Migration of OpenText systems from On-premise data center to AWS Public Cloud

[AmitavaGupta]

Migration of OpenText systems from On-premise data center to AWS Public Cloud :

1. Initial Assessment and Planning:

• Identify Components: List all OpenText components in use (e.g., Content Server, AppWorks) and document architecture and dependencies.
• Determine Cloud Requirements: Define cloud requirements for application servers, NFS storage, and archived data migration.
• Choose AWS Services: Identify AWS services to use, such as AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) for replicating application servers, S3 for archival storage, and Snowball for data transfer if needed.

1. Architect the Target AWS Environment

• Networking: Set up a VPC with subnets, security groups, and NACLs, configuring secure and isolated environments for application components.
• Storage Solutions: 
• Plan to use:
  1. Amazon S3 for OpenText archival storage.
  2. Amazon EFS or FSx for Lustre if NFS shares are required by OpenText applications.
  3. Snowball or Data Box if there’s a large amount of archived data.
• Compute Resources: Choose appropriate EC2 instances to host OpenText application servers.
• Database Options: If using an OpenText-supported database, consider Amazon RDS for easier management and scalability.
• IAM Roles and Permissions: Define roles for data and server access, ensuring appropriate permissions for each service.

1. Setup AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) for Server Replication

• Install MGN Agents: Install MGN agents on all on-prem OpenText application servers.
• Configure Replication Settings: Set up MGN with replication settings (e.g., subnet, security group, instance type) to ensure correct configuration in the AWS environment.
• Start Replication: Initiate the replication process, which allows continuous data sync until the cutover phase.
• Test Replicated Servers: After replication, test the servers in AWS using MGN's testing feature to confirm functionality and performance.

1. Migrate NFS Data

• Set up Storage in AWS:
  1. Amazon EFS: Use Amazon EFS for file system storage compatible with NFS if the OpenText application requires persistent file storage.
  2. S3 or Snowball: For large datasets, consider using AWS Snowball to transfer data to S3 or EFS for NFS-based access.
  3. Data Sync: Use AWS DataSync or rsync tools to copy and sync NFS data from on-premise to EFS or other AWS storage options.
• Validate Data Integrity: Check for data consistency and completeness after migration.

1. Archive Data Migration to Amazon S3

• Storage Bucket Setup: Create S3 buckets to store OpenText archived data.
• Data Transfer Options:
  1. Direct Transfer: For smaller data volumes, use the internet to upload data directly from on-prem to S3.
  2. AWS Snowball: For large archives, order an AWS Snowball device, copy the data onto it, and ship it back to AWS for import into S3.
  3. Data Validation: Verify archived data in S3 after migration and test OpenText Archive Center’s access to ensure smooth integration.
  4. Testing and Validation
• Functional Testing: Test all OpenText components on AWS to ensure they are fully functional and compatible in the new environment.
• Performance Testing: Conduct load testing on OpenText applications to validate that performance meets expected standards in AWS.
• Security and Compliance: Conduct security checks to validate IAM roles, network security, and encryption configurations.

1. Cutover and Final Migration Steps

• Finalize MGN Replication: For application servers, perform a final sync with MGN and initiate a cutover to AWS.
• DNS Update and Network Configuration: Update DNS to redirect traffic to AWS instances and configure any necessary VPNs or Direct Connect for hybrid setups.
• Final NFS Data Sync: Perform a last sync of NFS data if required to capture recent changes.
• Switch Production Traffic: Redirect production traffic to the AWS-hosted OpenText instances and monitor closely for any issues.

1. Post-Migration Tasks and Optimization

• Monitoring and Alerts: Set up Amazon CloudWatch for continuous monitoring and alerting of all OpenText components.
• Backup Configuration: Implement regular backups for EC2 instances, EFS, and S3 data to ensure disaster recovery readiness.
• Optimize Costs and Resources: Review resource utilization, resize instances as necessary, and configure S3 lifecycle policies to manage storage costs.
• Documentation and Training: Document the AWS architecture, migration steps, and new operational procedures.

By following  the above steps, we can migrate OpenText systems from  on-premise data center to AWS, with MGN handling application server replication, NFS data sync to AWS storage, and S3 or Snowball accommodating the archive storage needs.

Please note for Oracle DB , Upgrade the Oracle version to 19c and also upgrade Open Text version before migrating to AWS.