Migration Tools and Services

Explore how to effectively use AWS migration tools such as MGN for server rehosting, DataSync for file transfers, and DMS with SCT for database migrations. This lesson helps you understand migration execution mechanics, tool selection based on workload and downtime needs, and how to coordinate migrations using Migration Hub under a governed landing zone architecture.

We'll cover the following...

Migration execution architecture
Rehosting servers with AWS MGN
- Agent-based replication architecture
  - Replication flow and cutover mechanics
Transferring data with AWS DataSync
- Agent and task model
Migrating databases with AWS DMS
- Full load and change data capture
  - Schema conversion for heterogeneous migrations
Tracking migrations with Migration Hub
- Orchestration and dependency-aware coordination
Conclusion

Enterprise migrations at scale demand more than a strategy document. They require a precise execution layer where purpose-built AWS tools align to workload types, replication behaviors, and downtime tolerances. Understanding which tool handles servers vs. files vs. databases, and how these tools converge under centralized governance, helps you avoid common distractors and choose the right architectural approach. This lesson maps the execution mechanics of four AWS migration services and connects them through a governance-aligned landing zone architecture.

Migration execution architecture

Before you install any replication agent or schedule any data task, the target environment must be architecturally ready. Migration execution sits between the Assess and Mobilize phases of the AWS Migration Framework and the post-migration modernization phase. AWS provides purpose-built tools aligned to three workload types: servers (MGN), files (DataSync), and databases (DMS), with Migration Hub providing the orchestration layer across all three.

Successful execution depends on pre-established landing zone governanceA preconfigured multi-account AWS Organizations structure with IAM boundaries, network connectivity, security controls, and operational baselines that workloads migrate into. This includes multi-account structures enforced through SCPs, KMS encryption boundaries for data at rest and in transit, target VPC connectivity via Transit Gateway or hybrid routing over Direct Connect and VPN, and Route 53-based DNS cutover readiness for switching production traffic.

The architectural decision framework for tool selection rests on three axes: replication behavior (block-level, file-level, or transactional), downtime tolerance (minutes, hours, or zero), and network path (dedicated fiber, VPN tunnel, or physical shipment). This lesson focuses on migration execution mechanics, while the next lesson on application modernization addresses refactoring rehosted workloads into cloud-native architectures.

Rehosting servers with AWS MGN

AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) is the primary tool for lift-and-shift server rehosting, replacing the legacy CloudEndure Migration service. MGN performs continuous block-level replication from source servers to a staging area in the target AWS account, preserving exact disk state without requiring application-level awareness.

Agent-based replication architecture

The replication workflow begins with a lightweight agent installed on each ...