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Migrating VMware to AWS has become a priority for businesses seeking enhanced scalability, optimized performance, and reduced operational costs. To streamline this transition, AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) offers a seamless, automated block-level replication solution that minimizes downtime and human error. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to migrate VMware virtual machines (VMs) to Amazon EC2 using AWS MGN, including post-migration cleanup of proprietary VMware tools. We’ll also introduce an alternative efficient solution to simplify your migrate from VMware to AWS journey even further.
Solution Architecture Overview
The migration architecture relies on two dedicated subnets within your Amazon VPC: a Staging Area subnet for data replication and a Migrated Resources subnet for launching test and cutover EC2 instances. AWS Replication Agents installed on your VMware VMs initiate continuous block-level data synchronization to the Staging Area. Once volume replication completes, the source server is marked as “Ready for Testing”.
Test and cutover instances are deployed in the Migrated Resources subnet. The solution leverages AWS MGN post-launch actions to install the AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Agent on these instances, enabling the execution of custom scripts to remove VMware Tools. This architecture works for both on-premises VMware environments and VMware Cloud on AWS.
VMware to AWS Migration Step by Step Guide
Step 1: Fulfill Prerequisites
Before starting the migration, ensure you have the following in place:
- An AWS user with the permissions specified in the AWS Application Migration Service documentation for initialization and operations.
- Pre-configured network settings aligned with AWS MGN requirements.
- Source servers running a supported operating system (check AWS docs for the latest OS compatibility list).
- Credentials for your VMware VMs with permissions to download and install the AWS Replication Agent.
- A dedicated VPC subnet and corresponding EC2 security groups for hosting test and cutover instances.
Step 2: Set Up Required VPC Endpoints
For private subnets with no public internet access, you need to create three VPC endpoints to enable SSM Agent installation and post-launch script execution. These endpoints are:
- amazonaws.<region>.ssm
- amazonaws.<region>.ec2messages
- amazonaws.<region>.ssmmessages
To create each endpoint:
- Navigate to the Amazon VPC console and select Endpoints > Create Endpoint.
- Choose AWS services and search for the target endpoint service name (replace <region> with your AWS Region).
- Select your target VPC and subnets, and attach a security group that allows inbound traffic on port 443 from the private subnet.
- Complete the endpoint creation process. Repeat for all three required endpoints.
Step 3: Configure Post-Launch Actions to Uninstall VMware Tools
Post-launch actions automate cleanup tasks after instance launch. Here’s how to set up actions to remove VMware Tools from Windows and Linux instances:
- In the AWS MGN console, go to Post-Launch template> Edit post-launch template.
- Toggle on the option to install the SSM Agent on test and cutover instances, then save the template.
- Select Create action to build custom cleanup scripts for each OS:
For Windows Servers (e.g., Windows Server 2019)
- Action name: CleanUpVMwareTools-Windows
- Activate this action: Enabled
- SSM document name: AWS-RunPowerShellScript
- Operating systems: Windows
- Commands:
Remove-Item –path .\VMware –recurse
$regpath = "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\uninstall"
Get-childItem $regpath | % {
$keypath = $_.pschildname
$key = Get-Itemproperty $regpath\$keypath
if ($key.DisplayName -match "VMware Tools") {
$VMwareToolsGUID = $keypath
}
Msiexec.exe /x $VMwareToolsGUID /qn /norestart
} - Working directory: C:\Program Files\
- Execution timeout: 300
For Linux Servers (e.g., RHEL 9)
- Action name: CleanUpVMwareTools-Linux
- Activate this action: Enabled
- SSM document name: AWS-RunShellScript
- Operating systems: Linux
- Commands:
rm -r ./VMware
- Execution timeout: 300
Save both actions and confirm they are marked as Active in the post-launch template.
Step 4: Install AWS Replication Agent and Add Source Servers
- In the AWS MGN console, go to Source servers> Add server.
- Select your VM’s operating system (Windows or Linux) and replication preferences (e.g., replicate all disks).
- Enter your IAM access key ID and secret access key to generate the agent installation command.
- Download the AWS Replication Agent installer and copy it to your VMware VM.
- Run the installation command as an administrator (Windows) or root user (Linux) on the VM. The agent will register the server with AWS MGN and start initial data replication.
