Accelerating the multi-cloud advantage: Storage migration paths into Azure storage

Broaden your customer base and enhance your app’s exposure by bringing your AWS-based solution to Azure and listing it on Microsoft Marketplace. This guide will walk you through how Azure storage services compare to those on AWS—spotlighting important differences in architecture, scalability, and feature sets—so you can make confident choices when replicating your app’s storage layer to Azure.

This post is part of a series on replicating apps from AWS to Azure. View all posts in this series

For software development companies looking to expand or replicate their marketplace offerings from AWS to Microsoft Azure, one of the most critical steps is selecting the right Azure storage services. While both AWS and Azure provide robust cloud storage options, their architecture, service availability, and design approaches vary. To deliver reliable performance, scale globally, and meet operational requirements, it’s essential to understand how Azure storage works—and how it compares to AWS—before you replicate your app.

AWS to Azure storage mapping

When replicating your app from AWS to Azure, start by mapping your existing storage services to the closest Azure equivalents. Both clouds offer robust object, file, and block storage, but they differ in architecture, features, and integration points. Choosing the right Azure service helps keep your app performant, secure, and manageable—and aligns with Microsoft Marketplace requirements for an Azure‑native deployment.

Tip: Some AWS services map to multiple Azure options. For example, EFS → Azure Files for straightforward SMB/NFS shares, or → Azure NetApp Files when you need stricter latency SLOs and multiprotocol at scale.

Match your use case

After mapping AWS services to Azure equivalents, the next step is selecting the right service for your workload. Start by considering the access pattern, object, file, or block, and then factor in performance, protocol, and scale.

• Object storage & analytics: Use Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data like images, logs, and backups. If you need hierarchical namespace and POSIX ACLs, enable Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 on top of Blob.
• General file sharing / SMB apps: Choose Azure Files (SMB) for lift‑and‑shift scenarios and Windows workloads. Integrate with Entra ID for NTFS ACL parity, and select the Premium tier for low‑latency performance.
• NFS or multiprotocol file workloads: Start with Azure Files (NFS) for basic needs, or move to Azure NetApp Files for predictable throughput, multiprotocol support, and enterprise‑grade SLAs.
• High‑performance POSIX workloads: For HPC or analytics pipelines requiring massive throughput, use Azure Managed Lustre.
• Persistent storage for containers: Azure’s CSI drivers brings Kubernetes support for most Azure disk, files, and blob offerings. Azure Container Storage brings Kubernetes support for unique disk backends that are unsupported by the Azure Disks CSI driver, such as local NVMe.
• Block storage for VMs and databases: Use Azure Managed Disks for most scenarios, with Premium SSD v2 or Ultra Disk for provisioned IOPS and sub‑millisecond latency. For large fleets or shared performance pools, choose Azure Elastic SAN (VMs & AKS only).

Quick tip: Start simple—Blob for object, Azure Files for SMB and NFS, Managed Disks for block—and scale up to NetApp Files, Elastic SAN, or Managed Lustre when performance or compliance demands it.

Factor in security and compliance

• Encryption: Confirm default encryption meets your compliance requirements; enable customer‑managed keys (CMK) if needed.
• Access control: Apply Azure RBAC for role‑based permissions and ACLs for granular control at the container or file share level.
• Network isolation: Use Private Endpoints to keep traffic off the public internet and connect storage to your VNet.
• Identity integration: Prefer Managed Identities or SAS tokens over account keys for secure access.
• Compliance checks: Verify your chosen service meets certifications like GDPR, HIPAA, or industry‑specific standards.

Optimize for cost

• Tiering: Use Hot, Cool, and Archive tiers in Blob Storage based on access frequency; apply Premium tiers only where low latency is critical.
• Lifecycle management: Automate data movement and deletion with lifecycle policies to avoid paying for stale data.
• Reserved capacity: Commit to 1–3 years of capacity for predictable workloads to unlock discounts.
• Right‑sizing: Choose the smallest disk, volume, or file share that meets your needs; scale up only when required.
• Monitoring: Set up cost alerts and review usage regularly to catch anomalies early; use Azure Cost Management for insights.
• Avoid hidden costs: Co‑locate compute and storage to prevent cross‑region egress charges.

Data migration from AWS to Azure

Migrating your data from AWS to Azure is a key step in replicating your app’s storage layer for Marketplace. The goal is a one‑time transfer—after migration, your app runs fully on Azure.

• Azure Storage Mover: A managed service that automates and orchestrates large‑scale data transfers from AWS S3, EFS, or on‑premises sources to Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, or Azure NetApp Files. Ideal for bulk migrations with minimal downtime.
• AzCopy: A command‑line tool for fast, reliable copying of data from AWS S3 to Azure Blob Storage. Great for smaller datasets or scripted migrations.
• Azure Data Factory: Built‑in connectors to move data from AWS storage services to Azure, with options for scheduling and transformation.
• Azure Data Box: For very large datasets, provides a physical device to securely transfer data from AWS to Azure offline.

Final readiness before marketplace listing

• Validate performance under load: Benchmark with real data and confirm your chosen SKUs deliver the IOPS and latency your app needs.
• Lock down security: Ensure RBAC roles are applied correctly, Private Endpoints are in place, and encryption meets compliance requirements.
• Control costs: Verify lifecycle policies, reserved capacity, and cost alerts are active to prevent surprises.
• Enable monitoring: Set up dashboards and alerts for throughput, latency, and capacity so you can catch issues before customers do.

Key Resources

1. SaaS Workloads - Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework | Microsoft Learn
2. Metered billing for SaaS offers in Partner Center 
3. Create plans for a SaaS offer in Microsoft Marketplace 
4. Get over $126K USD in benefits and technical consultations to help you replicate and publish your app with ISV Success 
5. Maximize your momentum with step-by-step guidance to publish and grow your app with App Advisor