--- name: infrastructure-hub-about-migration title: About migration description: Your decision to migrate can be driven by many factors, such as modernization, cost savings, consolidation, or closing a data center. You can also migrate to better align applications with cloud environments or to adopt new technologies like IBM Cloud® Virtual Private Cloud. No matter the reason, a migration can range from something as simple as migrating a single virtual server instance to something much more complex. It can be as complex as migrating an entire application environment, pod, or even a full data center along with all its supporting components. last-updated: 2026-10-05 --- > ## Documentation Index > The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?format=markdown > The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt > Use these files to discover more information as needed. # About migration {: #about-migration-infra} Your decision to migrate can be driven by many factors, such as modernization, cost savings, consolidation, or closing a data center. You can also migrate to better align applications with cloud environments or to adopt new technologies like IBM Cloud® Virtual Private Cloud. No matter the reason, a migration can range from something as simple as migrating a single virtual server instance to something much more complex. It can be as complex as migrating an entire application environment, pod, or even a full data center along with all its supporting components. {: shortdesc} ![Migration approach](images/migrate-process.svg "Diagram showing the four-step migration approach: Assess, Plan, Migrate, and Validate"){: caption="Migration approach" caption-side="bottom"} ## Migration approach {: #migration-approach} | Step | Description | |------|-------------| |**Assess** | Do you need to migrate instances to a new data center due to data center closures? Do you want to migrate your entire IBM Cloud® classic infrastructure to VPC? Assess your situation and identify your existing infrastructure to determine what components you have, how they are configured, and what you want to migrate. \n Not only do you need to assess your current environment, but you need to assess the target environment to understand the capabilities, support, and differences between the two environments, if applicable. In this assessment step, you can get a general idea of the complexity of the migration so that you can develop a migration strategy. | |**Plan** | Audit your existing infrastructure to assess which resources and components can be migrated and what dependencies exist between them. Estimate the potential impact on running services, including expected downtime and effects on connected systems, to understand the level of disruption the migration might cause. Use this information to decide whether a phased or all-at-once approach makes more sense based on your team's capacity and the complexity of your environment.| |**Migrate** | After you have assessed your existing infrastructure and planned your migration, you are ready to migrate your resources and components. Depending on your migration needs, you can choose from available tools to help with the migration process. | |**Validate** | After you migrate your resources and components to the target infrastructure, validate and test the environment before making it available for production. You might also need to update DNS, global load balancers, or routes, or retire old services. | {: caption="Migration approach" caption-side="bottom"} ## Migration solutions {: #migration-solutions} Review the following table to identify the migration solution that best fits your migration needs. | Solution | Bare metal to bare metal | Bare metal to virtual server | Virtual server to virtual server | Block or File storage | Network | | ---- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [RMM](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#rackware-migration) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | [DIY automation](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#DIY-automation) | | | | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | | [Custom image templates](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#custom-image-templates) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | | | | {: caption="Classic to classic infrastructure migration" caption-side="bottom"} {: summary="This table has row and column headers. The row headers identify the migration solution. The column headers identify what can be migrated by using the migration solution. To understand what can be migrated by using a particular solution in the table, go to the row, and find the checkmark for the migration motion that you are interested in."