Migrating Windows-Based Machines to Microsoft Azure with Terraform and Cloud Block Store

In my previous article, I showed how to use Terraform to deploy an Azure virtual machine (VM). With the recent announcement of Cloud Block Store being generally available in Azure, I can now cover how to use automation for test/dev, disaster recovery, and migration use cases to move workloads from on-premises to Microsoft Azure!

One of the benefits of using Terraform is that it allows us to use the same automation tool across clouds. This means we can use the same scripts to deploy and configure VMs in both on-premises and Azure environments. In this article, I will focus on how to migrate Windows-based machines from on-premises to Microsoft Azure using Terraform and Cloud Block Store.

Provisioning Azure VMs with Terraform

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To get started, we’ll need to download the sample manifest from GitHub and update the variables for our environment. This includes the Azure resource group, virtual network, subnet, and interface. We’ll also need to update the Azure VM’s hostname, admin username and password, as well as any other fields we wish to customize.

Once we have updated the manifest, we can use Terraform to provision the Azure VM. The best part about using Terraform is that we can utilize Azure customization to run a script once the machine is deployed. This allows us to automate tasks such as configuring network settings, installing software, and setting up storage.

In our case, we will be using a standard PowerShell script to configure iSCSI for the Azure VM. This script can be downloaded from GitHub or pulled down from a GIST. In an enterprise environment, this script can be stored on a local server or repository.

Customizing Azure VMs with PowerShell

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To customize the Azure VM using PowerShell, we will need to update the customize resource in the manifest. This resource allows us to run a script once the machine is deployed. We can use this script to configure iSCSI, install software, and set up storage.

The script we will be using is a standard PowerShell script that configures iSCSI for the Azure VM. This script can be customized for your liking, and any configuration done here can be done via PowerShell. The options are endless!

Authenticating with Azure CLI

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Unlike with other Terraform providers where we specify login credentials in the manifest, Azure is a bit different. There are four options for authenticating with Azure, and the easiest option is to authenticate using Azure CLI. To login, we simply run the following command:

“`bash

az login

“`

This will open a web browser and prompt us to authenticate. Once authenticated, we can run our Terraform deployment.

Deploying Azure VMs with Terraform

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To deploy an Azure VM using Terraform, we’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Run `terraform init` to install any needed providers.

2. Run `terraform plan` to make sure all the connectivity is working.

3. Run `terraform apply` to deploy!

If everything is successful, our Azure VM instance should be deployed in about 5 minutes!

Using Cloud Block Store for Migration, Test/Dev, and Disaster Recovery

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In addition to automating the deployment of Azure VMs, we can also use Cloud Block Store for migration, test/dev, and disaster recovery use cases. Cloud Block Store allows us to store and manage our data in a cloud-based block storage system. This means we can easily move our data between on-premises and Azure environments.

Cloud Block Store also provides several benefits, including:

* Reduced costs: By using a cloud-based block storage system, we can reduce our costs by eliminating the need for on-premises storage hardware.

* Increased flexibility: Cloud Block Store allows us to easily move our data between on-premises and Azure environments, providing greater flexibility in how we deploy and manage our workloads.

* Improved disaster recovery: With Cloud Block Store, we can easily replicate our data between on-premises and Azure environments, providing improved disaster recovery capabilities.

Conclusion

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In this article, I have covered how to use Terraform and Cloud Block Store to automate the deployment of Azure VMs for test/dev, disaster recovery, and migration use cases. By using these tools, we can easily move our Windows-based machines from on-premises to Microsoft Azure, providing greater flexibility and cost savings.

I hope this article has been helpful! If you have any additional questions or comments, please leave them below.