Migrating a single office hybrid environment to fully Azure cloud

Brian H 20 Reputation points
2025-04-18T14:40:49.5066667+00:00

We are a small 50ish employee company with a single office VMware on-prem environment with domain controllers, file servers and archive data. We have previously fully moved to Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Intune to manage our users and client devices allowing us to better manage some remote users. Our Entra ID hybrid joined devices will be moved to fully Entra ID Joined. We want to fully move our on-prem environment to Azure needing only a few servers for FTP services and file storage. While our primary active work files are in SharePoint, our older archive work will be moved from an on-prem array to Azure cool or cold blob storage - depending on our access frequency. We will offload our DHCP to our office firewall, and DNS to a new DNS host service. I have started the Azure Migration Assessment tool in our environment to evaluate and assess all our servers, but our needs will be minimal in the cloud. I understand we will need to set up an Azure VNet, subnets, and security groups. Is there anything in this project that I need to be cautious about, or missing items in the scope of work that I should include? I'm hoping others can share some wisdom here before we launch this project.

Azure Migrate
Azure Migrate
A central hub of Azure cloud migration services and tools to discover, assess, and migrate workloads to the cloud.
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  1. Mohan Krishna T Sreeramulu 95 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-04-18T19:01:09.14+00:00

    Hi Brian H,

    When migrating your on-prem VMware environment to Azure, there are several considerations to keep in mind to ensure a smooth transition,

    Assessment and Planning: Since you have already started using the Azure Migration Assessment tool, continue to evaluate the readiness of your servers for migration. This tool will help you identify any dependencies and potential issues that may arise during the migration process.

     Network Configuration: Setting up an Azure Virtual Network (VNet), subnets, and security groups is crucial. Ensure that your network design accommodates your current and future needs, including secure access to your Azure resources. 

    Data Storage Choices: As you plan to move your archive data to Azure Blob Storage, consider the access frequency to determine whether to use cool or cold storage. This will help optimize costs based on your usage patterns.

    Security and Compliance: Ensure that your security groups are configured correctly to protect your resources. Regularly review Azure's security best practices to maintain compliance and security.

     Backup and Recovery: Implement a backup strategy for your Azure resources to protect against data loss. Azure offers various backup solutions that can be integrated into your migration plan.

     Minimal Server Needs: Since you mentioned needing only a few servers for FTP services and file storage, ensure that you right-size your Azure resources to avoid over-provisioning and unnecessary costs.

     Monitoring and Management: After migration, set up monitoring tools to keep track of performance and costs. Azure provides various services to help you manage and optimize your resources post-migration.

     Documentation and Support: Keep thorough documentation of your migration plan and configurations. Consider reaching out to Azure support or consulting services if you encounter challenges during the migration.

    By addressing these areas, you can mitigate risks and ensure a successful migration to Azure.

     References:

    Build migration plan with Azure Migrate

    Azure Migrate Overview

    Migrate workloads for Azure VMware Solution

     let us know if any help, we will always help as you needed.!


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