} {: #table01} {: tab-title="Classic to classic infrastructure"} {: tab-group="Migration"} {: class="comparison-tab-table"} {: row-headers} | Solution | Bare metal to bare metal | Bare metal to virtual server | Virtual server to virtual server | Block or File storage | Network | | ---- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [RMM](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#rackware-migration) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | [DIY automation](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#DIY-automation) | | | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | | [Custom image templates](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#custom-image-templates) | | | | | | {: caption="Classic to VPC infrastructure migration" caption-side="bottom"} {: summary="This table has row and column headers. The row headers identify the migration solution. The column headers identify what can be migrated by using the migration solution. To understand what can be migrated by using a particular solution in the table, go to the row, and find the checkmark for the migration motion that you are interested in."} {: #table02} {: tab-title="Classic to VPC infrastructure"} {: tab-group="Migration"} {: class="comparison-tab-table"} {: row-headers} | Solution | Bare metal to bare metal | Bare metal to virtual server | Virtual server to virtual server | Block or File storage | Network | | ---- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [RMM](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#rackware-migration) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | | [DIY automation](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#DIY-automation) | | | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | ![Checkmark icon](../icons/checkmark-icon.svg) | | | [Custom image templates](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-about-migration-infra&format=markdown#custom-image-templates) | | | | | | {: caption="On-premises to VPC infrastructure migration" caption-side="bottom"} {: summary="This table has row and column headers. The row headers identify the migration solution. The column headers identify what can be migrated by using the migration solution. To understand what can be migrated by using a particular solution in the table, go to the row, and find the checkmark for the migration motion that you are interested in."} {: #table03} {: tab-title="On-premises to VPC infrastructure"} {: tab-group="Migration"} {: class="comparison-tab-table"} {: row-headers} RMM supports only Block Storage for Classic migration and not File Storage for Classic. {: note} If you are migrating from classic infrastructure to VPC, additional third-party tools are available, including VPC+ Cloud Migration (Wanclouds) and ConvertIO (PrimaryIO). For a full comparison, see [Migration solutions](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-solutions&format=markdown#third-party-migration-services) in the Classic to VPC documentation. {: tip} ## VPC+ Cloud Migration {: #vpc-cloud-migration} If you want to migrate your IBM Cloud classic infrastructure (compute, network, and storage) to VPC, you can use VPC+ Cloud Migration. VPC+ Cloud Migration is a third-party, software-based migration-as-a-service solution, provided by Wanclouds, for migrating components from classic infrastructure to your VPC. With VPC+ Cloud Migration, you can discover and choose resources for migration, create, and set up those resources in your VPC environment. You can also run and manage your VPC environment from within the tool. For the full list of classic infrastructure elements that VPC+ Cloud Migration can migrate to VPC, including compute, network, and storage resources such as subnets, virtual server instances, dedicated hosts, storage volumes, security groups, load balancers, ACLs, VPN, SSH keys, and public gateways, see [VPC+ Cloud Migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-solutions&format=markdown#vpc-cloud-migration) in the Classic to VPC documentation. For more information, see [Getting started with VPC+ Cloud Migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/wanclouds-vpc-plus?topic=wanclouds-vpc-plus-getting-started-tutorial&format=markdown). ## RMM {: #rackware-migration} RackWare Management Module (RMM) is a third-party solution (provided by RackWare) that provides an automated and convenient process to migrate existing compute workloads to IBM Cloud. With RMM, you can create an exact duplicate of a running source image without the burden of rebuilding or re-creating template images and applications. Migrating large, complex environments through a simple intuitive user interface and automated tasks reduces the time that is required from weeks to days. The application tracks data changes on the source until the cutover, and performs delta syncs to the target server in IBM Cloud. Additionally, it helps you with automated wave planning for migrations that can be further customized. ### Classic to classic infrastructure migration {: #classic-to-classic-migration-rmm} You can use RMM solution to simplify the overall bare metal to bare metal migration process. The solution simplifies the process by moving the operating system, applications, and data from one bare metal server to another bare metal server in the IBM Cloud classic environment. The migration can occur either over the public or private interface of the compute resource. ![Topology](images/p-p_classic_private_ip_routing2.svg "Bare metal migration by using RMM"){: caption="Network topology of RMM and bare metal migration" caption-side="bottom"} A similar architecture diagram is applicable for 'Bare metal to virtual server' and 'Virtual server to virtual server' use cases within classic infrastructure migration. {: note} Review the