Description

Hands-on Challenge Day - Cloud Migration to Azure VM

Introduction

Understanding Cloud Migration

Cloud migration involves moving data, applications, or other business elements from an on-premises infrastructure to a cloud computing environment. One common scenario is migrating web applications from local servers to cloud-based virtual machines to leverage the cloud's scalability, reliability, and security features.

Why Migrate to Azure?

Microsoft Azure provides a suite of cloud services, including computing, analytics, storage, and networking. Users can pick and choose from these services to develop and scale new applications, or run existing applications, in the public cloud.

Challenge Scenario

"LegacyApps Inc." is a company that has been running its critical web application on an on-premises server. Due to increasing maintenance costs and the need for scalability, the company decides to migrate its application to a virtual machine in Azure. The application is a simple Python Flask web application that displays messages to visitors.

Problem Statement: LegacyApps Inc. needs to migrate their on-premises web application to Azure to improve scalability and reduce infrastructure costs. The process must ensure minimal downtime and maintain application performance.

Your Mission: Migrate a simple Python Flask web application from an on-premises server to an Azure VM. Set up the Azure environment, migrate the application, and ensure it runs successfully in the cloud.

Challenge: Migrating a Web Application to an Azure VM

Requirements:

1. Azure Account: Access to a Microsoft Azure account.
2. Python Flask Application: A simple web application developed with the Python Flask framework.

Steps:

1. Set Up Azure VM:

   • Manually create a new virtual machine in Azure. Choose a size that matches the application's requirements and a region close to your user base.
   • Select an Ubuntu Server image for the VM, as it's compatible with most Python applications.

2. Prepare the Application:

   • Ensure the Python Flask application is ready for migration. The application should have the following structure:

   /app
       - app.py
       - requirements.txt
   
   

   **app.py:**

   from flask import Flask
   app = Flask(__name__)
   
   @app.route('/')
   def hello_world():
       return 'Hello, Azure!'
   
   if __name__ == '__main__':
       app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=80)
   
   

   requirements.txt:

   Flask==2.0.1
   
   

3. Migrate the Application:

   • Connect to your Azure VM via SSH.
   • Update the system packages and install Python and pip.

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   sudo apt install python3-pip -y
   
   

   • Create a directory for your application and upload the application files to this directory on the Azure VM.
   • Install the required Python packages.

   pip3 install -r requirements.txt
   
   

4. Run the Application:

   • Start the Flask application on the Azure VM.

   python3 app.py