What is Azure Storage Mover?
Azure Storage Mover is a managed migration service for reliably transferring large data volumes to Azure Storage. The service supports migration from NFS shares, SMB shares and other file server sources to Azure Blob Storage or Azure Files.
Storage Mover uses an agent-based approach: a lightweight agent is installed at the source location and transfers data to Azure over a secure connection. Central management is handled through the Azure Portal, where migration projects with multiple sources and targets can be orchestrated.
The service is particularly well-suited for migrating on-premises file servers to the cloud where file attributes, permissions and timestamps need to be preserved.
Core Features
- Agent-based migration from NFS and SMB sources to Azure Storage
- Central management and orchestration through the Azure Portal
- Preservation of file attributes, timestamps and directory structures
- Incremental copies for ongoing synchronization before cutover
- Detailed progress reports and error tracking
Typical Use Cases
Data Center Migration: Systematic migration of file servers from your own data center to Azure Blob Storage or Azure Files as part of a cloud transformation.
NAS Consolidation: Migrating distributed NAS systems from multiple locations to a central Azure storage solution to simplify management.
Archive Migration: Transferring large archive datasets from on-premises storage to Azure Blob Storage Archive tier for long-term cost reduction.
Benefits
- No additional costs for the migration service itself
- Data integrity preservation with checksum validation
- Central management of distributed source locations
- GDPR-compliant with data transfer within European regions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Azure Storage Mover free?
Yes, the service itself is free. Only costs for the Azure target storage and potentially network transfer apply. The agent can run on existing hardware or as a VM.
Which data sources are supported?
Storage Mover supports NFS shares (v3 and v4) and SMB shares as sources. Azure Blob Storage containers and Azure File Shares are supported as targets.
How long does a typical migration take?
Duration depends on data volume and available bandwidth. Storage Mover supports incremental copies, so after the initial transfer only changes are synchronized. This minimizes downtime during cutover.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure Storage Mover: from migration planning and network sizing to agent installation and execution and validation of the data migration.
