Windows 11 pro client Lift and Shift Migration to Azure using Azure Migrate or Azure site recovery vault(ASR)

Question

Hi Team,

We are planning to migrate our Windows 10 and Windows 11 pro client machines to Azure using the lift-and-shift approach.

1. Can we try Azure Migrate to migrate Windows 10 and Windows 11 pro client machines by installing Mobility Service Agent in client machines and setting up Microsoft Azure site recovery unified setup in the Windows 2016 server?
2. Can we try Azure Site recovery by installing Mobility Service Agent in client machines and installing a replication appliance in the Windows 2019 server?
3. Can we try with Azure site recovery only by installing mobility service in our client machine?

Please help us to go with a better approach in migrating Windows 10 & Windows 11 pro client machines, please provide reference documents.

Thanks & Regards

Dhanu.

Answer 1

@Dhanunjaya Gopina Greetings from Microsoft!

Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery are both valid options for migrating Windows 10 and Windows 11 client machines to Azure using the lift-and-shift approach.

Azure Migrate is a service that provides a central hub to assess and migrate on-premises servers, applications, and databases to Azure. It supports both agentless and agent-based migration methods. For Windows 10 and Windows 11 client machines, you can use the agent-based method by installing the Mobility Service Agent on each client machine and setting up Microsoft Azure Site Recovery Unified Setup on a Windows Server 2016 machine.

Azure Site Recovery is a disaster recovery and business continuity solution that can also be used for migration. It supports both agent-based and agentless migration methods. For Windows 10 and Windows 11 client machines, you can use the agent-based method by installing the Mobility Service Agent on each client machine and installing a replication appliance on a Windows Server 2019 machine.

Both Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery require the installation of the Mobility Service Agent on each client machine. This agent captures data about the machine and sends it to Azure for migration or disaster recovery purposes.

In terms of which approach is better, it depends on your specific requirements and preferences. Azure Migrate provides a more comprehensive solution for assessing and migrating on-premises servers, applications, and databases to Azure, while Azure Site Recovery is more focused on disaster recovery and business continuity.

I would recommend reviewing the documentation for both services and evaluating which one best meets your needs. You may also want to consider other factors such as cost, ease of use, and support options.

References:

Azure Migrate documentation

Azure Site Recovery documentation

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