Docker Migration to Azure

JMN-2253 596

Hi there,

I had searched this a lot with no hope. So, Please bear with me and don't rush answering with general articles.

On-premises we have a physical Docker server running container.

We are looking to move those containers to Azure Web Apps or Kubernetes.

Azure migrate only assess and move applications running on physical or vms to Azure. So it doesn't fit.

Do we have in Microsoft any way to move those containers to azure?

Andriy Bilous 10,981 Reputation points MVP

2022-11-18T05:03:05.587+00:00

Hello @JMN-2253

I understand that you want to migrate physical Docker server running containers to Azure Web Apps or Kubernetes.
First it would be good to know how many containers do you have and what is your on-premise architecture(connections and dependencies between containers).

I also found migration use-case, maybe it could be helpful
https://microsoft.github.io/techcasestudies/devops/2017/05/12/Somerset_CC_DevOps.html

Accepted answer

ajkuma 22,521 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-12-02T18:54:43.7+00:00

JMN-2253, There is no direct tool specific for this purpose. Just to clarify, we don’t migrate servers to AKS, we migrate the workloads running on them (where possible).

Based on your requirement - You may follow the steps outlined in this doc section Deploy the containerized app on AKS:
Azure App Containerization ASP.NET; Containerization and migration of ASP.NET applications to Azure Kubernetes. - Azure Migrate | Microsoft Learn

If you wish you may share your feedback on Uservoice - All of the feedback, you share in these forums will be monitored and reviewed by the Microsoft engineering teams responsible for building Azure. Additionally, users with a similar request can up-vote your post and add their comments.

I have also shared the feedback on this internally to our team.
Much appreciate your feedback! Thanks for your patience.
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1 person found this answer helpful.
JMN-2253 596 Reputation points

2022-12-06T03:32:13.89+00:00

Thanks for your response. For everyone going through the same requirements, the answer is: there is no tools or end to end scenario to migrate running containers from Docker server to AKS, or App Service.
I ended up writing the requirements at user voice as adviced.

ajkuma 22,521 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-12-06T09:02:34.483+00:00

JMN-2253, Thanks for creating the Uservoice item. Much appreciate your feedback, follow-up and update.

Yes, the only tool that exists today is the one you mentioned for ASP.NET or Java on-prem to AKS.

Please be assured that I have also relayed your feedback internally to our product engineering team.

Azure App Containerization ASP.NET; Containerization and migration of ASP.NET applications to Azure Kubernetes. - Azure Migrate | Microsoft Learn
-Detailed manual process (for cases -where there are already running containers) to migrate.

Some other docs for reference:

Best practices for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) - Azure Kubernetes Service | Microsoft Learn

Cluster configuration in Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) - Azure Kubernetes Service | Microsoft Learn
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1 additional answer

Lex Li (Microsoft) 4,742 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-11-18T04:48:02.897+00:00

So, where do you store the container images? You can simply migrate images from your local storage (Artifactory or other common solutions) to Azure Container Registry, and then spin out new containers from the images on Azure with Azure Container Apps or AKS.
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JMN-2253 596 Reputation points

2022-11-18T18:12:30.977+00:00

Hey,

Good idea,

How about data stored in the the container DB? And files on the storage?

Thanks

ajkuma 22,521 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-11-22T20:49:10.223+00:00

JMN-2253, apologies for the delay! As lextm mentioned, If you already have your apps in Docker containers then moving to host them in AKS should be the simplest and most logical option in my opinion.

An upload of the container images to an ACR can be scripted with a trivial amount of PowerShell (regardless of where they reside now).

Just to confirm, what other files and on what other storage are you referring to?

JMN-2253 596 Reputation points

2022-11-22T22:37:48.537+00:00

Hi,
As mentioned the DB is in a container, so how can we move it?
There are pdf files that being prosscced and stored, how can we move it?

Lex Li (Microsoft) 4,742 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-11-23T01:52:53.73+00:00

Who wrote the application? It is common sense that data in database can be exported and imported into other machines/containers, while files (PDF or not) in containers can be copied out (via commands like docker cp (there are quite a few other options). Let search engines guide you through, as those are common tasks people search for.

JMN-2253 596 Reputation points

2022-11-26T12:56:50.017+00:00

I don't have a clue on who wrote the application, still scoping the engagement.
My technical background is Windows and virtualization, never been into situations to migrate dockers and containers to Azure.
IMO it might be a common sense to think there should be shared docs and permissions, plus there might be configuration and security on the db side.

Copy files usually don't move share and permissions.
Export import DBs don't move security and other configurations.

What is your opinion? Don't you think it is valid to think about those and add some assumptions around it?
Something like manual share configuration! Or recreate DBs permissions!

I value your opinion.

Thanks

ajkuma 22,521 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2022-11-29T19:41:37.27+00:00

Apologies for the delayed response. Thanks for the additional info. Based on your requirement, you can consider to move to host it on AKS.

I understand you have mentioned, that you have already referred to generic docs. Just for comparison, see this Choose an Azure compute service doc.

JMN-2253 596 Reputation points

2022-12-01T16:21:45.417+00:00

@ajkuma
Thanks for your generic share, we already decided our distention to be Kubernetes as we excluded web apps due to DBs and shared Docs.

The only missing piece is the tool. Out there, there is a tool "app containerization" but it doesn't migrate from a Docker machine to Azure AKS, it migrate from Windows Server to AKS.

So, Do you see any tool that achieve this goal?
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