Azure App Service (Websites) & The Migration Assistant – A Great, Unknown Tool

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Josh Condie – In doing some research for a partner recently, I stumbled upon this great resource for bringing your existing web sites and apps into the Azure environment.  This tool will analyze your existing site structure and IIS server installation (v.6 and later), identify which sites can be migrated to App Service, highlight any elements that cannot be migrated or are unsupported on the platform, and then migrate your websites and associated databases to Azure.

Firstly, Azure App Service has replaced Azure Websites, and is a new and unique cloud service that enables developers to create web and mobile apps for any platform and any device. App Service is an integrated solution designed to streamline repeated coding functions, integrate with enterprise and SaaS systems, and automate business processes while meeting your needs for security, reliability, and scalability.

App Service brings together the following existing Azure services - Websites, Mobile Services, and Biztalk Services into a single combined service, while adding powerful new capabilities. App Service allows you to host the following app types:

  • Web Apps
  • Mobile Apps
  • API Apps
  • Logic Apps

With regards to migration….  The Migration Assistant tool is available as open source from Microsoft, the license terms and source code are available for your review.

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For full guidance, click HERE

You can use the Migration Assistant to scan the following information on IIS server and identify readiness for website migration to Azure App Service:
  • Websites running on the iis server.
  • Applications and virtual directories configured under each site.
  • Application pools used by the sites and applications and their settings.
  • HTTP and HTTPS bindings used by the sites.
  • Databases defined in web.config using connectionString attribute.

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Azure App Service is a fully managed cloud offering that enables you to deploy and scale Web Apps in seconds. Focus on your application code, and let Azure take care of the infrastructure to scale and securely run it for you.
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If you want to get started with Azure App Service before signing up for an Azure account, go to Try App Service, where you can immediately create a short-lived starter web app in App Service. No credit cards required; no commitments.

 

Josh