Step 5: Launch and Validate Test Instances
Testing is critical to ensure your workloads function properly in AWS before cutover. Follow these steps:
- In the AWS MGN console, verify your source server has a Migration lifecycle status of “Ready for testing” and Data replication status of “Healthy”.
- Select the server and go to Test and cutover > Launch test instances.
- Once the test instance launches, connect to it using AWS SSM Session Manager or Fleet Manager to validate application functionality and network connectivity.
- After successful testing, go to Test and cutover> Mark as “Ready for cutover” and terminate the test instance to avoid unnecessary costs.
Step 6: Launch Cutover Instances and Finalize Migration
When you’re ready to complete the migration:
- Confirm the source server’s status is Ready for cutover and replication is healthy.
- Select the server and go to Test and cutover> Launch cutover instances.
- Validate the cutover instance to ensure it matches your requirements.
- To finalize the migration, select Test and cutover> Finalize cutover. This action stops data replication, updates the server status to “Cutover complete”, and cleans up replication resources.
Step 7: Clean Up Resources to Avoid Unnecessary Costs
After migration completion, delete the following resources to eliminate ongoing charges:
- Test and unused cutover EC2 instances
- Attached EBS volumes associated with replication and testing
- The three VPC endpoints created earlier
- Disconnect source servers from AWS MGN if they are no longer needed
An Alternative Solution to Migrate from VMware to AWS
While AWS Application Migration Service provides a robust path to migrate from VMware to AWS, it requires manual configuration of VPC endpoints, post-launch actions, and step-by-step validation—steps that can be time-consuming for teams managing large-scale migrations.
i2Migration from info2Soft is a ideally solution to migrate VM from VMware to AWS. As a live migration solution, i2Migration simplifies the migration process by enabling one-click migration of operating systems, applications, and user data without any downtime. Migration times are predictable, and upon completion, the new host seamlessly takes over the entire machine.
- Zero-downtime VM Migration
- AWS Environment Adaptation & Complexity Reduction
- Large-scale Migration Efficiency & Cost Reduction
- Data Security & AWS Compliance
Let’s see the detail steps of how to migrate VM to AWS with i2Migration.
Preparation Phase
- Assess Migration Requirements
Determine the quantity and specifications of VMware virtual machines to be migrated.
Check the compatibility of operating systems and applications on the source VMs.
- Prepare AWS Environment
Ensure the specifications match the source machines, with disk sizes equal to or larger than the original ones.
Configure security groups and network settings to enable communication between source VMs and target instances.
- Install i2Migration
Install the Agent and register it to i2Migration.
Attach a liveCD or WinPE image to the blank instance on AWS, boot from the image, and register it to i2Migration.
Migration Steps
- Configure Migration Tasks
Open the i2Migration management interface and create a new migration task.
Select the block-level migration type.
Configure migration parameters such as network bandwidth limits and data compression.
- Initialize Synchronization
Start the initial synchronization process to copy all data from the source VM to the target instance.
Monitor the synchronization progress to ensure smooth data transmission.
- Incremental Synchronization
After the initial synchronization is completed, i2Migration will automatically switch to incremental synchronization mode to continuously capture and transmit incremental data on the source VM.
- ★Tips:
- Network Stability: Ensure stable network connectivity between the source virtual machine and the target instance to prevent data transmission interruptions.
- Data Consistency: Before switching, ensure all data has been fully synchronized to avoid data loss.
- Testing and Validation: Conduct thorough testing and validation before the official switchover to ensure business operations function properly on AWS.
In additional, you can watch this video for more information of how to use i2Migration. If you have any specific requirements or questions, please contact our sales or technical support team at any time. We are here to help you.
Conclusion
Migrating from VMware to AWS unlocks unparalleled scalability, performance, and cost efficiency for your workloads. AWS Application Migration Service offers a reliable, agent-based replication approach to achieve this transition, with post-launch actions to keep your EC2 instances clean of proprietary VMware tools.
For teams seeking a more streamlined, scalable migration experience, i2Migration by Info2soft is the ideal alternative. It simplifies complex configuration steps, supports bulk migrations, and provides intelligent monitoring to ensure a smooth, error-free transition.
Ready to start your VMware-to-AWS migration? Explore AWS MGN for your basic needs, or discover how i2Migration can transform your large-scale migration projects today.
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