AWS Migration Hub: End-to-End Application Migration Management

Summary

Table of Contents

Introduction

Migrating your business to the cloud is a big step, but it often comes with various challenges—complex processes, costly delays, and unexpected risks. So, how can you make this transition smoother, faster, and more cost-effective? That’s where AWS Migration Hub comes in. This powerful tool centralizes your migration efforts, giving you the ability to track progress across multiple AWS services. But does it live up to its promise? Let’s explore how the tool could be the game-changer you need for a seamless cloud journey.

What is AWS Migration Hub?

AWS Migration Hub is a service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that helps businesses manage their cloud migration projects. It provides a central platform to track the progress of moving applications, data, and infrastructure to the cloud. No matter which tools you use for migration, Migration Hub lets you see how your servers and databases are connected within each application and follow their migration status.

You have two options for starting your migration:

1. You can begin migrating right away and organize servers during the process.
2. You can also first discover your servers, group them into applications, and then start the migration.

Instead of using multiple tools, Migration Hub gives you a unified view of all your migration activities in one place.

Let’s understand with an example.

A retail company is migrating its online store application to AWS. Using this service/tool, they can:

• Track the migration of key systems, such as the customer database and payment systems.
• Identify dependencies between applications to prevent any downtime during the migration.
• Enhance coordination by keeping teams aligned and minimizing confusion or delays.

In short, it makes the cloud migration process easier, faster, and more efficient by giving businesses a clear and organized way to manage it.

The Purpose of the AWS Migration Hub

It is essential for businesses because it simplifies and streamlines cloud migration. Here’s how it helps:

• Ease Management for Complex Projects: Whether you’re migrating a few applications or an entire infrastructure, it organizes everything in one place, making even the most complicated migrations manageable.
• Improves Team Coordination: Offering a centralized view ensures that all teams—technical and non-technical—are aligned and working efficiently toward the same goal.
• Minimizes Errors and Delays: Clear visibility into progress and potential issues helps prevent mistakes and reduces unexpected delays during migration.
• Acts as a Reliable Tracker: It is the single go-to source for everyone involved, keeping migration updates accurate and accessible for stakeholders at all levels.

Thus, it ensures your migration stays on track, on time, and within budget while reducing stress for everyone involved.

Key Features of AWS Migration Hub

Let’s have a look at all the cool features it has to offer:

• Journey Templates

  Migration Hub provides journey templates to streamline the migration process, ensuring efficient execution and reducing time spent on planning. This allows teams to focus on high-value activities while ensuring a smooth migration to AWS.

• Cross-Team Collaboraiton

  Migration Hub enables seamless collaboration between teams, partners, and AWS personnel. You can assign roles, such as administrators or contributors, and invite others to collaborate. With task assignments, automatic notifications for delays, and a centralized place for uploads, collaboration remains smooth and organized.

• Application and Server Discovery

  Migration Hub allows you to import information.ion about on-premises servers and applications. For deeper discovery, you can use AWS Discovery Agent or AWS Discovery Collector (for VMware environments) to gather detailed data.

• Dependency Identification

  The network visualization feature helps identify server dependencies and roles and group servers into applications. To use it, you need to install Discovery Agents and start data collection.

• Strategy Recommendations

  Migration Hub provides Strategy Recommendations, helping you develop a tailored migration and modernization plan. It analyzes your applications and suggests the best tools and strategies to migrate and modernize at scale.

• Orchestration

  Migration Hub Orchestrator speeds up your application migration by providing ready-to-use workflow templates for the following tasks:

  1. Migrating SAP NetWeaver with HANA databases.
  2. Rehosting applications to Amazon EC2.
  3. Rehosting SQL Server databases to Amazon EC2.
  4. Replatforming SQL Server databases to Amazon RDS.
  5. Importing on-premises virtual machine images to AWS.
  6. Replatforming .NET and Java applications to Amazon ECS on AWS Fargate.

• Simple and intuitive migration dashboard

  The dashboard gives you a clear view of the migration progress and key metrics for rehosting and replatforming. It allows you to track the progress and fix issues across any AWS region. The migration status is automatically updated when using connected tools.

