SaaSaMe Transport Workload Snapshot Export for Alibaba Cloud
Contents About This Document... 3 Revision History... 3 Workload Snapshot Export for Alibaba Cloud... 4 Workload Snapshot Export Feature... 4 Windows Workload Support Matrix... 5 Linux Workload Support Matrix... 6 Workload Snapshot Export Deployment Requirements... 7 SaaSaMe Transport Server requirements... 7 Packer for Windows requirements... 7 Packer for VMware requirements... 7 Transport Server Deployment... 8 SaaSaMe Transport Server Installation... 8 Installing Transport Linux Launcher Emulator... 13 Log in to SaaSaMe Transport Management Portal... 14 Enable Snapshot Export Feature... 15 Register Transport Server... 16 Workload Host Configuration... 19 Installing Packer for Windows... 19 Register Windows Server Workload... 22 Register VMware Windows/Linux Virtual Machine... 25 Boot Linux Server by Packer for Offline Kit... 28 Register Offline Linux Workload Machine... 30 Perform Workload Snapshot Export... 33 Perform Prepare Workload to Export Server... 33 Perform Recover Workload for Alibaba Cloud Conversion... 38 Upload Workload Image to Alibaba Cloud... 41 Enable Object Storage Service... 41 Installing OSS Console Client... 42 Upload Workload VHD Files by OSS Console Client... 43 Import Workload Custom Image in Alibaba Cloud... 44 Create New Instance by Workload Custom Image... 47
About This Document This document describes SaaSaMe Transport snapshot export feature to support onpremises workload migration to Alibaba Cloud. Revision History The following table shows the file modification history records. Modify Date Version Description 2017-06-23 0.9 Preview version
Workload Snapshot Export for Alibaba Cloud Workload Snapshot Export Feature SaaSaMe Transport solution helps enterprises to move workloads from on-premises to private, hybrid or public cloud platforms. The Snapshot Export feature in SaaSaMe Transport is designed for Alibaba Cloud customers to export their workloads to VHD images, and then convert those images so they can be used on Alibaba Cloud. Then users can simply upload the VHD images to Alibaba Cloud and follow standard procedures to create instance from uploaded workload VHD images. All export operations can be controlled from central management portal, and for large enterprises it supports a multiple Transport server configuration so you can run export and conversion in parallel.
Windows Workload Support Matrix SaaSaMe Transport Snapshot Export feature supports migration of the following Windows workloads to Alibaba Cloud. 1. Packer for Windows is an on-line migration agent that can be installed on the supported Windows system to create snapshots and, based on that snapshot, replicate whole server disks to the Transport server. 2. Packer for VMware is service installed on Transport server supports VMware VADP API to create VMware virtual machine snapshot and then based on the VM snapshot to replicate the VMDK files to Transport server. 3. For VMware virtual machines, user can use either Packer for Windows or Packer for VMware without installing an agent on each virtual machine to perform snapshot export. 4. Others VM means Windows system installed on Xen, KVM, VirtualBox 5. AWS means Windows system installed on AWS or another cloud platform.
Linux Workload Support Matrix SaaSaMe Transport Snapshot Export feature supports migration of the following Linux workloads to Alibaba Cloud. 1. Packer for VMware is a service installed on the Transport server that supports VMware VADP API to create VMware virtual machine snapshot and then, based on the VM snapshot, replicate the VMDK files to the Transport server. 2. Packer for Offline is a bootable ISO file that you can burn to a DVD or convert to USB kit to be used to boot up on the Linux machine and then perform offline replication of Linux system disks to the Transport server. 3. Others VM means Linux server installed on Xen, KVM, VirtualBox 4. AWS means Linux server installed on AWS or another cloud platform.
