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AWS Databases

Source: My personal notes from AWS training courses and cloud training at work

Overview of Database Migrations to AWS

Section titled “Overview of Database Migrations to AWS”
  • Migration of databases to AWS: use cases, options, examples
    • Tools and processes used

Use Case

Section titled “Use Case”

Business goals might be:

  • Cost reduction:

    • Consolidation
    • Reducing capital costs
    • Outsource functions like:
      • Database failover, backup/recovery, compliance, patching
      • Infrastructure monitoring, maintenance
    • Simplify licensing
    • Use open source instead of commercial licenses with enterprise service levels
      • Example: Amazon Aurora
      • Case study: Amazon.com migrated from 7500 Oracle database to different AWS databases including DynamoDB, Aurora, RDS, Redshift

  • Security and availability

    • Service levels

  • Faster to deploy, destroy

  • Allow teams to focus on functions like:

    • Increase database administrator productivity to allow them to concentrate on other work
    • Application development
    • Schema design, query optimization
    • Business innovation and functionality

Options

Section titled “Options”
  • Re-platform: Relational and non-relationship databases available as Managed database services
    • Example: Columnar Amazon Redshift, Amazon RDS
  • Re-host: Compute/container based hosting using EC2 or Container Services
  • Re-factor: Change database
  • Re-architect: Choose database types that fit business needs

Journey in Migrations

Section titled “Journey in Migrations”

3 steps:

  • Assess
    • Business case
      • Costs
      • Assets
    • Sponsor
    • AWS guidance through support people, training
  • Mobilize
    • Plan option, destination
    • Additional training
    • Operations, security, migration model
  • Migration
    • Determine people/skills needed and get support if needed
    • Implement and transition to operations

Common issues:

  • No business case
    • One time effort, cost
    • Organization not ready
  • Technology complexity
  • Data volume and attributes

Building a Business Case

Section titled “Building a Business Case”
  • Can use templates of common calculations “Directional Business Case”:
    • Financial impact, savings
    • Database instance changes
    • Storage details
    • Assumptions
  • Licensing Assessment
    • Assess existing environment
    • Provide recommendations on technology/business priorities
    • Calculate total cost of ownership and options of changes
    • Common outcome is reduce unneeded CPU/licenses or licensing levels/features