Migrate a physical centos server from Rackspace to Azure VM

Question

Migrate a physical centos server from Rackspace to Azure VM

Franklyn Hamilton 0

I have an existing Centos 7 with Rackspace. I want to migrate it over to a VM on Azure and then do an upgrade

Pranay Reddy Madireddy 2,490 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-10T06:14:59.0333333+00:00

Hi Franklyn Hamilton

To prepare for migration to Azure, start by inventorying all applications and services currently running on your CentOS 7 server. This step will help identify potential compatibility issues and specific requirements.

Perform a full backup of your server, including all data, configurations, and applications. It’s also recommended to have a disaster recovery plan in place to mitigate any issues during the migration.

If you don’t already have an Azure account, create one.

Set up a resource group and configure the necessary network infrastructure (example: - virtual network, subnet) in Azure.

Azure Migrate is the ideal tool for assessing and migrating your server to Azure. It can automatically handle the migration of VMs, databases, and applications.

Alternatively, you can manually create a new CentOS 7 VM in Azure and transfer your data and applications if Azure Migrate is not suitable.

You can transfer your data using tools such as rsync, scp, or Azure Blob Storage.

After transferring, you may need to configure and install your applications on the new Azure VM.

After migration, thoroughly test all applications and services to ensure everything is functioning as expected. Verify data integrity and assess application performance on the new VM.

Update DNS records and necessary network configurations to point to your new Azure VM. Make sure firewall and security settings are correctly configured to ensure secure access.

Once your server is stable and fully operational, plan for upgrading CentOS 7 to a newer version or consider switching to a supported distribution like Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux since CentOS 8 has reached its end of life.

Use Azure Monitor to track the performance and health of your VM.

reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/migrate-services-overview#what-is-azure-migrate
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/vmware/agent-based-migration-architecture?context=%2Fazure%2Fmigrate%2Fcontext%2Fmigrate-context
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/common-questions-business-case#what-does-the-different-migration-strategies-mean
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/common-questions-server-migration#which-operating-systems-are-supported-for-migration-of-uefi-based-machines-to-azure

If you have any further queries, do let us know.

Please do not forget to "Accept the answer” and upvote it wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.it would be greatly appreciated and helpful to others.
Pranay Reddy Madireddy 2,490 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-12T08:41:04.0233333+00:00

Hi @Anonymous
Just checking in to see if the below answer provided by @Anonymous helped. If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

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Your answer

Pranay Reddy Madireddy 2,490 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-12T08:41:04.0233333+00:00

Hi @Anonymous
Just checking in to see if the below answer provided by @Anonymous helped. If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Answer 1

Hi ,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Migration Plan: CentOS 7 from Rackspace to Azure VM

Assess and Prepare

Verify OS, applications, and dependencies.
Check disk size, boot mode (BIOS/UEFI), and network settings.
Ensure compatibility with Azure VM and future OS upgrade paths.

Backup the Server

Create a full system backup and store it securely.
Exclude unnecessary directories like /proc, /sys, /dev, etc.

Convert Physical Server to Virtual Disk

Convert the disk to a VHD format (fixed size).
Ensure the VHD is bootable and Azure-compatible.

Upload and Deploy in Azure

Transfer the VHD to an Azure storage account.
Create a managed disk from the uploaded VHD.
Deploy a new Azure VM using the managed disk.

Post-Migration Configuration

Enable serial console access.
Install and configure the Azure Linux Agent.
Reconfigure network settings to match Azure's network model.

Upgrade from CentOS 7

Choose between upgrading to CentOS Stream 8 or migrating to Rocky Linux.
Perform in-place upgrades or clean installations as needed.
Verify system functionality and ensure all applications work post-upgrade.

Final Testing and Optimization

Check application performance and network connectivity.
Monitor logs, enable Azure Monitor and Log Analytics.
Plan for future upgrades to RHEL 9, Rocky Linux 9, or another supported OS.

Please feel free to click the 'Upvote' (Thumbs-up) button and 'Accept as Answer'. This helps the community by allowing others with similar queries to easily find the solution.

Vinodh247 29,781 Reputation points MVP

2025-03-11T16:06:30.2266667+00:00

Franklyn Hamilton: Just checking if you had a chance to look at this. if so, can you please update it?

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Migrate a physical centos server from Rackspace to Azure VM

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