following migration considerations and limitations: * The RMM server is installed on a virtual server instance and is a GUI-based tool. * The RMM server needs to be able to access both the source and target server over SSH. * This offering is a bring-your-own-license (BYOL) solution. * Only compute resources are migrated, along with secondary volume, and secondary block volumes. * The RMM tool tracks the data changes on the source server until cutover, and performs delta syncs to the target server. For a detailed step-by-step guide, see [IBM Cloud classic bare metal to classic bare metal migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-p-p-migration-bare-metal-overview&format=markdown). For frequently asked questions and answers, see [FAQs for classic bare metal to classic bare metal migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-bare-metal-faqs&format=markdown). ### Classic to VPC infrastructure migration {: #classic-vpc-migration-rmm} You can use RMM solution to migrate your classic bare metal server to an IBM Cloud VPC virtual server instance or bare metal. By migrating from bare metal servers to virtual servers or bare metal, you can modernize your environment and adopt virtualization. ![Physical to virtual migration private IP diagram](images/P2V-Private-1.svg "Diagram of the physical-to-virtual migration topology using a private IP interface"){: caption="Migrating over private interface" caption-side="bottom"} A similar architecture diagram is applicable for 'Bare metal to bare metal' and 'Virtual server to virtual server' use cases for classic to VPC infrastructure migration. {: note} Review the following migration considerations and limitations: * The RMM server is installed on a virtual server instance and is a GUI-based tool. * The RMM server needs to be able to access both the source and target server over SSH. * When you place your order, you get a 3-month promotional license, then you must use BYOL. * Only the compute resources are migrated, along with secondary volume and block volumes. * The RMM tool tracks the data changes on the source server until cutover, and performs delta syncs to the target server. * This migration is nondisruptive. VPC does not have support for snapshot, replication, and shared volume. You can manage these solutions through the native OS capabilities, tools, or third party of your choice. {: note} For more information, see [Bare metal to bare metal or virtual server migration overview](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-pv-migration-overview&format=markdown). For a detailed step-by-step guide on moving your IBM Cloud classic bare metal servers to VPC, see [Bare metal to virtual server migration on a private network by using RMM](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-pv-migration-private-network&format=markdown). For frequently asked questions and answers, see [FAQs for RackWare](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-rackware-faqs&format=markdown). ### On-premises to VPC infrastructure migration {: #on-prem-vpc-migration-rmm} You can use RMM solution to migrate your on-premises workloads to IBM Cloud VPC. ![On-premises to VPC migration topology](images/On-Prem-1.svg "Diagram showing on-premises to VPC migration topology"){: caption="On-premises to VPC migration" caption-side="bottom"} This architecture diagram is applicable for bare metal to bare metal, bare metal to virtual server, and virtual server to virtual server scenarios. {: note} For a detailed step-by-step guide, see [VMware VM on-premises to IBM Cloud VPC with RMM](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-migrating-images-vmware-vpc&format=markdown). For frequently asked questions and answers, see [FAQs for VMware (on-premises and classic) to VPC migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-faqs-vmware&format=markdown). ### Cloud to VPC infrastructure migration {: #cloud-vpc-infrastructure} You can use RMM solution to migrate from other cloud providers to IBM Cloud VPC. ![Other cloud providers to VPC migration architecture](images/AnyCloud_final.svg "Diagram showing migration from other cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI) to IBM Cloud VPC"){: caption="Other cloud providers to VPC migration" caption-side="bottom"} You can migrate your workloads from the following cloud providers: * AWS * Azure * GCP * OCI (bare metal) For a detailed step-by-step guide, see [AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI workloads to IBM Cloud VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-migrating-images-cloud-rackware&format=markdown). ## DIY automation {: #DIY-automation} Several do-it-yourself (DIY) automation scripts are available to migrate workloads and data to IBM Cloud. The automation scripts are starter scripts that you can modify or adapt to your environment. Because these scripts are open source and available at no charge, no support or SLAs are offered. For more information, see [Getting help and support for image and data migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-getting-help-support-image-data-migration&format=markdown). {: note} The following DIY automation scripts are available for you to use: |Tool | Description | |-----|-------------| |Virtual server preparation and