Workload Snapshot Export Deployment Requirements SaaSaMe Transport Server requirements SaaSaMe Transport server is a core service to perform workload snapshot export; please check the following requirements to prepare the server for deployment. 1. Windows Server 2012R2, KB2919355 installed 2. Without Linux Launcher installation, minimum setup: 1 CPU core, 1GB memory 3. With Linux Launcher installation, minimum setup: 2 CPU core, 2GB memory 4. Available TCP service port: 80, 443, 18888-18893, 28891 5. 10GB for software installation and buffer operation, or 10% of your data size. 6. Local disk space to save VHD files Packer for Windows requirements Packer for Windows can be installed on Windows system listed on support matrix; please check the following requirements to prepare the Packer deployment 1. Windows system listed on support matrix 2. 50MB for software installation and operation 3. 250MB available memory when performing replication 4. Available TCP service port: 18889 5. No dynamic disk configuration Packer for VMware requirements Packer for VMware is a service component installed on Transport server; please check the following requirements to work with VMware ESX server. 1. Support ESX server: 5, 6 and 6.5, recommend installing latest patch 2. Support standalone ESX server (requires license with VMware API support) 3. Support vcenter 5, 6 and 6.5, recommend installing latest patch 4. Recommend installing VMware tools on virtual machine 5. Pre-test Take virtual machine snapshot function with Quiesce guest file system option on VMware vsphere client or web console.
Transport Server Deployment SaaSaMe Transport Server Installation Please perform the following procedure to install SaaSaMe Transport Server on Windows Server 2012R2 with required configuration. SaaSaMe Transport server shall be installed on the same local network with migration workload. 1. Double-click on Transport.exe file to run the Transport Setup Wizard and follow the instructions. Click on Next to start the installation process. 2. Specify a folder to install the Transport Server.
3. In Optional features to install, click Select All to install Management option on the first deployed Transport server. If you plan to install multiple Transport servers in one on-premises site to perform snapshot export in parallel, the second Transport server that you install does not need to include the management console. 4. Please click on Install to initiate the installation.
5. If Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x64) 14.0.23026 has not been previously installed on the Windows Server 2012R2, then a screen will automatically prompt you to install that first before proceeding with the installation. Please click on Install in the new window, and then close it after successful completion to continue with the installation of the Transport Server. 6. Please wait around 1 minute to complete the installation.
7. Once the installation completes, please click on Finish to exit the Transport Setup Wizard. 8. To confirm that the installation was successful, go to Administrative Tools->Services and check that Apache 2.4 and the SaaSaMe services listed below are running: SaaSaMe Carrier Service SaaSaMe Launcher Service SaaSaMe Loader Service SaaSaMe Scheduler Service SaaSaMe Virtual Packer Service
9. Open the Control Panel, go to Windows Firewall->Advance settings, and check that the following Open Port rules are included in the Inbound Rules section. 10. Right-click on the Task Bar and open the Task Manager. Check that the background processes for Apache HTTP Server and SaaSaMe Transport are running.
Installing Transport Linux Launcher Emulator To convert a Linux system to be bootable on Alibaba Cloud, the user must install Transport Linux Launcher Emulator on the Transport server that may perform Linux system conversion. Linux Launcher Emulator is a small Linux virtual machine installed on SaaSaMe Transport Linux Launcher service, it will be started on-demand when the user runs a Recovery Linux workload. Run linuxlauncher.exe on Transport server and click Yes to start installation. After a minute or so, another message will pop up indicating that the installation has completed.
Log in to SaaSaMe Transport Management Portal To perform the snapshot export migration, all settings and actions are made through the SaaSaMe Transport Management Portal. 1. Open your Web Browser and connect to the URL by your host name, the page will redirect to management portal URL: https://<your host name>/portal. Type "admin" for both the username and password fields and then click on Login. 2. After initial login, click on the User button to access the User Settings for you to change the time zone and your password.
Enable Snapshot Export Feature SaaSaMe Transport workload migration uses network replication across the on-premises and cloud platform and disables the Snapshot Export feature by default. To enable the snapshot export feature on management portal, user must change the option level from normal user to Super User level. Click on User button then you can change the Option level to SuperUser, click Submit to save the change, and the next time you perform a prepare workload task the export option will be available to be selected.
