen, Microsoft
Why Windows + Azure
- Unmatched security
- Built-in hybrid
- Most cost effective
- Unparalleled innovation and deep trust with enterprises
Weighing Your Options
- Rehost – lift and shift
- Refactor, rearchitect or rebuild – modernize/transform
Workloads
Typically dictates your migration options.
Windows Server 2008/R2
Lift-and-shift to Azure offers free extended security updates beyond the normal EOL of Na 14, 2020, by 3 more years (Jan 14, 2023).
You can unlock on-prem server extended support (if you buy it) through the Azure Portal.
Hybrid Benefit
If you have Software Assurance then you can reduce your Windows Server cost (built into the cost of Azure VMs with Windows) with the Azure Hybrid Use Benefit (AHUB).
Workloads
A bunch of eyechart tests that should be downloaded for reference.
S2D with Ultra Disk support “coming soon”.
SLA
You can build HA in infrastructure or app. Focus on App availability – Azure VM SLAs are built on this concept. Other consideration is operational consistency.
Designs
A bunch of designs are shown, including S2D and Storage Spaces clusters. Two Azure options:
- Premium File Shares (GA) as shared storage
- Shared Azure Disks (roadmap) as shared cluster disks – witness & CSV https://aka.ms/SharedDiskSignUp Will support Premium SSD and Ultra SSD.
Lessons From The Trenches
Download the slide(s) – lots of details.
- You are the operator of Azure VMs and must to updates, backups, etc, and test.
- You must practice failure scenarios and have processes to deal with it.
- DO not use the VM temporary disk
- Do not attempt to convert from Standard to Premium disks during DR site failover – the conversion is not instant.
- Large VMs do not compensate for application architecture –sometimes refactoring cannot be avoided
- Do not had-code specific VM gallery image names into scripts. Images are retired after two years – use the latest version because it is recently patched.
- Use DskSpd and FIO to measure performance as early as possible. Run multiple tests – because Azure Cache will kick in to improve performance. Note that some regions (East US) will perform faster than others.
- Use WS2019 to capture Azure host maintenance events in the faulover clustering event logs – 1139, 1140, 1136
- S2D on Azure IaaS VM guest clusters can only use 2-way and 3-way mirror reliiency types. S2D caching tiers cannot be used.
- Don’t let S2D volumes become 100% full. Expanding when they are full is difficult and requires downtime.
- S2D is slower on clouds that enforce VM network QoS
- Mirror repair is faster on WS2019.
- WS2019 for file server roles, especially the Information Worker workload is better.