question

QX0232176-7884 avatar image
0 Votes"
QX0232176-7884 asked Jason-MSFT commented

Migrate SCCM server from on-premises virtual environment to AWS


I want to migration SCCM to the AWS.
At that time, the SCCM host name and IP address are changed. Is this okay?
SCCM consists of three units: management point, DB server, and distribution point.
Please tell me how to migrate the SCCM.
Also, do I have to do something inside by changing the host name of SCCM?

mem-cm-general
5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

Jason-MSFT avatar image
0 Votes"
Jason-MSFT answered QX0232176-7884 commented

It is not supported to change the host name of any systems hosting ConfigMgr roles including the primary site server; everything will break. Why does the name matter?

IP Address is irrelevant though.

As for how to move a site, AWS is irrelevant. You can simply use a site backup and restore.

· 1
5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

Thank you for your reply.

This time, after migrating the server, it is necessary to operate in parallel on the migration source server and the migration destination server for a while.
This is a customer request.
(Customers need to check for a period of time to make sure there is nothing wrong with the destination server.)
Therefore, I need to change the hostname of the server.

Should I give up on server migration and consider rebuilding the server?

0 Votes 0 ·
ColinFord-6663 avatar image
0 Votes"
ColinFord-6663 answered

You can use passive mode to effectively rename the a site server, however as with everything there are pre-reqs before you can do it https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/servers/deploy/configure/site-server-high-availability (Just replace Azure with AWS in the doco link)

As Jason has said, the alternative/traditional way is site backup and restore but then server name and drive layout can't change so you can't really run both servers at the same time. MS IT has a showcase on how they went about this https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/itshowcase/migrating-system-center-configuration-manager-on-premises-infrastructure-to-microsoft-azure

5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

QX0232176-7884 avatar image
0 Votes"
QX0232176-7884 answered

Thank you for your reply to me.
I would also consider migrating without changing the host name of the server.

Although it is the current SCCM servers, it is installed in the on-premises virtual environment. (VMware)
Is it okay to export the image with VMware functionality and simply import it into AWS?

5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

Jason-MSFT avatar image
0 Votes"
Jason-MSFT answered

Is it okay to export the image with VMware functionality and simply import it into AWS?

This is not supported, but should work. However, this contradicts with your stated requirement of "it is necessary to operate in parallel on the migration source server and the migration destination server for a while." So which is it?

Also, with a traditional site backup and restore, if there is an issue, you simply switch back to the existing server (it's a bit more complex than that, but it is possible). The entire point of a site backup and restore is for DR purposes that has been used many, many thousands (if not tens of thousands) of times by customers over the past 25 years.


5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

QX0232176-7884 avatar image
0 Votes"
QX0232176-7884 answered

Thank you for your reply.

If the migration can be done simply by importing / exporting the server image, I would suggest that the customer do it without a parallel period.
Will the unsupported you say have an impact in the future?
For example, if something goes wrong with this server, I wouldn't be able to contact MS Support.

I'm not very familiar with this server because I'm not in charge of building and operating this server.
(I have been asked by the customer only for the migration part of this server this time)
So I don't know how to do "site backup and restore".
So I was looking for a simple way to do it.
If "site backup and restore" is the best method, I'll investigate to implement this method.

5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

Jason-MSFT avatar image
0 Votes"
Jason-MSFT answered Jason-MSFT commented

Will the unsupported you say have an impact in the future?

Don't know. That's the entire reason we don't support it -- we don't design for or test it. Maybe nothing will go wrong. Maybe it'll die tomorrow, or next week, or next year. My common saying (repurposed from Michael Niehaus) is "Do unsupported things, get unsupported results".

Site backup and restore is covered at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/servers/manage/backup-and-recovery. I also have a supplemental article at https://home.memftw.com/configmgr-site-backup-restore/.

· 2
5 |1600 characters needed characters left characters exceeded

Up to 10 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 3.0 MiB each and 30.0 MiB total.

Thank you for your reply.
I will proceed with the migration with "Site backup and restore".
Of course, I will explain it to the customer and get an agreement before taking it.

I'm sorry often, but could you please let me know if you have any concerns about my server configuration?

<Composition>
- One Site
- Management point with one server
- Software update point / distribution management / deployment on one server. *Site server
- DB with one server *SQL Server is not Always On.
- Two distribution point servers. *Not subject to migration to AWS, change settings and use without migration.

*In my SCCM configuration, CAS doesn't exist.

0 Votes 0 ·

Without having more depth of knowledge about the environment being managed, there's little that could or should be said.

One comment though is that I never recommend placing any client facing site roles on the primary site server though (client facing roles include MP, DP, SUP, and FSP).

0 Votes 0 ·