AWS Application Migration Service
Lift-and-shift servers to AWS
Continuously replicates entire servers (physical, VMware, other clouds) at the block level to AWS, letting you run tests and then cut over to EC2 with short downtime; also known as MGN.
- Cost$$ Medium
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?Yes
- Managed by AWS
- In examsSAA · CLF
Think of it asLike moving house by building a replica of your home at the new location, with the furniture kept continuously updated, so on moving day you just move the people over.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
You need to rehost (lift-and-shift) many servers to EC2 quickly, with few application changes.
✗ Avoid it when
Only moving databases → DMS; only moving files → DataSync; want to modernize applications → AWS Transform.
Common uses
- Move a VMware data center to EC2
- Test the replica on AWS before cutover
- Move servers from another cloud to AWS
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: Free for an initial number of hours per source server, then charged hourly per server being replicated; plus EC2, EBS, and snapshots used for replication.
⚠️ Cost traps
Forgetting to stop replication after cutover keeps the replication servers and EBS billing.
Related services
SAA-C03 study guide
MGN is covered in these study modules: