What is Azure Storage Mover?
Azure Storage Mover is a fully managed migration service for transferring files and folders from on-premises sources or AWS S3 buckets to Azure Storage with minimal downtime. Supported combinations include SMB 2.x/3.x and NFS 3/4 shares as sources migrating to Azure Blob Storage or Azure Files (SMB or NFS 4.1), Azure blob containers as a source for blob-to-blob migrations, and AWS S3 buckets as a source for Azure blob containers. SMB 1.x sources and NFS Azure file shares as a target for an SMB source are not supported.
Storage Mover supports both agent-based and agentless migration workloads. For agent-based workloads, a lightweight agent VM runs near the source storage and transfers data directly to the selected target in Azure; the Storage Mover service itself doesn’t process files but handles orchestration and management. A single Storage Mover instance can centrally manage migrations of multiple, even globally distributed, source shares. 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. For the initial bulk migration, Storage Mover can be combined with Azure Data Box: after the physical data transport, Storage Mover synchronizes only the changes that occurred in the meantime (“online catch-up”).
Core Features
- Migration from SMB and NFS shares, Azure blob containers, and AWS S3 buckets as sources to Azure Storage
- Agent-based and agentless migration workloads
- Central management and orchestration of multiple, even globally distributed sources through the Azure portal
- Preservation of file attributes, timestamps, ACLs, and directory structures (full-fidelity migration depending on the source/target combination)
- Incremental copies for ongoing synchronization before cutover, including in combination with Azure Data Box
- 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 SMB 2.x/3.x shares, NFS shares (v3 and v4), Azure blob containers, and AWS S3 buckets as sources. Azure blob containers and Azure File Shares (SMB or NFS 4.1) are supported as targets, though not every source-target combination is possible.
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.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