Register Transport Server Each Transport server must be registered on Transport management to run the snapshot export operation. Follow the procedure below to complete Transport Server registration: 1. Click on Setup Environment, and then Transport. 2. In the Transport settings, click on New to add a Transport Server. 3. Select On-Premises to register a Transport Server in local LAN to perform snapshot export operation.
4. Input host name of Transport server, then click on Verify Service. You can either input IP address of Transport server or host name (FQDN is recommended to better handle IP address change cases). 5. After service verification, you can click on Submit to complete registration. 6. A message will be displayed indicating that the Transport server was successfully added. Please click Close to continue.
7. Back in the Transport setting, you can confirm that the registered Transport was added and is showing the registered host name or IP address.
Workload Host Configuration Installing Packer for Windows Packer for Windows is an online migration agent with SaaSaMe journal technology to record every write change on Windows system, and integrates with VSS snapshot and file system journal to support incremental workload copy to Transport server. Follow the procedure below to install Packer for Windows on physical machine or virtual machine. 1. Double-click on Packer.exe file to run the Packer for Windows Setup Wizard and follow the instructions. Click on Next to start the installation process. 2. Please keep the default settings and click on Next. For one-time snapshot export, you can disable installing Volume Change Block Tracking Filter Driver.
3. Only 15MB of space are needed, so please keep the default destination folder and click on Next to continue. 4. Please click on Install to initiate the installation. 5. Once the installation completes, please click on Finish to exit the Packer for Windows Setup Wizard.
6. If installing Volume Change Block Tracking Filter Driver, you will be requested to restart the Windows server to enable driver function. For one-time snapshot export that will only run a one-time full workload copy, then you don t need to reboot server or even install driver. 7. Right-click on the Task Bar and open the Task Manager. Check that the background process for SaaSaMe Host Packer Service is running.
Register Windows Server Workload After installed Packer for Windows, you must register that source Windows system on management portal to control the workload snapshot export operation. Follow the procedure below to complete the Windows workload registration: 1. Click on Setup Environment, and then Host. 2. In the Host settings, click on New to add a host. 3. For the host type, please select Windows Server to register a physical Windows Server.
4. Enter the host name or FQDN of source Windows workload, IP address is acceptable but host name or FQDN is recommended to better handle IP address change cases. If you have multiple Transport servers then you shall select the home Transport server that will control the source Windows workload. Clicking on Test Connection will test the control and network between this Windows workload and the specified home Transport server. 5. After testing the connection, you can click on Submit to complete registration. 6. A message will be displayed indicating that the registration was successful. Please click on Close to continue.
7. Back in the Host setting, you can confirm that the Windows Server was added and is showing the registered host name or IP address.
Register VMware Windows/Linux Virtual Machine To export VMware Windows or Linux virtual machine by VM snapshot, user must register VMware ESX server or VMware vcenter to import the virtual machine list. Follow the procedure below to complete the virtual Windows Server registration. 1. Click on Setup Environment, and then Host. 2. In the Host settings, click on New to add a host. 3. For the host type, please select VMware ESX Server to connect to ESX server or vcenter server to export virtual machine list.
4. Enter host name or IP address of registered ESX or vcenter server (using host name is recommended) as well as the user name and password to grant API access, and select the Transport server. Then click on Test Connection. 5. If the connection test is successful, then click on Submit.
6. A message will be displayed indicating that the registration was successful. Please click on Close to continue. 7. Back in the Host setting, VMware Windows/Linux virtual machine inventory was added. If a virtual machine is not powered on or does not have VMware Tools installed, then the IP address for the ESX Server will be displayed instead. You can use the Search function to find a virtual machine from the list.
