MySQL Discovery and Assessment in Azure Migrate - Public Preview

MySQL, one of the most popular databases, is a cornerstone of the LAMP stack, powering countless web applications with its reliability, performance, and ease of use. As businesses grow, the need for scalable and efficient database solutions becomes paramount. This is where Azure Database for MySQL comes into play. Migrating from on-premises to Azure Database for MySQL offers numerous benefits, including effortless scalability, cost efficiency, enhanced performance, robust security, high availability, and seamless integration with other Azure services. As a fully managed Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS), it simplifies database management, allowing businesses to focus on innovation and growth.

To help make your migration journey seamless, we're thrilled to announce the public preview release of the MySQL Discovery and Assessment feature in Azure Migrate. This new capability is essential in the planning phase, enabling you to discover your existing MySQL workloads, assess their readiness for migration, and receive right-sized recommendations tailored to your specific needs. This ensures a smooth and well-informed transition to Azure, minimizing risks and maximizing benefits.

What is Azure Migrate?

Azure Migrate serves as a comprehensive hub designed to simplify the migration journey of on-premises infrastructure, including servers, databases, and web applications, to Azure Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) targets at scale. It provides a unified platform with a suite of tools and features to help you identify the best migration path, assess Azure readiness, estimate the cost of hosting workloads on Azure, and execute the migration with minimal downtime and risk.

Key features of the MySQL Discovery and Assessment in Azure Migrate

The new MySQL Discovery and Assessment feature in Azure Migrate (Preview) introduces several powerful capabilities:

• Discover MySQL database instances: The tool allows you to locate MySQL instances within your environment efficiently. By identifying critical attributes of these instances, it lays the foundation for a thorough assessment and a strategic migration plan.
• Assessment for Azure readiness: The feature evaluates the readiness of your MySQL database instances to migrate to Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server. This assessment considers several factors, including compatibility and performance metrics, to ensure a smooth transition.
• SKU recommendations: Based on the discovered data, the tool recommends the optimal compute and storage configuration for hosting MySQL workloads on Azure Database for MySQL. Furthermore, it provides insights into the associated costs, enabling better financial planning.

How to get started?

To begin using the MySQL Discovery and Assessment feature in Azure Migrate, follow this five-step onboarding process:

1. Create an Azure Migrate project: Initiate your migration journey by setting up a project in the Azure portal.
2. Configure the Azure Migrate appliance: Use a Windows-based appliance to obtain a software inventory of servers, database instances and their attributes.
3. Deploy the Kubernetes-based appliance: Set up a Kubernetes appliance to start the deep discovery of MySQL databases.
4. Review discovered inventory: Examine the detailed attributes of the discovered MySQL instances.
5. Create an assessment: Evaluate the readiness and get detailed recommendations for migration to Azure Database for MySQL.

For comprehensive, step-by-step instructions, please refer to the discovery and assessment tutorials in the documentation.

• Tutorial: Discover MySQL databases running in your datacenter (preview)
• Tutorial: Assess MySQL databases for migration to Azure Database for MySQL (preview)
• Concepts: Assessment overview - Migrate to Azure Database for MySQL (preview)

Watch this brief demo video for a quick overview of how to create and review MySQL assessments in Azure Migrate.

Stay tuned to our YouTube channel for upcoming detailed demo videos outlining the onboarding steps, as well as for the latest functionality updates!

Join the preview and share your feedback!

In summary, the MySQL Discovery and Assessment feature in Azure Migrate enables you to effortlessly discover, assess, and plan your MySQL database migrations to Azure. Try the feature out in public preview and fast-track your migration journey!

If you have any queries, feedback or suggestions, please let us know by leaving a comment below or by directly contacting us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com.  We are eager to hear your feedback and support you on your journey to Azure.