Server Migration Center:Server migration guide

Limits

For more information about the limits on server migration, see Limits.

SMC client

The SMC client is a server migration tool developed by Alibaba Cloud. It is small in size and free of installation. When you migrate data from a server, you must download the SMC client to the server.

• If you import the information about a migration source by using the SMC console or CLI, the system automatically downloads the installation package of the SMC client.

• If you import the information about a migration source by using the SMC client, you must manually download the installation package of the SMC client based on the operating system of the source server.

  • Windows 64-bit Generic

  • Windows 32-bit Generic

  • Linux 64-bit Generic

  • Linux 64-bit (Kernel 5.x or Later)

  • Linux 32-bit Generic

  • Linux 64-bit for ARM

For more information, see SMC client.

How it works

Server Migration Center (SMC) consists of the SMC client and the SMC console. This section describes the principles of server migration.

Migrate the source server to a custom image

You can migrate the source server to a custom Elastic Compute Service (ECS) image and then create an ECS instance by using the custom ECS image. The following figure shows the server migration process.

Migrate the source server to an instance

If you have purchased an ECS instance or a simple application server as the destination instance, you can directly migrate the source server to the destination instance. The specifications of the purchased destination instance must be compatible with those of the source server, such as the storage capacity and operating system. The following figure shows the server migration process.

Server migration principles:

1. Download and install the SMC client on the source server. If you import the information about the source server by using the CLI or the SMC console, the system automatically downloads and installs the SMC client on the source server. In this case, you can skip this step.

2. Run the SMC client on the source server. The SMC client submits the information about the source server to the SMC server by using the endpoint of SMC.

3. The SMC server creates a temporary intermediate instance and configures the security group of the intermediate instance to allow access to ports 8080 and 8703. If you migrate the source server to an instance, the destination instance is used as an intermediate instance. Then, the SMC server creates a temporary intermediate cloud disk and attaches the intermediate cloud disk to the destination instance.

4. The SMC client connects to port 8080 of the intermediate instance to establish communication and transmits the disk data of the source server to the data disks of the intermediate instance by using port 8703 of the intermediate instance.

5. The SMC server creates snapshots for the disk data of the intermediate instance and creates an ECS image from the snapshots. If you migrate the source server to an instance, the system disk of the destination instance is replaced by using the ECS image.

Billing

When you use SMC for migration, you are charged only for the ECS resources that you use. For more information, see Billing.

Migration process

When you use SMC to migrate a source to Alibaba Cloud, you must import the information about the migration source to the SMC console, and then create and start a migration job. The following figure shows the migration process.

Procedure:

1. Prepare for the migration.

   Create an Alibaba Cloud account, complete real-name verification, activate Resource Access Management (RAM), and then activate the snapshot service. For more information, see Before you begin.

2. Import the information about the migration source.

   SMC supports multiple methods to import the information about a migration source. You can select one of the following methods based on your business requirements:

   • Import the information about a migration source by using the CLI

   • Import the information about a migration source by using the SMC console

   • Import the information about a migration source by using the SMC client

   For more information about the limits on and benefits of methods to import the information about a migration source, see the How do I select the method to import the information about a migration source? section of the "FAQ" topic.

3. Create a migration job.

   SMC supports multiple migration scenarios. You can create migration jobs based on your business requirements.

   Note

   • If the requirements for a migration test are met, a migration test is performed before the migration job is started.

     • If the migration test is passed, the system automatically starts the migration job by default.

     • If the migration test fails, you must view the test report and fix the test items that are in the Critical state. Then, retry the migration test. For more information, see Configure a migration test.

   • If the requirements for a migration test are not met, the system automatically starts the migration job by default.

   • Create a server migration job

   • Migrate data between ECS instances that belong to the same Alibaba Cloud account or different Alibaba Cloud accounts

   • Migrate data from a simple application server to an ECS instance

   • Migrate data from a lightweight server provided by a third party to an Alibaba Cloud simple application server

   • Migrate source servers to Container Registry

   • Migrate servers to Alibaba Cloud EDS

Feedback and suggestions

If you have questions or suggestions about SMC, you can use one of the following methods to provide your feedback, contact technical support, and obtain a better service experience.