Boot Linux Server by Packer for Offline Kit Packer for Offline Kit is an ISO file that you can burn to a DVD or convert to a USB kit to boot Linux server and read Linux disks to replicate to the Transport server. Insert Packer for Offline kit to server, reboot server and select boot machine from DVD or USB kit, then refer to steps below to configure driver and network on Packer for Offline Kit. 1. Packer for Offline kit will boot into WinPE system, if you cannot see disk drive or network adapter, Click Install Drivers to add driver for your machine. 2. You can change the speed of network adapter and configure static IP address in network setting.
3. In Connect Management, click Finish to ignore the step for other purposes. 4. After completed the network setting, you will see Ready for Recovery information, the IP address on each network adapter can be read for host registration later. 5. You can also click Command Prompt to open a new window to test network connection by network command like ping.
Register Offline Linux Workload Machine To export Linux virtual machine booted from Packer for Offline, user must register Packer for Offline host as the export source. Follow the procedure below to complete the Packer for Offline boot machine registration. 1. Click on Setup Environment, and then Host. 2. In the Host settings, click on New to add a host. 3. For the host type, please select Offline Clone to connect to the machine boot from Packer for Offline kit.
4. Enter IP address of machine boot from Packer for Offline kit, then click on Test Connection. 5. If the connection test is successful, then click on Submit. 6. A message will be displayed indicating that the registration was successful. Please click on Close to continue.
7. Back in the Host setting, you can input IP address of registered Packer for Offline kit. The host name is on-demand generation and will be change every time you reboot the Packer for Offline Kit. The OS type will be detected automatically, please check and make sure Packer for Offline kit identifies Linux or Windows workload correctly.
Perform Workload Snapshot Export Perform Prepare Workload to Export Server Prepare Workload will notify Transport server to create schedule job and send command to workload host to create snapshot and then, based on snapshot, to copy used data blocks to Transport server. Please follow the steps below to create a Prepare Workload task for each registered workload host. 1. Go to Prepare Workload setting and click on New to start a new workload synchronization. 2. In selecting registered workload host, you can use keyword to find the host easily from filtered list, click one workload host and then click Next to continue.
3. Select the target Transport server, then click next. If you do not see any Transport server listed, then you must click User button to check that the option mode was changed to SuperUser. 4. To configure schedule for one-time snapshot export purpose, please follow the recommended settings below: (1) Interval: Change to 0, it will perform just one time (2) Loader Threads: Change to 4, if your Transport server has good write I/O performance (3) Packer Threads: Change to same value as Loader threads (4) Image Export Type: It shall be VHD for Alibaba Cloud image process. (5) Image Export Path: Local folder with enough space to store VHD files, it cannot be network drive or network share. The default schedule will trigger prepare workload job immediately, you can change the start time to run the export job on midnight or outside working hours.
5. After confirming that the synchronization settings are correct, click Run to start the process. 6. A message will be displayed to confirm the job submission. Please click Close to continue.
7. Back to the Prepare Workload settings, you can see the progress of the job. The first number indicates progress of Packer to Transport server, and the second number indicates the progress of received data on-the-fly to export to VHD file. 8. Click on the message bubble icon on the right side of the status message and you can see the last 250 messages, which you can also export to pdf and csv formats
9. Depending on the replication data size and Transport server performance, it requires time to complete the snapshot export job. Once the replication of snapshot to VHD file completes, it will display the message Snapshot creation completed. 10. You can click the message bubble icon to know each process completed time to understand entire process steps and duration. 11. The exported images will be saved to a sub-folder specified by host name and store VHD file by the workload host name and disk number. Don t move the image files before performing Recover Workload conversion.
Perform Recover Workload for Alibaba Cloud Conversion After competed Prepare Workload job to replicate host workload by snapshot to Transport server and on-the-fly export to VHD file, the system configuration in VHD is designed for source environment, so if user wants to upload the VHD to Alibaba Cloud then the required drivers and system configuration must be injected into the system. The process is called conversion and will be triggered by Recover Workload Job. Please refer to steps below to run recover workload on exported workload. 1. Go to Recover Workload setting and click New to start a recovery workload process. 2. Select the exported workload host, click Next to continue.