• Incremental app refactoring

  AWS Migration Hub Refactor Spaces simplifies transitioning from monolithic to microservice-based architectures. It supports gradual refactoring by incrementally shifting traffic to new services, ensuring minimal disruption while modernizing applications.​

Benefits of AWS Migration Hub

The migration hub in AWS provides features to tackle the common challenges businesses encounter during cloud migration. Let’s break these down with their benefits and the specific pain points they solve:

1. 1. Centralized Dashboard

   The centralized dashboard provides a unified view of migration progress across AWS regions and accounts. This makes it easier to manage complex migration tasks and ensures a comprehensive overview, addressing visibility challenges in large, distributed environments.​

2. 2. Integration with Tools

   The Migration Hub tool in AWS is fully compatible with AWS Migration Services, such as:

   • AWS Application Discovery Service is used to gather insights on your existing environment.
   • AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) makes it easy to transfer data smoothly.

   Also, it supports third-party tools, giving businesses flexibility.

3. 3. Customizable Tracking

   Custom tracking options let businesses monitor applications, resources, and dependencies. This provides detailed insights into workloads, helping to identify and resolve bottlenecks efficiently addressing the challenge of granular tracking during complex migrations.​

4. 4. Migration Readiness Assessment

   AWS Migration Hub offers tools to assess infrastructure readiness and identify gaps in network, storage, and application areas. This helps avoid unexpected failures during migration, reducing risks by up to 40% and ensuring preparedness​.

5. 5. Cost Tracking

   The cost-tracking feature provides insights into migration expenses, helping businesses avoid overspending. It also identifies potential savings by highlighting inefficient on-premises resources, preventing budget overruns during the migration process​.

6. 6. Seamless Dependency Mapping

   Migration Hub maps application dependencies, ensuring smooth migration by addressing critical connections between services. This minimizes downtime and errors caused by missed dependencies during migration​.

7. 7. Real-Time Reporting

   Real-time reporting continuously updates stakeholders on migration progress. It offers live data that supports fast decision-making and ensures transparency, avoiding delayed updates during the migration process.

8. 8. Multi-Region and Multi-Cloud Support

   AWS Migration Hub supports migrations across various AWS regions and hybrid cloud environments. This flexibility addresses the complexity of geographically distributed migrations, making it easier to manage diverse cloud setups​.

By leveraging these features, the migration hub tool in AWS simplifies migration, reduces risks, and provides clear value for businesses transitioning to the cloud. It’s more than just a tool; it’s a comprehensive solution for managing migrations.

AWS Migration Hub Components

The tool has several parts that work together to make moving to the cloud easier and more efficient. Here’s a simple breakdown of its main features and how they help:

1. AWS Application Discovery Service

What It Does:

Automatically collects data about your existing infrastructure, including servers, storage, and applications.

Why It’s Important:

• Helps you understand your current environment.
• Identifies which resources are ready for migration and which need optimization.
• Speeds up migration planning by reducing manual effort.

Example Use:

A business with hundreds of on-premises servers uses this service to map dependencies and prepare a migration plan.

2. AWS Migration Portfolio Assessment

What It Does:

Assesses your application portfolio and prioritizes migrations according to business requirements.

Why It’s Important:

• Helps you focus on migrating critical applications first.
• Provides insights into the cost and effort for each application.
• Ensures alignment with business goals.

Example Use:

An enterprise uses this tool to determine that customer-facing applications should be migrated before internal systems.

3. AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

What It Does:

It makes transferring databases from on-premises or other cloud platforms to AWS easier.

Why It’s Important:

• Enables live data migration with little to no downtime.
• Works with multiple database types (e.g., Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Enables continuous replication for seamless transitions.

Example Use:

A retail company moves its customer database from a legacy system to Amazon RDS without disrupting day-to-day operations.

4. AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)

What It Does:

Helps migrate on-premises servers, including virtual and physical machines, to AWS.

Why It’s Important:

• Automates the migration process, saving time and effort.
• Handles large-scale server migrations with ease.
• Reduces risks by replicating server data during migration.

Example Use:

A manufacturing company uses SMS to move hundreds of virtual machines to AWS EC2, avoiding manual configurations.