validation tool |- This tool ensures that the guest server that you want to import to VPC as a custom image meets the [minimum requirements](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-about-images&format=markdown#custom-image-reqs). \n - The script is available in this [public GitHub repository](https://github.com/IBM-Cloud/vpc-migration-tools/tree/main/os-precheck-scripts){: external}. | |Image conversion tool |- You can convert VMDK and VDH images to qcow2 from anywhere to VPC. \n - You can upload an image to IBM Cloud Object Storage and import it to VPC as a custom image. \n - The script is available in this [public GitHub repository](https://github.com/IBM-Cloud/vpc-migration-tools/tree/main/image-conversion){: external}. \n - For a detailed step-by-step guide, see [Migrating VMDK or VHD images to VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/infrastructure-hub?topic=infrastructure-hub-migrating-images-vpc&format=markdown).| |Data migration tool | - You can migrate your data from anywhere to IBM Cloud classic infrastructure or VPC. \n - The tool uses `rsync` to copy data from the source to the target server. \n - The script is available in this [public GitHub repository](https://github.com/IBM-Cloud/vpc-migration-tools/tree/main/data-migration){: external}. \n - For a detailed step-by-step guide, see [Migrating data from IBM Cloud classic infrastructure to VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-data-migration-classic-to-vpc&format=markdown). | {: caption="Available DIY automation scripts" caption-side="bottom"} ## Custom image templates {: #custom-image-templates} By using a custom image template, you can capture a classic bare metal image. You can use the custom image to order more classic bare metal servers with the exact same configurations, and you can deploy as many servers as needed. With this type of classic bare metal to classic bare metal migration in IBM Cloud classic infrastructure, you need to review the following considerations and limitations: * Only compute resources and secondary volumes are migrated. * Custom images are not meant for backup. * Custom images can be used for disaster recovery. Classic bare metal to classic bare metal migration is disruptive to your workload, so be sure to plan ahead. {: important} For more information, see [About bare metal custom image templates](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/bare-metal?topic=bare-metal-getting-started-bm-custom-image-templates&format=markdown). ## Planning your Classic to VPC migration {: #about-migration-classic-to-vpc-planning} If you are migrating from classic infrastructure to IBM Cloud VPC, use the following resources in the [Classic to VPC migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?format=markdown) guide to assess your environment, meet prerequisites, and execute the migration. ### Discover your classic infrastructure {: #about-migration-discovery} Before you plan or execute a migration, inventory your existing classic resources: - [Discovery of classic infrastructure](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-discover-classic-infrastructure&format=markdown) — overview of the discovery process, account planning, and application grouping - [Discovery of classic compute resources](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-discover-classic-compute-resources&format=markdown) — how to capture vCPU, memory, OS, storage, and network configuration for each classic virtual server instance - [Discovery of classic storage resources](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-discover-classic-storage-resources&format=markdown) — how to identify and document block, file, portable, and local storage volumes ### Meet prerequisites {: #about-migration-prerequisites} Confirm that VRF is enabled, CLI tooling is installed, and quota increases are requested before you begin: - [Prerequisites for migration](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-key-migration-prerequisites&format=markdown) — VRF enablement, IBM Cloud CLI setup, and VPC quota increases ### Set up your VPC environment and migrate {: #about-migration-vpc-setup} Follow the step-by-step guides to provision your target VPC environment and migrate your classic virtual server instances: - [Setting up your VPC environment](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-vpc-creating-steps&format=markdown) — resource groups, VPC, subnets, security groups, SSH keys, and virtual server instance provisioning - [Migration decisions for compute](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-vpc-decisions-for-compute&format=markdown) — profile selection, high availability, and deployable architecture considerations - [Migrating from Classic virtual server instance to VPC virtual server instance](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/classic-to-vpc?topic=classic-to-vpc-migrate-classic-to-vpc&format=markdown) — end-to-end migration process including post-migration optimization ## Next steps {: #about-migration-next-steps} * Contact your IBM Cloud Customer Success Manager (CSM) or IBM Cloud Seller for migration planning, assistance, and other questions. * If you don't have an assigned CSM or IBM Cloud Seller, IBM contacts the primary account contact by email.