Oracle database migration: Lift and shift

Azure provides Oracle database images with a "bring your own license" model. If you're properly licensed to use Oracle software, you're allowed to migrate Oracle databases to Azure Virtual Machines (VMs).

See Oracle and Microsoft Strategic Partnership FAQ to figure out if Oracle certifies and supports your Oracle database on Azure.

Architecture

Workflow

1. Create Azure VMs with the correct specifications to support your Oracle database.

2. Migrate your Oracle database to the Azure VMs.

Components

• Azure Virtual Machines lets you migrate your business and important workloads to Azure to increase operational efficiencies.

Considerations

Oracle licensing

If you are using hyper-threading enabled technology in your Azure VMs, count two vCPUs as equivalent to one Oracle Processor license. See Licensing Oracle Software in the Cloud Computing Environment for details.

Backup strategy

One backup strategy is to use Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN). You can also use the Azure backup method.

Business continuity and disaster recovery

For business continuity and disaster recovery, consider deploying the following software:

• Oracle Data Guard Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) for database availability

• Oracle Data Guard Far Sync for zero data loss protection.

• Oracle GoldenGate for multi-primary or active-active mode on Azure availability set or availability zone depends on SLA requirements.

Refer to these articles for supporting info:

• Implement Oracle Data Guard on an Azure Linux virtual machine

• Implement Oracle Golden Gate on an Azure Linux VM

• Reference architectures for Oracle Database Enterprise Edition on Azure

You can't use Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) by itself in Azure. If you use FlashGrid Cluster, then you can host RAC on Azure. Follow these links for more information:

• FlashGrid Cluster for Oracle RAC on Azure
• FlashGrid Cluster for Oracle RAC on Azure Marketplace

Contributors

This article is maintained by Microsoft. It was originally written by the following contributors.

Principal author:

• Amber Zhao | Principal Customer Engineer

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Next steps

To begin migrating your Oracle database to Azure VMs, see Oracle VM images and their deployment on Microsoft Azure.