Question #1380
A company needs to migrate an on-premises virtual machine hosting a legacy application on Windows Server 2016 to AWS. The migration must be automated to ensure minimal downtime and allow the server to operate natively on AWS infrastructure without reconfiguration. Which AWS service best meets these requirements?
AWS DataSync
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
AWS Application Discovery Service
AWS Application Migration Service
Explanation
The correct answer is D: AWS Application Migration Service (MGN).
Why D is correct:
AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) automates the migration of on-premises virtual machines (VMs) and physical servers to AWS. It uses replication to minimize downtime and converts source servers into native AWS EC2 instances, requiring no reconfiguration. This aligns with the requirement to migrate a Windows Server 2016 VM hosting a legacy application natively to AWS.
Why other options are incorrect:
- A: AWS DataSync transfers large datasets between on-premises storage and AWS (e.g., S3, EFS) but does not migrate VMs or applications.
- B: AWS DMS migrates databases (e.g., SQL Server, MySQL) between platforms but does not handle VM or application migration.
- C: AWS Application Discovery Service collects configuration and performance data about on-premises servers for migration planning but does not perform the migration.
Key Points:
- Use AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) for automated lift-and-shift of VMs/physical servers to AWS.
- Minimal downtime is achieved through continuous replication.
- Legacy applications run natively on AWS EC2 without reconfiguration.
Answer
The correct answer is: D