How These Components Work Together

These components are integrated into AWS Migration Hub, giving you a unified view of your migration projects. Together, they:

• Reduce Complexity: Automate tasks like data collection, prioritization, and migration.
• Enhance Planning: Provide the insights needed to create a solid migration strategy.
• Ensure Seamless Execution: Handle application, database, and server migrations with minimal disruptions.

By leveraging these tools, businesses can confidently migrate to AWS with better visibility, efficiency, and reduced risks.

Managing your AWS Migration Hub Home Region

In the migration hub, the home Region is where all your migration and discovery data is stored. It acts as a central place for tracking your entire migration process, regardless of the regions your applications are being moved to. Here’s how it works:


1. 1. Centralized Data: The home Region stores all your migration and discovery data, helping you track progress across different AWS regions.
2. 2. Track Migrations Across Regions: Select a home Region to monitor migrations into other regions. For example, track migrations from the US West (Oregon) to Europe (Frankfurt).
3. 3. Set Your Home Region: Before starting any migration tasks, you must choose a home Region. It’s the main point for managing migrations.
4. 4. Migration Example: If your home Region is the US West (Oregon), you can track migrations to both the US West (Oregon) and Europe (Frankfurt) from one place.

In short, the home Region helps manage and track migrations in one central location.

Let us manage the challenges of monitoring your migration process, so you can focus on what matters most!

Leverage our AWS managed services, and ensure smooth management and reliable optimization at every step.

AWS Migration Hub Pricing

It is free to collect and store discovery data, as well as plan and track migrations. You only pay for the migration tools and AWS resources used.

Refactor Spaces Pricing:

• Free Tier: 2,160 monthly free environment hours for 90 days (e.g., 3 environments for 3 months).
• After the free period, it costs $0.028 per environment per hour ($20/month for continuous use).
• API requests: $0.000002 per request (e.g., 1 million requests = $2).
  Charges apply for AWS services used by Refactor Spaces, such as Transit Gateway, API Gateway, Network Load Balancer, and VPCs.

For detailed pricing, refer to the individual pricing sections of the AWS services (e.g., EC2, RDS, DMS).

Getting started with AWS Migration Hub

To get started with the Migration Hub tool, follow these steps:

1. 1. Create or Sign in to Your AWS Account:
   Sign in to the AWS Management Console if you have an AWS account.
   If you don’t have an account, create a Builder ID or start your migration journey outside the AWS Console.
2. 2. Provide Information About Your Project:
   Answer a few questions regarding your environment and your migration and modernization goals to help AWS tailor the experience for your needs.
3. 3. Choose a Journey Template or Customize:
   Select from AWS Migration Hub’s predefined journey templates that suit your needs, or build a custom template to define an end-to-end migration project.

For detailed pricing and tools involved in your migration journey, refer to the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate costs for services used in the migration, such as Refactor Spaces and other AWS resources.

Best Practices for Using AWS Migration Hub

To ensure a smooth and efficient migration with the Migration Hub, businesses should follow these best practices:

1. Conduct Thorough Infrastructure Assessments

Before starting migration, evaluate your current infrastructure in detail. Utilize tools such as AWS Application Discovery Service to gather information about your servers, applications, and their dependencies.

Why It Matters:

• Identifies potential challenges early.
• Helps create an accurate migration plan.
• Lowers the chances of downtime or unforeseen problems during the migration.

2. Involve All Stakeholders Early

Bring together key stakeholders from IT, operations, finance, and leadership at the planning stage. Ensure everyone understands the goals, timelines, and impact of the migration.

Why It Matters:

• Promotes collaboration and avoids miscommunication.
• Aligns migration efforts with business objectives.
• Helps secure buy-in and resources for the project.

3. Set Clear Goals and Track KPIs

Set clear goals for your migration, such as reducing costs, improving performance, or minimizing downtime. Use AWS Migration Hub’s dashboard to track progress and measure important performance indicators (KPIs).

Why It Matters:

• Keeps the migration process on track.
• Provides clarity for decision-making at every stage.
• Ensures alignment with the organization’s long-term strategy.

4. Leverage Automation to Minimize Errors

Automate repetitive tasks like server replication, database migration, and application monitoring. Use AWS Migration Hub with tools like AWS Server Migration Service (SMS) and AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to simplify and improve your migration process.

Why It Matters:

• Reduces the chance of manual errors.
• Speeds up migration timelines.
• Allows your team to concentrate on more strategic tasks.