3. After confirming that the settings are correct, click Run to start the process. 4. A message will be displayed to confirm the job submission. Please click Close to continue. 5. Back in the Recover Workload setting, you can see the status and progress of the job.
6. When conversion completes, the message Export Image is ready to use will be displayed. 7. You can click the message bubble icon to know each process completed time to understand entire process steps and duration.
Upload Workload Image to Alibaba Cloud Enable Object Storage Service To upload the export workload image, user must enable Object Storage Service on Alibaba Cloud and then create a bucket as the target to store the workload image files. You can refer to the online documentation on Alibaba Cloud for the detailed steps. https://intl.aliyun.com/help/product/31815.htm?spm=a3c0i.o32199en.a1.2.uex1ck
Installing OSS Console Client Uploading a file from the OSS web console has a size limitation. To support big workload image upload please contact Alibaba Cloud support to get OSS console Client package then install on the Transport server or machine that will perform workload image file upload to Alibaba Cloud OSS. Login to OSS console client requires authentication by Access Key ID and Access Key Secret, you can click Get AccessKey button located on the top-right of OSS web console, and then click Create Access Key to generate Access Key ID and Access Key Secret.
Upload Workload VHD Files by OSS Console Client To eliminate the upload size limitation, you need to run OSS console client to upload the workload VHD file. 1. Run OSS Console Client and login by your Access Key Secret. 2. Click Create to create a bucket on the target region to migrate the workload to. 3. Select the target bucket and then click Upload, choose VHD files or entire folder, and click Choose to start uploading to target bucket. 4. Check Upload Queue to get the progress and result.
Import Workload Custom Image in Alibaba Cloud Uploaded workload VHD files must be imported as Alibaba Cloud custom image so you can create a new instance by imported image. Please follow the steps below to compete the import operation. 1. Sign in to Alibaba Cloud management console, click Products and then click Storage & CDN to select Object Storage Service 2. Click target bucket with uploaded VHD files and then click Object management. Then click Get URL. 3. Click Get URL and then copy the URL for import image process later. 4. Click Products and then click Elastic Computing to select Elastic Compute Service
5. Under Snapshots & Images, from the Image list on top, change to the target region and then click Import Image 6. Paste copied system VHD file URL to OSS Object Address and change Image Format to VHD, specify System Disk Size and complete the other settings follow source system information then click OK, one Import Image Task submitted message will pop up.
7. Import image task submitted success then you will see one pop up message to describe the region and ID information. 8. From the image list, you will see new custom image in creating status and check the progress, wait for status changing to available and then you can use this custom image to start the instance.
Create New Instance by Workload Custom Image Based on the imported workload custom image you can create new instance to migrate the workload to Alibaba Cloud. Please refer to the steps below to compete the create new instance operation. 1. In Elastic Compute Service, select Instance and region which imported custom workload image, then click Create Instance. 2. It will create new web page to start creating new instance wizard, follow the wizard to complete all settings to create the new instance to run your imported workload.
3. The most important configuration is Choose the Operating System, you must change to use Custom Image and then select the image imported by workload VHD files. 4. Once you complete the setting and click BUY NOW button, you can review your order in detail and then click Activate to start creating instance. If you select Subscription pricing model then you must complete the payment by credit card. 5. Alibaba Cloud system starts to process your order and display the result, then you can click Console to check the new instance status.
6. Go back to Instance and region of the new instance, wait a few minutes for the instance to be created and start. 7. When status changed to Running, you can click Connect function in Action, that will initiate VNC connection to control the instance console. 8. First time you connect, it will pop up one VNC connection Password window. You must record and keep the password that will only display on the first time you connect, and then every time you connect to VNC console will be requested to enter this password.
9. Input VNC connection password to pass the authentication, then you can start to login to your workload by Send remote command of CTRL+ALT+DELETE.