5. Continuously Optimize Resources Post-Migration

After migrating, review your cloud environment regularly to optimize performance and costs. Spot underused resources and adjust their scale accordingly. Utilize AWS Cost Management tools to track and manage costs.

Why It Matters:

• Prevents wasteful spending on unused resources.
• Enhances the performance of cloud-based applications.
• Boosts the return on investment (ROI) from the migration.

Additional Tip: Test Before and After Migration

Test applications and systems carefully before migration to ensure they are compatible. Post-migration, validate that everything works as expected, including application performance, data integrity, and security configurations.

Why It Matters:

• Prevents service disruptions.
• Ensures a seamless transition for end-users.

Following these best practices helps businesses make the most of AWS Migration Hub, ensuring a smooth, cost-effective, and successful cloud migration.

Migration Challenges You Might Face Without AWS Migration Hub

Let’s have a look:

1. Lack of Centralized Tracking and Visibility

Cloud migration often involves multiple teams, applications, and regions. Without a unified system to monitor progress, businesses struggle to track who is doing what, leading to miscommunication and delays. For example, one team might complete its tasks without knowing that another team has not yet resolved dependencies. This disjointed tracking system often results in bottlenecks and missed deadlines, creating frustration for everyone involved.

2. Increased Risk of Cost Overruns

Without proper tools to monitor expenses and allocate resources effectively, migration projects frequently exceed budgets. Hidden costs such as unanticipated server usage, extended timelines, or errors that require expensive fixes can quickly add up. Businesses may struggle to explain their cloud investments to stakeholders when costs get out of hand. These financial surprises can dampen enthusiasm for cloud adoption and erode trust in IT teams.

3. Complexity in Managing Multiple Tools

Migrating to the cloud often requires several tools for database migration, server replication, and application performance monitoring. Without integration, teams must manually switch between these tools, wasting time and increasing the chance of errors. This fragmented approach slows the migration process and frustrates IT teams as they try to reconcile data and maintain efficiency.

4. Misalignment between IT and business teams.

When IT teams focus on the technical aspects of migration without aligning with business goals, gaps in understanding and communication arise. Business stakeholders often remain unaware of migration progress or its impact on critical goals like reducing costs or improving time-to-market. This disconnect can lead to unmet expectations, delayed decision-making, and a lack of trust between departments.

5. Overlooked Application Dependencies

A key but often overlooked challenge is neglecting the dependencies between applications, servers, and databases. Without tools to map these interconnections, businesses may experience partial failures, service disruptions, or unanticipated downtime during migration. For example, migrating a database without considering its link to a dependent application can cause the application to crash, resulting in costly troubleshooting and delays.

6. Insufficient Scalability and Readiness Planning

Many businesses fail to assess their infrastructure readiness before starting migration. This often leads to performance issues post-migration, where applications struggle to scale or meet user demands. Fixing these issues after the migration is not only costly but also time-consuming, adding to the overall complexity of the project.

7. Limited Resource Optimization and Cost Management

Without visibility into how resources are being used during migration, businesses risk wasting cloud resources or over-provisioning capacity. This results in higher costs and inefficiencies. For example, unoptimized server allocations or idle resources can significantly impact the migration budget, leaving businesses with unexpected expenses and underutilized investments.

AWS Migration Hub eliminates these challenges by providing centralized visibility, seamless integration, and effective tracking, making cloud migration smoother and more predictable.

Conclusion

We offer AWS migration services, utilizing AWS Migration Hub to guarantee a seamless and efficient move to the cloud. The Migration Hub centralizes tracking, cost management, and readiness assessments, providing full visibility and helping to minimize risks and disruptions.

With our expertise, we guide you through every stage—planning, execution, and optimization—ensuring that your migration is on time, within budget, and aligned with best practices. We can assist you in streamlining the migration process and maximizing the benefits of AWS.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is AWS Migration Hub suitable for small businesses?

Yes, it offers cost-effective solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes.

Does AWS Migration Hub support hybrid migrations?

Yes, it integrates with third-party tools to manage hybrid and multi-cloud migrations.

How much does AWS Migration Hub cost?

AWS Migration Hub is free, but you may incur charges for associated AWS services.